at the CHU Sainte-Justine/
Université de Montréal
The ME / CFS Collaborative Research Center, established in 2020 at CHU Sainte-Justine /Université de Montréal, increases OMF’s international collaborative efforts through the End ME/CFS Project. Directed by Alain Moreau, PhD, the Quebec, Canada-based laboratory has been researching ME / CFS for several years.
Alain Moreau, PhD, is a Full Professor in the Department of Stomatology, Faculty of Dentistry and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, at Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada. Additionally, Dr. Moreau is the Director of Network for Canadian Oral Health Research. He is the Scientific Director of the Viscogliosi Laboratory in Molecular Genetics of Musculoskeletal Diseases, Sainte-Justine University Research Center, Montréal, Québec.
Dr. Moreau’s chief interests of study are pediatric scoliosis, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis. Dr. Moreau is a member of the Open Medicine Foundation Scientific Advisory Board and is the Director of the Interdisciplinary Canadian Collaborative Myalgic Encephalomyelitis Research Network, a national research network funded by the Canadian Institute of Health Research.
the pathophysiology of ME/CFS, especially on severely affected persons
a molecular diagnostic test
a multi-omic approach to better stratify patients
molecular profiling of discordant and concordant twins with ME/CFS
multigenerational families affected by ME/CFS
possible treatment plans
From the desk of Dr. Alain Moreau, PhD Director of the Collaborative Research Center at the CHU Sainte-Justine/Université de Montréal #TripleGivingTuesday Research Update Montréal ME/CFS
From the desk of Dr. Alain Moreau, PhD Director of the Collaborative Research Center at the CHU Sainte-Justine/Université de Montréal #TripleGivingTuesday Research Update Promising Research
Dr. Alain Moreau joins the OMF Scientific Advisory Board OMF is honored to welcome Canadian researcher, Dr. Alain Moreau, to our Scientific Advisory Board (SAB,)
Studying microRNAs could help to bridge the conceptual gap between genetic predisposition and environmental factors causing ME/CFS or exacerbating specific symptoms.
Researchers are actively working to understand the role of Thrombospondin-1, an important biomarker, in those with ME/CFS.
CHU Sainte-Justine Research Center
Université de Montréal
Alain Moreau, PhD , Scientific Director
Anita Franco, MSc, Lab coordinator
Dashen Wang, MD, PhD, Research Associate
Mohamed Elbakry, PhD , Research Associate
Viorica Lascau, MSc , Research coordinator – certification manager
Sophie Perreault, RN , Clinical research nurse
Valerie Tremblay, RN, Clinical research nurse
Hélène Gagnon, RN, Clinical research nurse
Iurie Caraus, PhD , Postdoctoral fellow
Wesam Elremaly, PhD, Postdoctoral fellow
Lynda Chalder, MSc, PhD student
Evguenia Nepotchatykh, BSc, PhD student
Atefeh Moezzi, MSc, PhD student
Corinne Leveau, BSc, MSc student
Bita Rostami, BSc, MSc student
Marie-Yvonne Akoume PhD, Invited professor – ICanCME Research Network Investigator
Valérie Marcil PhD, Associate Professor – ICanCME Research Network Investigator
Emile Levy, MD, PhD ,Full Professor – ICanCME Research Network Investigator
University of Florida Atlantic
Dawei Li, PhD, Associated Professor – ICanCME Research Network Investigator
Jason Kost BSc , Research Assistant – ICanCME Research Network Member
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Averting a second pandemic:
Open Medicine Foundation leads groundbreaking international study of
Long COVID’s conversion to ME/CFS
AGOURA HILLS, CALIF. — Open Medicine Foundation (OMF) is leading a large-scale international collaborative study investigating the potential conversion of Post-Acute Sequelae SARS-CoV-2 infection — more commonly known as Long COVID or Post-COVID Syndrome — to Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS), a chronic, life-altering disease with no known cause, diagnostic test or FDA approved treatments available.
Up to 2.5 million people in the U.S. alone suffer from ME/CFS; the COVID-19 pandemic could at least double that number. An estimated 35 percent of Americans who had COVID-19 have failed to fully recover several months after infection, prompting many to call it “a potential second pandemic.”
OMF recognized a familiar health crisis emerging, one with eerie similarities to ME/CFS. This crisis presented a unique opportunity to understand how a viral infection — in this case COVID-19 — may develop into ME/CFS in some patients. The goal is to find targeted treatments for ME/CFS patients and ultimately prevent its onset in people infected with SARS-CoV-2 or other infections.
The federal government is only now investing in Post-COVID research, with no focus on its connection to ME/CFS. OMF has already engaged researchers for the largest-scale study of its kind, solely supported by private donors who have contributed over one million dollars to date. When fully funded, the five million dollar, three-year study will be conducted across the globe at OMF funded Collaborative Research Centers, led by some of the world’s top researchers and ME/CFS experts.
BACKGROUND
In a significant percentage of patients, infections preceded their development of ME/CFS. For example, according to the CDC about one in ten infected with Epstein-Barr virus, Ross River virus, or Coxiella burnetti develop symptoms that meet the criteria for ME/CFS.
THE STUDY
The ability to follow the development of ME/CFS from a known viral infection is unprecedented to date and crucial to researchers’ understanding of the disease. The focus of this study is to find the biological differences between persons returning to good health after COVID-19 and persons who remained ill more than six months after infection and developed ME/CFS. Understanding these alterations in key pathways can lead to groundbreaking discoveries including new biomarkers, drug targets, and prevention and treatment strategies.
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About Open Medicine Foundation
Established in 2012, Open Medicine Foundation leads the largest, concerted worldwide nonprofit effort to diagnose, treat, and prevent ME/CFS and related chronic, complex diseases such as Post Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, and Post COVID. OMF adds urgency to the search for answers by driving transformational philanthropy into global research. We have raised over $28 Million from private donors and facilitated and funded the establishment of five prestigious ME/CFS Collaborative Research Centers around the world. To learn more, visit www.omf.ngo.
CONTACT:
Heather Ah San
Development and Communications Manager
1-650-242-8669
