I'm taking on the Great Scottish Run Half Marathon to raise funds for MyMitoMission, a charity dedicated to improving the lives of people affected by mitochondrial disease and accelerating research towards better treatments.

As a mitochondrial scientist and research leader at the University of Glasgow, I have spent my career studying how mitochondria, the tiny powerhouses inside our cells, are made and how they influence health and disease. When mitochondria stop working properly, the consequences can be devastating. Mitochondrial diseases are frequently undiagnosed or misdiagnosed , severe, life-limiting conditions that currently have no cure. Mitochondrial dysfunction also contributes to many common diseases that affect millions of people worldwide, including cancer, neurodegenerative, cardiovascular and metabolic disorders.

Research is our best hope for developing new treatments and ultimately cures. Every donation, no matter the size, will help support pioneering mitochondrial research, support patients and families and bring us one step closer to treatments and cures.

I am also running to honour the memory of my brother Ioannis Tokatlidis, a research economist at the IMF who supported me constantly in my life and career, and whom we sadly lost too soon at the age of 47.

At the start line I will be joined by my PhD student Harriet Mirtle, by my wife Maria Economou and by my daughter Ariadne and her friend Ariana (who will probably all cross the finish line before me!).

Thank you for supporting MyMitoMission and for your generosity and encouragement.