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Request For Action Re CDC Job Position

shannah

Senior Member
Messages
1,429
Request for action by Dr Fred Friedberg, president of IACFSME
.by XMRV Global Action on Thursday, October 28, 2010 at 4:43pm.Dear IACFS/ME Members:



Several weeks ago, the Centers for Disease Control issued a job announcement for Chief, Chronic Viral Diseases Branch.



This includes primary responsibility for the direction and substance of the CFS research program. The program contains the largest single US budget for CFS research ($5 million/yr).



This is a critically important position that can influence science, practice, and health policy related to CFS.



As such, we need a highly qualified individual to fill the position. According to the head of the search committee at CDC, several candidates will be recommended for further consideration.



A permanent chief will probably be appointed in the next several weeks.I am asking that you email the selecting official at CDC to urge him to select a new Chief, rather than continue with the current ineffectual leadership.



The selecting official is Dr. Steve Monroe, Director of the Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology (stephan.monroe@cdc.hhs.gov). Also, it is important to cc your letter to the CDC Director, Dr. Thomas Friedan (txf2@cdc.gov).

Urging new leadership of the CFS program (i.e., Chief, Chronic Viral Diseases Branch) is based on the disappointments of the current leadership which has:

-- conveyed an attitude of dismissal bordering on arrogance toward the external scientific and professional communities – an attitude that has been ongoing for the past decade.

--downplayed the significance of new findings in retrovirology. --advocated continued use of the discredited 'empiric' case definition of CFS/ME which folds in millions of people who are 'unwell' and do not fit strict Fukuda criteria for the illness.

--plans to embark on large scale behavioral studies in CFS/ME in its 5-year plan including a new CBT trial rather than focus on much needed biological studies.



I ask that you write a brief note to Stephan Monroe (sample letter below) expressing your strong dissatisfaction with the current leadership of the CFS program and urge Dr. Monroe to select a new Chief, Chronic Viral Diseases Branch with strong leadership skills who constructively engages with the scientific and professional communities.



This important ability would preferably include a shared vision of the direction of biomedical research in CFS--- particularly in the challenging new domains of retrovirology and molecular medicine.



These emerging areas of scientific inquiry may lead to new models of intervention that can offer hope and help for long suffering CFS patients. Overall, we need open communication with the CDC/CFS program and fresh perspectives from their leadership--the qualities that could elevate this position to one that is viewed with renewed respect and credibility.



The CDC will listen to the professional community only if we make our voices heard. If we do not, we are likely to be stuck with a research program and public policy that does not further our IACFS/ME objectives of scientific advancement and improved patient care for long suffering CFS/ME patients.



Thank you. With best regards,Fred Fred Friedberg, PhDPresidentIACFS/ME



Sample letter

Dear Dr. Monroe:


I urge you to select a new highly qualified individual for the position of Chief, Chronic Viral Diseases Branch which has responsibility for the CFS research program. The leadership of the past decade has conveyed an attitude of dismissal toward the scientific and professional communities. In addition, their use of the discredited 'empiric' definition of CFS compromises their ability to do meaningful research in this difficult and challenging field. Overall, we need open communication with the CDC/CFS program and fresh perspectives from their leadership--the qualities that could elevate this position to one that is viewed with renewed respect and credibility. Thank you.



(formatted by XMRV GA in order to facilitate reading)



.
 

shannah

Senior Member
Messages
1,429
It's in the body of the text but easy to miss:

"The selecting official is Dr. Steve Monroe, Director of the Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology (stephan.monroe@cdc.hhs.gov). Also, it is important to cc your letter to the CDC Director, Dr. Thomas Friedan (txf2@cdc.gov). "

This is the email address I used and didn't get the message bouncing back. However, I see on the front page of the forum Cort had just previously posted the same information. But alternate email addresses were also given so it appears he has several that seem to work.

