Liyam Chitayat awarded an O’Shaughnessy Fellowship to genetically engineer mitochondria, the power source and control room inside cells

GREENWICH, Conn., June 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — O’Shaughnessy Ventures LLC (OSV), an investment firm that empowers creators, has awarded an O’Shaughnessy Fellowship to Liyam Chitayat, a bioengineer based in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Chitayat will use the fellowship to engineer human mitochondria, the agents inside almost every cell that generate most of the body’s energy and influence critical processes including the formation of neural connections, muscle contraction and cell death.

Despite their importance, mitochondria have long resisted genetic engineering. Having spent billions of years shielded inside their host cells, they have lost the ability to receive DNA from the environment. Chitayat’s approach leverages mitochondria’s bacterial origins by using bacterial viruses, which can inject DNA across membranes. Ultimately, she aims to demonstrate for the first time that mitochondria can be engineered to contain a synthetic genome and perform functions beyond their natural role.

Chitayat began her undergraduate degree in chemistry and biology at age 12 and her MSc in biomedical engineering at age 17. She is now a Ph.D. candidate at MIT, where she holds a Hertz Fellowship. Previously, she served as an inaugural program manager at Israel’s Directorate of Defense Research and Development, where she was the first female “Scientific Prodigy” appointed by the Ministry of Defense. She co-founded the Israel chapter of Nucleate, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering the next generation of biotech leaders. She also holds fellowships with Renaissance Philanthropy’s Big-if-True ideas program and the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security’s Emerging Leader in Biosecurity program.

OSV’s founder and CEO, Jim O’Shaughnessy, commented, “Mitochondrial engineering is one of biology’s great frontiers, and Liyam is building the tools to open it up. Her resume speaks for itself, and her ambition matches it. We’re honored to be backing her.”

“When you download an app, your phone can suddenly do something new,” said Chitayat. “For the past 10 years, I’ve been trying to learn how to download new functions into our biology. This fellowship will enable me to actually do it.”

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.

Chitayat is the fifth 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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