Letter from CEO on Lyme Disease Research Initiatives

Global Lyme Alliance CEO Scott Santarella highlights key research initiatives in the 2015-2016 grants cycle.

Thanks to the generosity of our donors, Global Lyme Alliance has had an exceptionally productive year. We have awarded over $1 million in new research grants during the 2015-2016 grants cycle. This constitutes nine new studies, an all-time institutional high, by exceptional researchers at leading U.S. universities.

With 329,000 new cases of Lyme each year, and very limited federal funding, privately-funded research like GLA’s is more critical than ever. Without question, the quality of our Lyme research is second to none. GLA’s outstanding grantees are conducting exciting research in diagnostics, disease processes and potential treatments. In fact, our grantees are the paradigm busters who are closely followed by the rest of the Lyme community. Current grantees are:

• Armin Alaedini, Ph.D., Columbia University, is identifying how antibodies change with disease progression in Lyme patients;
• Nicole Baumgarth, DVM, Ph.D., UC-Davis, is analyzing how the immune system responds to Lyme bacteria;
• Chris Janson, M.D., UI-Chicago, is focused on the neurological effects of Lyme;
• Alla Landa, Ph.D., Columbia University, is studying chronic pain in post-treatment Lyme syndrome patients;
• Kim Lewis, Ph.D., Northeastern University, has tested pulse-dosing antibiotics to more effectively treat Lyme patients;
• Benjamin Luft, M.D., SUNY-Stony Brook, is developing new diagnostic tests;
• Karen Newell-Rogers, Ph.D., Texas A&M University, is studying neurological Lyme disease in mice;
• Eva Sapi, Ph.D., University of New Haven, continues her work studying biofilms;
• Ying Zhang, M.D., Ph.D., Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, is evaluating possible drug combinations for Lyme treatments.

Meanwhile, four distinguished new members have joined our Scientific Advisory Board. They are Catherine Brissette, Ph.D., University of North Dakota; Richard Goldstein, DVM, Chief Medical Officer, Animal-Medical Center; Andreas Kogelnik, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Open Medicine Institute, and Neil Spector, M.D., Duke University.

Our spectacular momentum comes down to a single, irreducible phenomenon: our donors. I hope you will join us at our 2nd annual “Uniting for a Lyme-Free World” Gala on Thursday, October 13, 2016, at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York City. As GLA’s new CEO, I look forward to meeting you at what promises to be a very special event.