Kimberly Ovitt, Director of Communication & Institutional Advancement
(480)727-8688 | kimberly.ovitt@asu.edu
February 16, 2006
The Biodesign Institute Recruits Major Talent to Launch Center for BioEnergetics
Miller to Lead New Initiative in Translational Mitochondrial Research
The Biodesign Institute has hired Guy Miller, MD, PhD to direct a new Center for BioEnergetics. In doing so, ASU has retained a renowned physician, scientist, innovator and humanitarian.
Miller is a physician specializing in surgical-critical care medicine, and is a leading researcher in the area of energy impairment diseases. He is the founder of two biotechnology companies, and has launched a nonprofit medical foundation for rare mitochondrial diseases.
“Dr. Miller’s efforts pave the way for significant advances in fighting energy impairment diseases. He has demonstrated his commitment to improving patient outcomes through direct patient care, basic and translational research, and philanthropic endeavors. Few people have the capacity for approaching a problem on so many critical levels,” said George Poste, director of the Biodesign Institute.
The Center for BioEnergetics will focus on the vital role of energy metabolism in human health, wellness and disease. It will pursue improved diagnostics and treatments for diseases that result when the cell’s power generators—called mitochondria—do not function properly. Mitochondrial dysfunction is believed to play a pivotal role in diseases ranging from obesity and heart attack to stroke and neurodegenerative diseases. There are also a number of rare genetic diseases that affect the mitochondria.
“My fascination with the chemistry, biology and medicine of human energy began with my love of endurance sports and the field of nutrition,” said Dr. Miller. “It was apparent to me that some athletes had profound genetic advantages. Only later, following my dissertation research and clinical training, did I appreciate the converse--that genetic errors in the same loci resulted in devastating energy impairment diseases,” said Miller.
Miller explained that there are more than 50 separate inherited, or genetic mitochondrial diseases. Independently, each is considered a rare or “orphan“ disease, affecting less than 200,000 people. These primarily afflict children and young adults, and symptoms can include heart, liver or kidney disease; poor growth; loss of muscle function; vision and hearing problems; developmental delays or mental retardation; diabetes; respiratory and gastrointestinal disorders; and dementia.
The comparatively low incidence of these diseases results in frequent misdiagnosis and a lack of consistent standards in treatment. Miller hopes to reverse these trends and to develop improved treatments. He recently co-founded and is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Edison Pharmaceuticals, which is focused on developing drugs for orphan mitochondrial diseases.
Edison has raised more than $6M through deploying a hybrid investor/foundation funding model. Given the relative small markets that Edison is pursuing, and the absence of investor or big pharmaceutical company interest in such diseases, Edison has obtained substantial grant support to advance its pre-clinical and clinical initiatives from foundations including the Friedreich's Ataxia Research Alliance, the Muscular Dystrophy Association and Seek A Miracle.
Miller also is the founder of Galileo Pharmaceuticals, which focuses on anti-inflammatory drugs to manage conditions such as diabetes, heart attack and asthma. He served as Chairman and CEO of Galileo from 1995-2005. The common thread that links Miller’s diverse initiatives is pursuing first-in-class therapeutics targeting the cell’s energetic axis. He holds over six patents in this discipline.
Miller is currently a clinical instructor and attending physician in medical-surgical critical care at Stanford University School of Medicine/Palo Alto Veterans Administration Medical Center. He is also an Adjunct Professor, University of North Carolina, School of Public Health. Miller was Assistant Professor at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He completed his surgical internship at the University of Chicago, and his residency in anesthesiology & critical care medicine at Johns Hopkins, and fellowship in multi-disciplinary critical care medicine at Johns Hopkins. He holds a PhD in chemistry from the University of Virginia.
Miller said his decision to join the Biodesign Institute was its unabashed vision to translate basic science into clinical applications. “I feel a great deal of urgency in my own mission to find better treatments for individuals in need, and it was clear that this is shared by the leadership and researchers at the Biodesign Institute,” he said.
The research of the Biodesign Institute at ASU is focused on preventing and curing disease, sustaining the environment and securing a safer world. As the largest generator of federal biomedical research funding in the Valley, the institute seeks to translate discoveries into applications that are adopted rapidly by the private sector. For information, visit www.biodesign.asu.edu or call (480) 727-8322.
