Harvard partners with private equity to fund metabolic disease research

Harvard University, a leading private institution in the U.S., significantly relies on federal funding for its research, receiving $686 million in federal dollars for fiscal year 2024. However, recent budget cuts enacted by the Trump administration have severely impacted its funding, particularly for the T.H. Chan School of Public Health. This school is crucial for many medical research labs at Harvard and depends on government funds for nearly half its annual budget. Facing these financial challenges, the Chan School has turned to private sector partnerships to secure alternative funding sources, a strategy that may reshape research funding in academic institutions. In June 2025, a Turkish-owned private equity firm, İş Private Equity, announced its commitment of nearly $39 million over ten years to support the research conducted by Gökhan Hotamışlıgil, a prominent professor of genetics and metabolism at Harvard. Hotamışlıgil's research focuses on FABP4, a protein linked to obesity and metabolic diseases. His team has been working on lab-engineered antibodies aimed at reducing levels of FABP4, potentially preventing or treating various metabolic diseases and diseases associated with aging. As part of this partnership, a biotech startup named Enlila, created by İş Private Equity, plans to market these antibodies in the American healthcare sector once human testing has been completed. This collaboration represents a significant shift in funding strategies for academic research, as it opens doors to private investments that could ease governmental financial constraints on universities and could accelerate the pace of scientific discoveries. Andrea Baccarelli, the dean of the Chan School, noted that due to ongoing budget concerns resulting from federal funding cuts, the school's Office of Research Strategy and Development has formed a faculty advisory group tasked with reaching out to alumni in the private sector. Establishing connections with private entities could forge new collaborations that not only increase funding but also potentially lead to scientific breakthroughs. This pivot toward private funding could possibly mitigate taxpayer burdens while fostering a more diverse funding landscape for research in higher education. However, it also raises concerns about the implications for scientific integrity and autonomy, traditionally supported by government funding. While private funding provides critical resources, it may also influence research agendas and outcomes if corporations play a significant role in shaping the direction of scientific inquiry.