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OMF Newsletter – November 2017


OMF Welcomes Jonas Bergquist, MD, PhD to our Scientific Advisory Board

OMF enthusiastically welcomes Dr. Jonas Bergquist to our Scientific Advisory Board. Dr. Bergquist is a Full Chair Professor in Analytical Chemistry and Neurochemistry in the Department of Chemistry at Uppsala University, Sweden, Adjunct Professor in Pathology at the University of Utah School of Medicine, and Distinguished Professor in Precision Medicine at Binzhou Medical University in Yantai, China.

His group develops tools for screening and discovery of biomarkers of different diseases. Dr. Bergquist studies numerous conditions, including neurodegenerative disorders. His research into ME / CFS is focused on characterizing the neuroimmunological aspects of the disease using proteomics and metabolomics, with a special interest in cerebrospinal fluid studies and autoantibodies.


 Donate Now 

Triple your impact for a cure. Now is the time.

Triple Giving Tuesday OMF is accelerating research! As of today we have raised an unprecedented $304,767 to continue to fast-track our revolutionary End ME / CFS project. You have helped us to beat our stretch goal of $300,000! With your support, we can make this the Triple Giving Tuesday to remember.

In the coming days, OMF will announce the specific research projects that your Triple Giving Tuesday donations will support. Watch your inbox for the announcement soon.

Thank you to all who have already donated and to our generous matching gift donors, the Cosgrove Family and four anonymous donors (two parents and two patients). Let’s beat our new goal of $350,000!

Please donate generously and invite your family and friends to donate too. You are funding critical research that will provide answers for millions around the globe. Share our hashtags and spread our message of hope.

#TripleTuesdayOMF #EndMECFS


Science Wednesday

Announcing OMF Science Wednesdays! Wednesdays will be dedicated to describing the revolutionary research that OMF is supporting, including background on key areas, updates on the latest research, and explanations of topics relevant to ME / CFS. Every Wednesday, our Research Liaison Raeka Aiyar, PhD, from Stanford University will post about a select scientific topic on Facebook.

To follow #OMFScienceWednesday, LIKE us on Facebook @openmedicinefoundation or FOLLOW us on Twitter @openmedf.

Be certain to visit us on Wednesday and everyday to see the news we are sharing. To read past posts, search #OMFScienceWednesday or visit our website.


Helping Children Succeed in Education

Sample Physician’s Letter

Dr. Faith Newton, a member of OMF’s Education Committee, has provided several Fact Sheets to help improve the educational outcome for children with ME / CFS. To provide additional support for parents and children, Dr. Newton has shared a sample physician’s letter to schools. This detailed letter provides sample language for physicians to use to help educate the people at your child’s school about the illness and to increase learning opportunities for children with ME / CFS. The letter is available on our website. Please feel free to print or email and share it with your child’s physician.


Worldwide Tour Spreading Hope Around the U.S.

Linda Tannenbaum has been spreading a message of hope in OMF’s research updates in Dana Point, California, New York City, New York co-hosted with ME Action, and in Newton, Massachusetts co-hosted with Mass CFIDs ME & Fibromyalgia Association. The presentations have had broad support with audiences of parents, patients, caregivers, family members and people learning about ME / CFS for the first time. Overall, people have left the events with a feeling of hope for a brighter future for patients. We are pleased to share that the presentation in NY was recorded and will be made available in the coming weeks on our YouTube channel.

Some Worldwide Tour events, like the event in Dana Point hosted by Amelie and Keegan Hicks, included a screening of Unrest where over 150 people gathered. We are honored be an official partner with the Time for Unrest campaign spreading awareness and hope.

The next OMF-hosted screening of Unrest, followed by a research update, will be on Saturday, November 11th at 1pm at California State University Fullerton (CSUF). If you are in Southern California, please join us. Reserve your seat today.  This event is co-sponsored with CFSME of Orange County, Fibromyalgia & Chronic Pain Center at CSUF and Eta Sigma Gamma CSUF.

The next Worldwide Tour visit is scheduled in Los Angeles on February 11, 2018.

(Photos: Top: Linda Tannenbaum, Amelie Hicks, Candi Pastorek & Mary Gelpi Dana Point; Left to right: Linda & Terri Wilder NYC; Charmian Proskauer & Linda Massachusetts; Harvey Carden & Linda CSUF)


A Word from our CEO/President

Thank you to the many donors who have helped us to make this Triple Giving Tuesday such a success. Your generous donations will help us to accelerate research. If you have not yet donated, please donate between now and November 28th. Every dollar donated helps bring us closer to answers.

With the support, commitment and enthusiasm of the ME / CFS and related chronic complex diseases community working together as a united community we are stronger. We look forward to continuing to grow our research efforts with you as our partners as we unlock answers, find treatments, and ultimately, the cure.

With hope for all,


Linda Tannenbaum
CEO/President
Linda@omf.ngo

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME / CFS) Post Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome (PTLDS), Fibromyalgia Leading Research. Delivering Hope.Open Medicine Foundation®

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