The Open Philanthropy Project recommended a grant of $2,500,000 over four years to the University of Michigan to support research by Professor Sue Hammoud on mammalian gamete development. Dr. Hammoud’s proposed research would be specifically focused on development of gametes from stem cells.
Progress in this area could eventually enable people with fertility challenges to have children and could eventually help reduce the incidence of a wide variety of high-burden disorders (such as heart disease, chronic pain, depression, and Alzheimer’s disease) and promote other positive outcomes. Dr. Hammoud’s research is amongst the most promising Open Philanthropy’s science team has encountered so far in this field.
This grant falls within Open Philanthropy’s interest in funding scientific research, and specifically within its interest in advancing transformative basic science.