Open Medicine Foundation
The Open Medicine Foundation (OMF) is an American non-profit 501(c)(3) organization established in 2012 for the purpose of funding and initiating groundbreaking research into complex chronic diseases. It supports chronic complex disease research with a focus on chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), fibromyalgia (FMS), and Chronic Lyme Disease.
The OMF's current project is the End ME/CFS Project.
Many of those involved in OMF, including Founder/CEO/President Linda Tannenbaum, either have a neuro-immune disease or have a family member who has a neuro-immune disease.
OMF's strategy is to include highly recognized and accomplished scientists with expertise in body systems linked to chronic complex diseases. The organization also has an extensive patient network as developed through email newsletter subscriptions.
Stuart Murdoch is Ambassador promoting the OMF's work "through videos and messaging on their social media and websites, personal appearances, and face-to-face interactions with their communities and fans."[1] Amy Carlson is an OMF Ambassador also raising awareness and fundraising. As is celebrated international author Karin Alvtegen and opera star Jacqueline Ko.
ME/CFS Scientific Advisory Board[edit | edit source]
The advisory board is made up of world-renowned researchers:[2]
- Dr. Ronald Davis (Scientific Advisory Board Director, and father of Whitney Dafoe)
- Paul Berg (cellular metabolism, Nobel laureate)
- Mario Capecchi (genetics, Nobel laureate)
- Mark Davis (immunology)
- Craig Heller (exercise physiology)
- Robert Naviaux (virology & cell biology, mitochondrial specialist)
- Baldomero Olivera (neurobiology & pain)
- Ronald Tompkins (trauma & metabolism)
- Wenzhong Xiao (computational genomics)
- David Bell (ME/CFS clinician. See Lyndonville outbreak)
- Maureen Hanson (cell and molecular biology)
- Øystein Fluge (oncology)
- Olav Mella (oncology)
- Jonas Bergquist
- Jennifer Frankovich
- Daniel Peterson
- Mike Snyder
Board[edit | edit source]
The OMF board comprises:[3]
- Linda Tannenbaum (Founder/CEO/President)
- Kimberley Hicks (Treasurer)
- Patti Linsley (Secretary)
- R.P. Channing, MD, Emeritus
- Kathryn Bach
- Carol E. Jensen
- Deborah Rose, MD
- Joseph Morin
- Hany Zayed, PhD
Research Projects[edit | edit source]
The ME/CFS Severely Ill, Big Data Study was announced in May, 2015. The most severely ill ME/CFS patients are being studied to find a diagnostic bio-marker.
In 2016, "Mitochondria Man Gets Money UK Goes Mega Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Research Moves Forward"
Notable research[edit | edit source]
Funding[edit | edit source]
OMF have fund-raised primarily from ME sufferers and community for the research. The National Institutes of Health have not provided funding.
In January 2018 Pineapple fund, a philanthropic project by an early bitcoin investor[4], donated $1 million to OMF.[5] The anonymous donor was so touched by the outpouring of appreciation from the worldwide ME community that they increased the donation to $5 million.[5]
In May 2018, OMF received a new $1 million anonymous pledge to escalate Dr. Ronald Davis’s systems biology approach with Robert Phair.[6]
Advocacy[edit | edit source]
The OMF and the Davis-Dafoe Family held two screenings of Forgotten Plague. Dr. Davis spoke about ME/CFS and research after the screening.[7][8]
Dr. Davis, along with colleagues, have written and signed open letters in reference to research funds and the PACE trial.
Talks and interviews[edit | edit source]
Community Symposium
- 3rd Annual Community Symposium on the Molecular Basis of ME/CFS (Sept 2019)
- Inaugural Harvard Community Symposium:Finding Clarity (June 2019)
- 2nd Annual Community Symposium on the Molecular Basis of ME/CFS (Sept 2018)
- 1st Annual Community Symposium on the Molecular Basis of ME/CFS (Aug 2017)
Ronald Davis
2019
- Bedside Chat with Ben (Dec)
- Lecture at Albert Einstein College of Medicine (Nov 25)
- ME/CFS Alert Episode #109 (Sept)
2018
- Presentation at IiMEC13 (May)
- Research Update (May)
2017
- Q&A on ME/CFS Research with Dr. Ron Davis (Mar 7)
- An Update on ME/CFS Research with Dr. Ronald W. Davis (Feb 21)
- Scientist Ron Davis Tells How We Are "Fast-Tracking" ME/CFS Research (Feb 3)
2016
- Getting Answers to ME/CFS Faster through Collaboration and Openness (Dec 13)
- Short Story of a Family's Struggle with ME/CFS (May 21)
Ronald Tompkins
2019
- ME/CFS Alert Episode #110 (Sept)
- Patient Conversations: Interviews Dr. Alan Gurwitt (June)
- Patient Conversations: Interviews Rivka Solomon (April)
Linda Tannenbaum
2019
2018
2017
2016
- Episode 79 - Linda Tannenbaum (May 8)
Christopher Armstrong
2019
Online presence[edit | edit source]
Learn more[edit | edit source]
See also[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ "OMF Ambassador - Stuart Murdoch | Open Medicine Foundation". Open Medicine Foundation. Retrieved October 9, 2018.
- ↑ "Scientific Advisory Board | Open Medicine Foundation". Open Medicine Foundation. Retrieved October 9, 2018.
- ↑ "Foundation Board | Open Medicine Foundation". Open Medicine Foundation. Retrieved October 9, 2018.
- ↑ "Pineapple Fund". Retrieved June 23, 2019. Cite has empty unknown parameter:
|dead-url=(help) - ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Pineapple Fund increases donation to $5 million | Open Medicine Foundation". Open Medicine Foundation. February 2, 2018. Retrieved October 9, 2018.
- ↑ "New $1 million donation for ME/CFS research! | Open Medicine Foundation". Open Medicine Foundation. May 24, 2018. Retrieved October 9, 2018.
- ↑ Ryan Prior (Director); Nicole Castillo (Director); Anthony Komaroff; Hillary Johnson; Ron Davis (2015), Forgotten Plague (documentary film)
- ↑ #ME Action (December 2015), Forgotten Plague Screening Announcement, Palo Alto, CA, US
