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The Ronald G. Tompkins
Harvard ME/CFS Collaboration

at the Harvard Affiliated Hospitals

Clinical and scientific studies to understand and discover new treatments for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS), Long COVID, and related Multisystem, Chronic Complex Diseases (msCCD).

About the research center

Dr. Wenzhong Xiao and Dr. David Systrom, headshot
Dr. Wenzhong Xiao and Dr. David Systrom

Established in 2018, this research initiative is based at Harvard affiliated hospitals, including Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH), and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC). 

Including the faculty of the Harvard affiliated hospitals, critical collaborations are represented from Stanford University, Cornell University, University of Birmingham, University of Nottingham, Uppsala University and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. 

This collaborative research center was launched by Ronald G. Tompkins, MD, ScD, and Wenzhong Xiao, PhD.

In early 2022, David Systrom, MD joined Wenzhong Xiao as a Co-Director after Ronald G. Tompkins’ sudden passing.

This research collaboration seeks to understand and discover new treatments for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS), Long COVID, and related Multisystem, Chronic Complex Diseases (msCCD).

Core Aims

Understand

the underlying basis of post-exertional malaise and/or post-muscular stress

Determine

the role of neuroinflammation in ME/CFS

 

Diagnose

possible pathologies associated with ME/CFS patients

Ascertain

the role of circulation and autonomic issues in ME/CFS

Increase

efficiency of clinical visits for ME/CFS patients to significantly reduce wait times

Develop

the infrastructure to begin treatment trials and form a center of excellence for ME/CFS

Logo, The Harvard ME/CFS Collaboration

Fundamental Philosophy

  • Work collaboratively with other groups
  • Use the most advanced technology available to perform the research
  • Explore the research community to find experts in the areas to study
  • Take direct measures from ME/CFS patients to avoid artificial observations
  • Research multiple tissues of the body and consider stark differences of different cell types

View our latest news

Remembering Ronald G. Tompkins, MD, ScD

Remembering Ron A Champion of ME/CFS Research, and Friend to All In Dr. Tompkins’ role as OMF’s Chief Medical Officer, he facilitated communication between the

studies

The Life Improvement Trial

The Life Improvement Trial (LIFT) aims to investigate two drugs, separately and in combination, Pyridostigmine (commonly known as Mestinon) and Low-Dose Naltrexone (LDN), for efficacy and to research the difference between responders and non-responders.

Read More

Sleep Disturbance in ME/CFS

We intend to examine multiple sleep studies that have been conducted in the past two years and performed at the MGH Neurology Sleep Medicine Laboratory in well characterized patients with ME/CFS.

Read More

Scientific Team

Older and younger women researchers looking right

Massachusetts General Hospital

In Memoriam – Ronald Tompkins, MD, ScD

Wenzhong Xiao, PhD

Donna Felsenstein, MD

Amel Karaa, MD

Andrew Alexander, MBA

Peng Li, PhD

Karen Buch, MD

Brigham & Womens Hospital

David Systrom, MD

Anthony Komaroff, MD

BI Deaconess Medical Center

Janet Mullington, PhD

Boston University

Lewis Kazis, ScD

Mary Slavin, PhD

Pengsheng Ni, PhD

Bill Rogers, PhD

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Richard Smith, PhD

John Jacob, PhD

Wei-Jun Qian, PhD

Chiari Neurosurgical Center

Paolo Bologenese, MD

Ilene Ruhoy, MD

Center For Healing Neurology

David Kaufman, MD

University of Nottingham, UK

Philip Atherton, PhD

Paul Greenhaff, PhD

Daniel Wilkinson, PhD

Mathew Piasecki, PhD

University of Birmingham, UK

Janet Lord, PhD

Cornell University

Maureen Hanson, PhD

Open Medicine Foundation

Linda Tannenbaum

Chris Armstrong, PhD

Stanford University

Ronald Davis, PhD

Uppsala University, Sweden

Jonas Bergquist, MD, PhD

SUPPORT OMF Funded Critical Research

Please help us expand our research efforts across the globe. Every donation brings us closer to a fully-funded research effort and the answers we all seek.

Learn about Our Other OMF Funded Collaborative Research Centers

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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