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Raising Millions for ME / CFS Research

From the desk of Ronald G. Tompkins, MD, ScD
OMF Chief Medical Officer

When it comes to finding a treatment and curing Myalgic Encephalomyelitis / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME / CFS), OMF does whatever it takes. We work every day to uncover more funding to speed up the research and get results.

Whether the funds come directly from our deeply invested supporters, or indirectly, from connections made and opportunities pursued, we dedicate our time and resources to ensure that the research continues to scale up. In 2019, we raised over $5.7 million. So far, in 2020, we had a successful #MayMomentum campaign and also facilitated an additional $1.5 million in private donations directly to researchers.

And now, because of the successful efforts of Solve ME / CFS Initiative, #MEAction, and many dedicated advocates, the Department of Defense added ME / CFS to its Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP). In response, OMF mobilized researchers at our two US-based, OMF funded Collaborative Research Centers to respond to this opportunity.

The ME / CFS Collaboration at the Harvard-affiliated Hospitals and the ME / CFS Collaborative Research Center at Stanford University joined together to ensure that there were plenty of high-quality research applications submitted this year.

Twenty-one pre-proposals and letters of intent were presented for consideration. All totaled, they represent about $15M annually and $60M over the next four years. While we do not anticipate all of these proposals will be funded, the likelihood is high that critical new funding will result from these excellent proposals.

The proposed research areas for ME / CFS include:

  1. Studies of inflammation in muscle, brain, and blood
  2. Improving diagnostic technologies
  3. Personalized medicine for ME / CFS
  4. Clinical research to develop novel, new drugs
  5. Studies to understand exercise dysfunction
  6. The process also allowed for some unique opportunities for collaboration within our community.

OMF will continue to leverage its credibility and reputation for excellence to attract more money to ME / CFS research. Thank you for supporting our fight to treat and cure ME / CFS!


Fighting ME / CFS should matter to everybody!


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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