"Up-To-Date News"

The federal Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Advisory Committee is planning to hold its second meeting in early December. The date, location and other details have not yet been finalized. Sign up with the Association’s CFIDS Activist program to get notice as soon as specifics are available. Send an e-mail message with your name, mailing address, telephone and e-mail address to: C-ACTMembership@cfids.org.

Dr. Suzanne Vernon checks an experiment in the lab at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Dr. Suzanne Vernon, a CDC researcher leading the cutting-edge proteomics and genomics research into possible lab markers for CFS, was in Connecticut on October 18 to present her research.

Physician/researcher Dr. Nancy Klimas was on the program as well, discussing her multi-disciplinary research group’s latest CFS studies. The program was sponsored by the Connecticut CFIDS/FM Association and was held at Yale University in conjunction with the Yale Women’s Health Research Department. Michelle Lapuk, co-president of Conn. CFIDS/FM Association, was pleased with the event. “It was a great opportunity for physicians, researchers and patients to network, educate and share ideas.”

The New Jersey CFS Association held its Fall Conference, New Directions in Research and Therapy" on Nov. 2 in Eatontown, NJ. Presenters included Dr. Kenny DeMeirleir of Vrije Universiteit Brussels, Dr. Susan Levine of New York City, Dr. Malcolm Schwartz of Drexel University and Dr. Harry Gruenspan of Cornell Medical Center. The semi-annual conferences sponsored by NJ CFS Association attract approximately 200 attendees.

The CFIDS Association of America will exhibit at the American Public Health Association’s annual meeting in San Francisco, CA, November 13-16. Information about the diagnosis and management of CFS will be distributed to attendees and we’ll promote self-study continuing education courses for health care professionals, now available in Web-, print-, video and DVD-based formats. The Association also hosted an exhibit at the October 31 to November 1 annual meeting of the American College of Nurse Practitioners. In the past 12 months, the Association has exhibited at seven national provider conferences, interacting with hundreds of health care professionals interested in learning more about CFS.

The fall issues of The CFIDS Chronicle and The CFS Research Review are set to mail this week to current Association members. The Chronicle features an in-depth story about dealing with headaches as a part of CFIDS, updates on 2003 Lobby Day and the federal government’s newly assembled CFS Advisory Committee, and a story about the novel approach to treating CFIDS practiced by Dr. Eric Braverman. In the fall Review, you’ll find a report on neuroendocrine research conducted by Emory University’s Dr. Dimitris Papanicolaou, research briefs and patient care basics. Don’t miss the fall issues! Click here to begin or renew your membership online.

The American Association for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, in partnership with the Wisconsin CFS Association, will present its 7^th biennial international conference on research in chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia October 8-10, 2004 in Madison, Wisconsin.