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Countdown For A Cure Raises Over $1 Million at 2026 Evening of Energy Gala

2026 Evening of Energy Gala

A Media Snippet accompanying this announcement is available by clicking on this link.

ATLANTA, Feb. 24, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Countdown For A Cure (CFAC) hosted its third annual Evening of Energy gala on February 7th at The St. Regis Atlanta, raising more than $1 million to advance mitochondrial research focused on cellular energy, the foundation of human health.

Hosted by Dr. Taz Bhatia, MD, nationally recognized integrative physician and founder of hol+, the evening brought together leaders across science, medicine, wellness, philanthropy, and culture to highlight the growing relevance of mitochondrial science in chronic illness, aging, and rare disease.

During the program, CFAC presented its highest honor, the Countdown For A Cure Award, to Douglas C. Wallace, PhD, Director of the Center for Mitochondrial & Epigenomic Medicine at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Widely regarded as the father of mitochondrial medicine, Dr. Wallace was recognized for pioneering discoveries that established the role of mitochondria in human health, disease, and aging.

The 2026 Powerhouse Award was presented to Sonya Knebel, 2022 European Long Drive Champion and 2022 World Long Drive Bronze Medalist, honoring her leadership and advocacy following her experience with mitochondrial dysfunction.

The evening also featured remarks from Natalie Yivgi-Ohana, PhD, Founder and CEO of Minovia Therapeutics and 2025 CFAC grant recipient. Through its 2025 grant, CFAC is specifically supporting mitochondrial biomarker development, advancing tools to measure cellular function, track disease progression, and assess therapeutic response with greater precision. This work is critical to accelerating clinical translation and evaluating next-generation mitochondrial therapies.

The program blended science and storytelling, with a live performance by Izabela Rose and an after-party led by Grammy Award-winning producer DJ Babey Drew.

The 2026 Evening of Energy was made possible through the support of sponsors, including InPrime Legal and MoveDocs. “In science, Mitzi and Jeff are solving for the root cause,” said Jonathan Page, Founder of InPrime Legal. “They are building the foundation for the future of health.”

Funds raised will support CFAC’s expanding research pipeline and education initiatives, with additional 2026 grant announcements planned this spring.

“Disease moves quickly. To truly change lives, we have to move faster,” said Co-Founders Mitzi and Jeff Solomon. “Our third annual Evening of Energy reflects a powerful truth: when a community unites around bold science, progress accelerates. We are thankful for every partner and supporter helping advance mitochondrial research. But this is only the beginning. Together, we must continue to move with the speed and scale this work requires and deserves.”

The next Evening of Energy gala will take place on January 30, 2027, at The St. Regis Atlanta. Sponsorship opportunities are now available, and sponsors who commit before April 1st will receive enhanced recognition and access to an exclusive Founders experience.

For more information about Countdown For A Cure, sponsorship opportunities, or ways to get involved, visit www.CountdownForACure.org or email [email protected].

About Countdown For A Cure
Countdown For A Cure is the only nonprofit dedicated to accelerating broad mitochondrial science and medicine. The organization funds innovative research, elevates awareness of mitochondrial dysfunction as a critically overlooked driver of disease, and works to bring mitochondrial health out of the shadows and into everyday conversations about vitality, resilience, and longevity. Guided by the belief that Energy Is Everything, Countdown For A Cure is building a movement to transform preventive care and improve healthspan for today and for generations to come.

About the Evening of Energy Gala
The Evening of Energy is Countdown For A Cure’s signature annual fundraising gala, convening leaders across science, medicine, biotechnology, philanthropy, and wellness to advance mitochondrial research. The event highlights groundbreaking science, personal stories, and cross-sector partnerships centered on the role of cellular energy in human health. Proceeds support research, education, and collaboration to accelerate discoveries with broad impact.

The next Evening of Energy will take place on January 30, 2027. Sponsorship opportunities are available; commitments prior to April 1st will receive enhanced recognition and access to an exclusive Founders experience. For more information, visit www.CountdownForACure.org or email [email protected].

For more information, visit www.CountdownForACure.org

Follow CFAC on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, X and YouTube

Contact:
Mitzi Solomon, Founder and President
[email protected] | +1 (917) 715-2381


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 9660360)

Countdown for a Cure Partners with Dr. Taz Bhatia M.D. and hol+ to Advance Mitochondrial Research and Awareness

ATLANTA, Jan. 23, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —  Dr. Taz Bhatia M.D., a nationally recognized integrative medicine physician, author, and founder of hol+, has partnered with nonprofit Countdown for a Cure (CFAC) to help advance awareness, education, and funding for mitochondrial research. As part of this collaboration, Dr. Taz will serve as Host of CFAC’s 2026 Evening of Energy Gala, taking place on February 7th, 2026, at The St. Regis Atlanta.