"On an FDA article his email address is listed as steve.monroe@cdc.hhs.gov"

" I just emailed Dr. Monroe and both email addresses seemed to work as I received two automatic replies stating
“I am currently out-of-the-office and unable to reply to your message.
I will be checking email and voicemail messages periodically during my absence.
If this matter requires immediate attention during normal business hours, please contact Ms. Sabahat Malik at +1-404-639-3574 or smalik@cdc.gov.
Steve Monroe, PhD
Director, Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology
National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases
CDC
+1-404-639-3574 (office)
smonroe@cdc.gov"
 

lancelot

Senior Member
Messages
324
Location
southern california
the Monroe who couldn't find xmrv or mlv's in CFS and who last authored a study linking personality disorders and CFS is going to be selecting the new CFS director? It should be no surprise that he will find a Reeves clone who believes CFS is due to child abuse and a personality disorder.
 

Dolphin

Senior Member
Messages
17,567
the Monroe who couldn't find xmrv or mlv's in CFS and who last authored a study linking personality disorders and CFS is going to be selecting the new CFS director? It should be no surprise that he will find a Reeves clone who believes CFS is due to child abuse and a personality disorder.
Just had a quick look at PubMed. He's not showing up as an author for either of those studies.
 

Dolphin

Senior Member
Messages
17,567
Reeves is the co-author of the personality disorder&CFS and child abuse&CFS papers. Monroe is the co-author of the negative XMRV/MLV CFS paper. Clear now?
This is what I see:
Absence of evidence of xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus infection in persons with chronic fatigue syndrome and healthy controls in the United States.

Switzer WM, Jia H, Hohn O, Zheng H, Tang S, Shankar A, Bannert N, Simmons G, Hendry RM, Falkenberg VR, Reeves WC, Heneine W.

Retrovirology. 2010 Jul 1;7:57.
 

Otis

Señor Mumbler
Messages
1,117
Location
USA

lancelot

Senior Member
Messages
324
Location
southern california
This is what I see:

my head fog has bill switzer, james jones, and steve monroe mixed into one big bastard! LOL! so james jones is reeve's #2 and co-authored the CFS&Personality disorders paper along with Reeves. Did jones author anything else? Switzer is the one who couldn't find XMRV/MLVs in CFS. that dam reeves co-authored all three papers-personality disorder/CFS, child abuse/CFS, and the negative XMRV study. Is that right now? And who the hell is monroe and what did he do to piss me off? LOL!
 

Dolphin

Senior Member
Messages
17,567
my head fog has bill switzer, james jones, and steve monroe mixed into one big bastard! LOL! so james jones is reeve's #2 and co-authored the CFS&Personality disorders paper along with Reeves. Did jones author anything else?
I think the best way to get an idea of James (Jim) Jones is to read the collection of info I put together at: http://www.forums.aboutmecfs.org/sh...e-of-the-views-of-the-CDC-s-James-(Jim)-Jones where one has quotes from him on his own.

James Jones' has co-authored virtually everything with Bill Reeves in the last while - he joined the CDC in the last decade or so presumably because he and Reeves agreed on CFS stuff. The XMRV study was supposed to be done by a different group from the CFS group in the CDC so that was possibly why Jones' name wasn't on it (Reeves was the only one from the CFS team that I can see).

Here's a list of some of Jones' papers:

Personality features and personality disorders in chronic fatigue syndrome: a population-based study.
Nater UM, Jones JF, Lin JM, Maloney E, Reeves WC, Heim C.
Psychother Psychosom. 2010;79(5):312-8. Epub 2010 Jul 28.
PMID: 20664306 [PubMed - in process]Free Article


Psychiatric comorbidity in persons with chronic fatigue syndrome identified from the Georgia population.
Nater UM, Lin JM, Maloney EM, Jones JF, Tian H, Boneva RS, Raison CL, Reeves WC, Heim C.
Psychosom Med. 2009 Jun;71(5):557-65. Epub 2009 M


