Collaborative Research Center Stanford

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ME/CFS Collaborative Research Center

at Stanford University

Innovative, collaborative, open-data research to end Myalgic Encephalomyelitis / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS).

About the research center

The ME/CFS Collaborative Research Center (previously known as the CFS Research Center) at Stanford University was established in 2014 and is part of the Stanford Genome Technology Center. Both centers are directed by Ronald W. Davis, PhD, Professor of Biochemistry and of Genetics at Stanford.

Throughout his career, Dr. Davis has conducted cutting edge, innovative, interdisciplinary research and technology development on cancer, immunology, genetics, infectious disease, novel drug development, and nanofabrication of diagnostic instruments.

Dr. Davis was the first to physically map the genome of any organism (1968).

Dr. Davis discovered a simple way to join together DNA from two organisms (“sticky ends”) and was the first to generate a hybrid DNA molecule that could replicate inside of cells (DNA cloning).

Active/Ongoing studies

Regulation of the Itaconate Shunt in ME/CFS

This project aims to characterize the mitochondrial function in whole peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in ME/CFS.

Neutrophil Assessment Platform

This project aims to develop and use a platform that can evaluate neutrophil dysfunction in ME/CFS.

Viral Risk Factors in ME/CFS

This project aims to characterize viral factors associated with immune responses and inflammation in ME/CFS.

Red Blood Cell Deformability in ME/CFS (RBC Biomechanics)

The goal of the project is to develop, characterize, and validate a microfluidic chip for the estimation of biomechanical properties of red blood cells (RBCs) isolated from ME/CFS patients vis-à-vis healthy controls.

Genetic and Metabolic Markers of BH4 Deficiency in Long COVID

This project aims to test whether genetic markers and other indicators of BH4 deficiency are also present in subjects with Long COVID.

Extended big data study in families

The goal of this study was to extend the Severely ill Patient Study and conduct a comprehensive “Big Data” analysis on ME/CFS patients and their families.

T cells and Immunology

The study’s objective was to establish the role of T cells and the immune system in ME/CFS by examining the genetic material in T cells — immune cells that identify and kill infected cells.

Severely ill Patient

The goal of the Severely ill Patient Study was to conduct a comprehensive “Big Data” analysis on severely ill ME/CFS patients in order to begin an exploration to find the molecular basis of ME/CFS.

Metabolic Trap

The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis developed by Dr. Phair that a crucial component of metabolism in ME/CFS patients appears to be “trapped” in an unhealthy state.

Developing Technology

Developing Blood-Based Diagnostic
and Drug Screening Technology

There is currently no biological test to diagnose Myalgic Encephalomyelitis / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) and as a result, diagnosing patients is a lengthy and costly process, constituting a fundamental impediment in patient care. This lag in diagnosis also erects barriers to research, complicating patient recruitment and potentially engaging a heterogeneous sample of patients with only superficially similar conditions. Dr. Davis’s team is dedicated to developing inexpensive tests that can be easily used in a doctor’s office. Patients will be measured on multiple diagnostic platforms, enabling comparisons of efficacy to determine what combination of platforms would be most useful for diagnostic testing.

Mitochondrial Function Test

This technology demonstrates a significant difference between ME / CFS patients and healthy controls.

Magnetic Levitation Platform

This could be a very inexpensive and effective diagnostic test for ME/CFS.

Nanoneedle Diagnostic Tool

The technology will be optimized for easy clinical adoption and scaled up so that numerous FDA-approved drugs can be simultaneously screened as potential treatments.

Scientific Team

Director

Ronald W. Davis, PhD, Professor of Biochemistry and Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine; Director, Stanford Genome Technology Center; Director, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Research Center at Stanford University; Chair, Open Medicine Foundation ME/CFS Scientific Advisory Board.

To carry out this ambitious work, Dr. Davis has assembled a team of extraordinary scientists with expertise in a wide variety of areas directly relevant to Myalgic Encephalomyelitis / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) research.

Collaborative Research Center / Stanford Genome Technology Center

Robert Phair, PhD

Wenzhong Xiao, PhD

Mohsen Nemat-Gorgani, PhD

Peidong Shen, PhD

Laurel Crosby, PhD

Michael Jensen

Fereshteh Jahaniani, PhD

Gozde Durmus, PhD

Julie Wilhelmy

Alex Kashi

Anand Ramasubramanian, PhD

Amit Saha, PhD

Layla Cervantes

Ami Mac, MD

David Kaufman, MD

Bela Chheda, MD

Chris Armstrong, PhD

Katrina Hong

Anna Okumu

Ashley Haugen

Collaborators

Juan Santiago, PhD

Eric Shaqfeh, PhD

Mark M. Davis, PhD

Michael Sikora

Mike Snyder, PhD

Craig Heller, PhD

Lars Steinmetz, PhD

Jonas Bergquist, MD, PhD

Rahim Esfandyarpour, PhD

Curt Scharfe, MD

Robert Naviaux, MD, PhD

William Robinson, MD

Lucinda Bateman, MD

Jennifer Frankovich, MD

In Memoriam – Ron Tompkins, MD, ScD

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