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In this Issue
March 2008
CFIDSLink Electronic Newsletter 

CFIDSLink is e-mailed montly free of charge to all those interested. To sign up for the electronic newsletter visit http://www.cfids.org/subscribe.asp

In this Issue

  • From the Desk of Kim McCleary
  • Research Matters
       Association Issues Request for Applications
       A with Scientific Director Suzanne Vernon
       Japan Trip to Focus on Research and Collaboration
       Recently Published CFS Studies
       Winter Chronicle Features Research
  • CFS Community Speaks Out to Presidential Hopefuls
  • Reader Favorites: Links to Top Two Stories of 2007
  • CFS Education & Empowerment Comes to Tampa
  • Special Publication Documents CFS History  
  • “Defining Moments” Essay Series: Dorothy Wall

From the Desk of Kim McCleary
The Federal Funding Adventure
Association president & CEO Kim McCleary and scientific director Suzanne Vernon, PhD, are on Capitol Hill today meeting with Congress members who are responsible for health spending in the federal budget. Here’s her insight on the process and the Association’s plans for keeping CFS in the forefront.
Get the full story>>

Research Matters

Association Issues Request for Applications
The CFIDS Association of America issued its most recent Request for Applications (RFA) on March 3, 2008 soliciting research proposals that will advance the discovery of biomarkers and methods for early detection, objective diagnosis and effective treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Since 1987, the CFIDS Association has funded nearly $5 million in direct support of research studies. The deadline for receipt of Letters of Intent is 17:00 (U.S. Eastern time) on April 14, 2008. Instructions, eligibility requirements and other details can be found in the full text of the RFA at http://www.cfids.org/profresources/2008rfa.asp.

Q&A with Scientific Director Suzanne Vernon
For the first time, the CFS community has a highly experienced scientist working full time to improve the field of CFS research—monitoring advances, initiating dialogue between investigators and otherwise helping to connect the dots and accelerate progress. Scientific director Suzanne Vernon, PhD, shares her take on the role she’s so excited to tackle.
Get the full story (in PDF format)>>

Japan Trip to Focus on Research and Collaboration
Japanese scientists have produced a flurry of noteworthy and potentially groundbreaking investigations from their specialized fatigue clinic and research facilities in Osaka and Kobe, Japan. Next month, our scientific director, Suzanne Vernon, will lead a small delegation to Japan to tour the facilities and talk with the researchers there.
Get the full story>>

Recently Published CFS Studies
Here’s a sampling of CFS studies that have been published since your last CFIDSLink. In peer-reviewed publications ranging from the Journal of Muscle Research and Cell Motility to the journal Dermatology, these studies were conducted by research teams from various parts of the world.
Get the full story>>

Winter Chronicle Features Research
Research is the central topic of the current issue of the CFIDS Chronicle, and it’s not too late to get your copy! Research news and special reports kick off this issue, also packed with practical advice and profiles of courage and accomplishment of people living with CFS. Start your CFIDS Chronicle subscription today by calling the Resource Line at 704-365-2343. A one-year subscription is part of an Association membership.  

CFS Community Speaks Out to Presidential Hopefuls
In another example of the power of advocacy, people with CFS and their friends and family sent nearly 5,000 messages to presidential candidates, telling why CFS matters and why attention to better care and research is needed. 
Get the full story>>

Reader Favorites: Links to Top Two Stories of 2007
What articles did CFIDSLink readers flock to last year? Here’s your second chance to catch the top two stories of 2007 according to your fellow CFIDSLink subscribers. Not surprisingly, the first one is about a CFS study—one that found evidence of certain genes linked to postinfective fatigue. The second most popular story was a collection of practical tips for doctor visits, battling brain fog and reducing isolation. See “Genes Linked to Potinfective CFS” and “Top Tips for CFS Troubles”. 

CFS Education & Empowerment Comes to Tampa
The next “kNOw MORE CFS” seminar is coming to Tampa, Florida, on April 26. Part of the Association’s Education & Empowerment Series, these seminars connect CFS experts with patients and their families to exchange vital information. Scientific director Suzanne Vernon, PhD, longtime CFS physician Lucinda Bateman, MD, and Association President & CEO Kim McCleary will speak at the Tampa event.
Get the full story>>

Special Publication Documents CFS History
Defining Moments: 20 Years of Making CFS History is the first publication to document the strength and history of the CFS community. Association members and donors are raving about this 61-page special issue, full of historic moments, stories and images. If you’d like a copy for yourself, family or friends, call the Resource Line at 704-365-2343. Copies are $15 each or two for $20. You can also couple this issue with the 2005/2006 special edition magazine, The Science and Research of CFS, for just $20 for the pair. 

Personal Stories: A “Defining Moments” Essay by Dorothy Wall
Dorothy Wall, author of Encounters with the Invisible: Unseen Illness, Controversy and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, shares the moment when she realized that her illness was part of a very real, larger picture and what she eventually did about it.
Get the full story>>