Childhood trauma and risk for chronic fatigue syndrome: association with neuroendocrine dysfunction.
Heim C, Nater UM, Maloney E, Boneva R, Jones JF, Reeves WC.
Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2009 Jan;66(1):72-80.
PMID: 19124690 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

An extended concept of altered self: chronic fatigue and post-infection syndromes.
Jones JF.
Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2008 Feb;33(2):119-29. Epub 2007 Dec 26. Review.
PMID: 18162328 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]


Prevalence of chronic fatigue syndrome in metropolitan, urban, and rural Georgia.
Reeves WC, Jones JF, Maloney E, Heim C, Hoaglin DC, Boneva RS, Morrissey M, Devlin R.
Popul Health Metr. 2007 Jun 8;5:5.
PMID: 17559660 [PubMed]Free PMC Article


Early adverse experience and risk for chronic fatigue syndrome: results from a population-based study.
Heim C, Wagner D, Maloney E, Papanicolaou DA, Solomon L, Jones JF, Unger ER, Reeves WC.
Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2006 Nov;63(11):1258-66.
PMID: 17088506 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]Free Article


Switzer is the one who couldn't find XMRV/MLVs in CFS. that dam reeves co-authored all three papers-personality disorder/CFS, child abuse/CFS, and the negative XMRV study. Is that right now?!
Yes.

And who the hell is monroe and what did he do to piss me off? LOL!
I had a quick look at the Co-Cure archives. You are right to connect Monroe to the XMRV study. He was the CDC rep at the press conference with Lo and Alter. He answered/didn't answer questions for Mindi Kitei, and he has said one or two things on the XMRV/CFS connection. Maybe he has done and said other things but generally not that interested in CFS that I can see.
 

lancelot

Senior Member
Messages
324
Location
southern california
I think the best way to get an idea of James (Jim) Jones is to read the collection of info I put together at: http://www.forums.aboutmecfs.org/sh...e-of-the-views-of-the-CDC-s-James-(Jim)-Jones where one has quotes from him on his own.

James Jones' has co-authored virtually everything with Bill Reeves in the last while - he joined the CDC in the last decade or so presumably because he and Reeves agreed on CFS stuff. The XMRV study was supposed to be done by a different group from the CFS group in the CDC so that was possibly why Jones' name wasn't on it (Reeves was the only one from the CFS team that I can see).

Here's a list of some of Jones' papers:




Yes.

I had a quick look at the Co-Cure archives. You are right to connect Monroe to the XMRV study. He was the CDC rep at the press conference with Lo and Alter. He answered/didn't answer questions for Mindi Kitei, and he has said one or two things on the XMRV/CFS connection. Maybe he has done and said other things but generally not that interested in CFS that I can see.

thank you for making it clear now. Reeves = Jones ~Unger. and Monroe was on the teleconference still saying that their negative XMRV/MLV study was correct and infer that there is no retrovirus in CFS. Also he did not answer some of mindy's questions about their "flawed" study protocol.

Unfortunately, Monroe is in charge of picking the new CFS director and it looks like it's either Jones or Unger. If that happens, the new director will surely lead CFS into psychobabble nowhere just like strauss and reeves did for decades. :eek: What can we do?
 

The Phantom

Member
Messages
70
Location
near Philadelphia
thank you for making it clear now. Reeves = Jones ~Unger. and Monroe was on the teleconference still saying that their negative XMRV/MLV study was correct and infer that there is no retrovirus in CFS. Also he did not answer some of mindy's questions about their "flawed" study protocol.

Unfortunately, Monroe is in charge of picking the new CFS director and it looks like it's either Jones or Unger. If that happens, the new director will surely lead CFS into psychobabble nowhere just like strauss and reeves did for decades. :eek: What can we do?




