O'Shaughnessy Ventures Backs Bioengineer Working to Cure Her Own Disease

Héloïse Hoffmann awarded an O'Shaughnessy Fellowship to develop a gene therapy for the rare muscle disease she lives with

GREENWICH, Conn., June 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- O'Shaughnessy Ventures LLC (OSV), an investment firm that empowers creators, has awarded an O'Shaughnessy Fellowship to Héloïse Hoffmann, a bioengineering student based in Stanford, California.

Hoffmann will use the fellowship to develop a gene therapy for facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD), a rare muscle disease she was diagnosed with at age 13. FSHD affects nearly 1 million people worldwide and has no cure. Most current research attempts to shut down production of DUX4, the toxic protein at the root of FSHD. Hoffmann takes a different approach, engineering a protein that blocks DUX4 from activating genes that are toxic to muscles. She has already demonstrated that her approach meaningfully blocks DUX4 activity in patient cells and plans to validate the technique in mouse models, laying the groundwork for human clinical trials. If successful, she believes this method could also form a broader platform for treating other diseases driven by harmful gene activation.

A senior bioengineering student at Stanford University, Hoffmann conducts her research in the Stanley Qi Lab. She launched the project in 2024, leading a team of eight undergraduates to a gold medal at the International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) synthetic biology competition in Paris. She and a team of collaborators went on to win a $50,000 grant from Stanford's Sarafan ChEM-H Undergraduate Entrepreneurship Program to advance the work. She founded GenZ of FSHD, a global community empowering young patients to advocate for and accelerate research into the disease, and has worked closely with the FSHD Society to raise awareness and funding. She has also interned at Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, where she worked on gene therapy candidates for muscular dystrophy.

OSV's founder and CEO, Jim O'Shaughnessy, commented, "The people closest to a problem are often best positioned to solve it. Héloïse's scientific credentials match her personal conviction. We're thrilled to be backing her."

"Receiving this fellowship means I get to dedicate my life to the most meaningful work I can imagine: trying to cure the disease I and nearly 1 million others worldwide live with," said Hoffmann. "I could not be more grateful to Jim and the OSV team for their belief in this mission and the vision of a world free from FSHD. I can't wait to get to work."

About the O'Shaughnessy Fellowships Program

Launched in 2023, the O'Shaughnessy Fellowships program discovers and empowers the world's boldest creatives, builders and researchers. Fellows receive a grant of up to $100,000 and gain access to OSV's network of founders, investors and experts. OSV will award up to 20 fellowships in 2026.

Hoffmann is the sixth fellow announced in 2026. More information about previous fellows is available at OSV's website.

Applications for the O'Shaughnessy Fellowships are now closed and will reopen on Jan. 1, 2027. Individuals interested in applying can do so via OSV's website.

About O'Shaughnessy Ventures

OSV is a creative investment firm that empowers creators to bring their ideas to life. Founded by Jim O'Shaughnessy, a pioneer in quantitative investing, founder of O'Shaughnessy Asset Management, and author of five books, OSV aims to provide financial support and to partner in growing the next life-changing creative ideas.

OSV combines Jim's deeply rooted interest in all things art, science, investing and technology with his long-held desire to establish scenarios designed to help promising creators and their inspiring ideas succeed, regardless of age, location, job history or level of education. For more information, visit OSV's website.

Media Contact:
Ena Gong
O'Shaughnessy Ventures LLC
(917) 355-7420
[email protected]

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SOURCE O'Shaughnessy Ventures