The partnership marks the beginning of a longer–term collaboration rooted in a shared belief that cellular health, and specifically mitochondrial function, is foundational to energy, resilience, and long–term vitality, yet remains one of the most underfunded and under–understood areas of human health.

“We know mitochondria are essential to how we feel, heal, and age — they power how we show up in daily life,” said Dr. Taz. “When energy begins to decline, it’s often the earliest and most overlooked precursor to many chronic diseases we see today. That gap between what we know and what’s possible is where research matters most. I’m honored to host the Evening of Energy Gala and to partner with Countdown for a Cure in supporting the science that will shape the future of prevention, longevity, and root–cause medicine.”

Countdown for a Cure is the only nonprofit dedicated to advancing broad mitochondrial research with applications across rare disease, chronic illness, disease prevention, treatment, longevity, and regenerative health. Grounded in the science of cellular energy, CFAC funds and accelerates research designed not only to advance discovery, but to translate mitochondrial science into real–world clinical and consumer applications, shaping the next generation of diagnostics, precision medicine, and whole–body health. Its work is guided by a Scientific and Medical Advisory Board and Executive Committee comprised of leading physicians, biomedical scientists, clinical geneticists, metabolic and mitochondrial disease researchers, longevity and systems biology experts, and technology innovators advancing AI–driven biological discovery.

“Dr. Taz brings a rare ability to translate complex science into meaningful, real–world understanding,” said Mitzi Solomon, Co–Founder and President of Countdown for a Cure. “Her voice, platform, and curiosity align deeply with our mission. Having her host the Evening of Energy Gala is not just an honor, it’s a powerful opportunity to broaden awareness and invite more people into this important work.”

As recently highlighted in a feature by USA Today, Dr. Taz has reimagined the future of health with the launch of hol+. This new functional medical home combines the best of eastern and western medicine to create a one stop shop for primary and consultative care, utilizing a holistic approach. Through this partnership, CFAC and hol+ will collaborate on educational content, storytelling, and community engagement that connect everyday experiences—energy levels, metabolic health, stress resilience, and healthy aging—to what’s happening inside our cells. The collaboration will also elevate women’s health as a critical and historically underfunded area of medicine, exploring key life stages such as puberty, reproductive and ovarian aging, and menopause, as well as age–related chronic disease, through a mitochondrial lens. Together, the partnership aims to inspire both individual action and collective investment in the research shaping tomorrow’s health landscape.

About Countdown For A Cure
Countdown For A Cure is the only nonprofit dedicated to accelerating broad mitochondrial science and medicine. The organization funds innovative research, elevates awareness of mitochondrial dysfunction as a critically overlooked driver of disease, and works to bring mitochondrial health out of the shadows and into everyday conversations about vitality, resilience, and longevity. Guided by the belief that Energy Is Everything, Countdown For A Cure is building a movement to transform preventive care and improve healthspan for today and for generations to come.

About the Evening of Energy Gala
The Evening of Energy Gala at The St. Regis Atlanta on February 7th, 2026, is Countdown For A Cure’s signature annual fundraising event, bringing together leaders in science, medicine, biotech, corporate and organizational leadership, philanthropy, entertainment, and wellness for an unforgettable night of purpose and impact. The 2026 gala marks the organization’s third annual event and will spotlight groundbreaking research, inspiring stories, and performances that celebrate the power of cellular energy to change lives. For more information including ticketing and sponsorship opportunities, visit www.countdownforacure.org and follow along on social media @countdownforacure.

About Dr. Taz Bhatia, M.D. and hol+
Dr. Tasneem “Dr. Taz” Bhatia MD—known nationally as Dr. Taz—is a leading physician, media personality, entrepreneur, and visionary founder whose work is reshaping how families across America understand and access holistic, evidence and systems–based healthcare. As host of the acclaimed hol+ podcast show and CEO of the rapidly expanding hol+™ health ecosystem, Dr. Taz has built one of the most influential, trusted, and far–reaching platforms in medicine today.

For more information, visit www.countdownforacure.org
Visit our Gala site for Evening of Energy tickets and sponsorships.
Follow CFAC on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube

Contact:

Mitzi Solomon, Founder and President
[email protected] | +1 (917) 715–2381


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 9631624)

Countdown For A Cure Awards $350,000 Grant to Minovia Therapeutics to Advance Groundbreaking Mitochondrial Biomarker Research

ATLANTA, Aug. 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Countdown For A Cure, a foundation dedicated to accelerating mitochondrial research and medicine, today announced a $350,000 grant to Minovia Therapeutics Ltd., a clinical–stage company pioneering mitochondrial transplantation technologies. The funding will support Minovia’s research proposal to develop novel mitochondrial blood–based biomarkers that quantify mitochondrial content, quality, and function, with the goal of establishing a standardized “MitoScore.”

