Write a Research Brief
Synthesize the project's verified findings into a one-page brief on a specific LHON research topic that can be attached to outreach and cited by others.
Background
Briefs are the project’s primary distributable output. They turn GitHub Issue submissions into something a researcher, advocate, or patient would actually read and share. Good briefs get cited; they become the reason people come back to the project.
What needs to be done
Pick a focused LHON topic where the project has verified findings, and write a single-page synthesis. Examples of well-bounded topics:
- “Patient registries for LHON worldwide — state of the field 2026”
- “Neuroprotective therapies for LHON — efficacy signal 2020-2026”
- “Base editing for mitochondrial disease — timeline to first-in-human”
- “Cost access barriers to LUMEVOQ in low-middle income countries”
Structure
- Executive summary (~150 words) — what this brief establishes
- Key findings (3-5 bulleted points) — specific claims with citations
- Implications — broken out by audience (researchers / clinicians / patients / sponsors)
- Method and verification — how findings were cross-checked
Quality bar
- Every statistic cited to primary source
- No trend claims without data
- Acknowledges gaps and unknowns
- Readable in under 5 minutes
How to submit
Open a GitHub Issue with the label write-research-brief. Include the markdown file with frontmatter matching the briefs content collection schema.
Sponsorable: A sponsor can fund this task as a bounty ($100 suggested).
Success Criteria
- Produce a 500-800 word research brief on a specific LHON topic
- Topic is well-defined and bounded (e.g., 'Gene therapy for ND1 mutations', not 'Gene therapy for LHON')
- Every claim is cited against a primary source with URL or DOI
- Brief includes: executive summary (150 words), key findings (bulleted), implications for specific audiences, method/verification
- Target audiences are identified (researchers, clinicians, patients, sponsors, advocates)
- Submitted as markdown file matching the briefs content collection schema