In addition to developing mitochondrial augmentation and transplantation (MAT)–based therapies, Minovia has set dual goals: advancing biomarkers to measure mitochondrial health and using these biomarkers to compare mitochondrial scores in healthy individuals and patients with mitochondrial disease. By doing so, Minovia aims to provide tools for earlier diagnosis, better disease tracking, and more effective evaluation of therapies.

Mitochondrial dysfunction is a hallmark not only of rare genetic diseases but also of chronic and age–related conditions. Despite its central role in human health, impacting the brain, heart, muscles, metabolism, and immunity, there are no approved therapies or functional diagnostic tests for mitochondrial dysfunction. When mitochondria become damaged or stop working properly, cells fail to produce enough energy, triggering a ripple effect that undermines nearly every system in the body. Causes can range from genetics and aging to environmental toxins, infections, poor diet, chronic stress, and medications. Because dysfunction often hides behind seemingly unrelated symptoms, it is frequently misdiagnosed or missed entirely, earning its reputation as the “hidden root cause” of disease.

“We shouldn’t just be fixing disease; we should be funding the future of health and healing. Supporting Minovia’s biomarker work is a crucial step in advancing mitochondrial medicine to the forefront of healthcare, not only for patients living with rare mitochondrial diseases, but also for the millions worldwide facing conditions linked to mitochondrial dysfunction. As one of the most overlooked drivers of health and disease, mitochondrial dysfunction plays a central role in everything from neurodegeneration and chronic fatigue to aging and metabolic disorders. By addressing this profound unmet need, we have an opportunity to transform how medicine prevents, diagnoses, and treats disease at its root,” said Mitzi Solomon, Founder & President of Countdown For A Cure Foundation.

Dr. Noa Sher, Chief Scientific Officer of Minovia, commented: “We are grateful to Countdown For A Cure Foundation, whose support will be instrumental in advancing the development of blood–based functional mitochondrial biomarkers. These tools will enable the identification of patients most likely to benefit from our MAT technology, as well as support patient follow–up after treatment. Given how critical mitochondria are to human health, we envision a future where mitochondrial biomarker assessments are part of routine checkups for individuals of all ages.”

About Minovia Therapeutics

Founded in 2011, Minovia Therapeutics, chaired by John Cox, is a clinical–stage biotechnology company developing treatments to replace dead or defective mitochondria with healthy mitochondria, helping people with mitochondrial diseases and fighting aging. Its lead therapy, MNV–201, is already in clinical testing for Pearson Syndrome and Myelodysplastic Syndrome.

The company is recognized globally for leading the first clinical trials in mitochondrial transplantation and continues to pioneer innovative therapies and biomarker development to bring energy–based healing to patients worldwide. Beyond rare mitochondrial diseases, Minovia is expanding its applications to broader areas where mitochondrial dysfunction plays a central role, including neurodegeneration, chronic fatigue, aging, and metabolic disorders.

Based in Haifa, Israel, Minovia operates a GMP facility for mitochondrial drug substance and drug product manufacturing to support its clinical trials, and it is planning expansion into the United States.

For more information, visit www.minoviatx.com.

About Countdown For A Cure

Countdown For A Cure (CFAC) is a foundation dedicated to accelerating mitochondrial medicine. Founded in 2024 by Mitzi and Jeff Solomon, who experienced mitochondrial dysfunction and its effects on their family firsthand, CFAC partners with leading research institutions and patient advocacy groups to fund bold, high–impact science and provide critical support to families. As a smart charity, CFAC invests in next–generation solutions for preventing, diagnosing, treating, and ultimately curing diseases rooted in cellular energy dysfunction, while also advancing healthy aging and extending longevity.

CFAC envisions a future where mitochondrial medicine revolutionizes healthcare by extending healthspan, transforming lives, and bringing energy–based healing to the forefront of medicine. Mitochondrial dysfunction affects nearly every area of medicine, including the brain, heart, muscles, and metabolism, yet it remains one of the most overlooked drivers of disease.

That is why CFAC is committed to advancing science, bridging clinical care, raising awareness of mitochondrial health, and uniting a global community determined to make a tangible difference in the lives of those affected by conditions and diseases linked to mitochondrial dysfunction.

For more information, visit www.countdownforacure.org.

Contacts:

Countdown For A Cure
Mitzi Solomon, Founder and President
[email protected] | +1 (917) 715–2381

Jeff Solomon, Founder
[email protected] | +1 (404) 272–0959

Vivian Martin, Communications Associate
[email protected] | +1 (404) 754–3337


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 9519437)