I make no claims that this will turn the CDC into our new best friend forever, but I think it's important to let them know that we will not be happy with a Reeves replacement who supports the empiric definition (Reeves, 2005), who performs as poorly at the CFSAC as Unger did, and who refuses to communicate with other ME/CFS professionals. We don't know for sure that Jones has applied for the position, but we do know that Unger is in the running. An email campaign has been started called the Challenge the CDC Campaign (CCDCC for short--kind of catchy?). it asks that Unger not be appointed to the position. I have started a new thread in advocacy called Challenge the CDC Campaign with the text of the email that is being sent to Monroe, Frieden, Koh and Sebelius. Comments, suggestions and variations are welcome. The campaign has already begun.
 

lancelot

Senior Member
Messages
324
Location
southern california
I make no claims that this will turn the CDC into our new best friend forever, but I think it's important to let them know that we will not be happy with a Reeves replacement who supports the empiric definition (Reeves, 2005), who performs as poorly at the CFSAC as Unger did, and who refuses to communicate with other ME/CFS professionals. We don't know for sure that Jones has applied for the position, but we do know that Unger is in the running. An email campaign has been started called the Challenge the CDC Campaign (CCDCC for short--kind of catchy?). it asks that Unger not be appointed to the position. I have started a new thread in advocacy called Challenge the CDC Campaign with the text of the email that is being sent to Monroe, Frieden, Koh and Sebelius. Comments, suggestions and variations are welcome. The campaign has already begun.

Excellent idea! Thank you!
 

*GG*

senior member
Messages
6,389
Location
Concord, NH
Monroe: Out-of-Office

I am currently out-of-the-office and unable to reply to your message.

I will be checking email and voicemail messages periodically during my absence.

If this matter requires immediate attention during normal business hours, please contact Ms. Sabahat Malik at +1-404-639-3574 or smalik@cdc.gov.


Steve Monroe, PhD
Director, Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology
National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases

CDC
+1-404-639-3574 (office)
smonroe@cdc.gov

So should we send them to Ms. Sabahat Malik also or in substitution or neither?
 

The Phantom

Member
Messages
70
Location
near Philadelphia
Is there also a reason as to why we are not sending emails to Francis Collins collinsf@nih.hhs.gov ?

If you're referring to the Challenge the CDC Campaign, the reason Dr. Collins isn't on the list is that he doesn't have any say in who becomes Chief, Chronic Viral Diseases at the CDC. As I'm sure you know, he's at the NIH. Monroe is the person who actually decides who gets the job. Frieden is the head of the CDC, so he's Monroe's boss (there may be a few layers of bureaucracy between the two). Koh is responsible for ME/CFS at DHHS and Sebelius is secretary of DHHS. This campaign is designed to be targetted to those individuals most likely to influence the decision and also most in need of education about the problem with the empiric definition and its continued usage by the CDC. However, if anybody wants to send additional emails to someone else please feel free to do so.

As far as what to do about the out of office messages from Monroe, I will try to find out tomorrow if there's any more information about when the decision will be made. I doubt anybody will tell me anything, but all I can do is try. My guess is that the decision is still at least a week or two away and that Dr. Monroe will have a chance to look at the emails when he gets back. For now, I don't think it's necessary to send anything to someone who is probably his administrative assistant.
 

*GG*

senior member
Messages
6,389
Location
Concord, NH
If you're referring to the Challenge the CDC Campaign, the reason Dr. Collins isn't on the list is that he doesn't have any say in who becomes Chief, Chronic Viral Diseases at the CDC. As I'm sure you know, he's at the NIH. Monroe is the person who actually decides who gets the job. Frieden is the head of the CDC, so he's Monroe's boss (there may be a few layers of bureaucracy between the two). Koh is responsible for ME/CFS at DHHS and Sebelius is secretary of DHHS. This campaign is designed to be targetted to those individuals most likely to influence the decision and also most in need of education about the problem with the empiric definition and its continued usage by the CDC. However, if anybody wants to send additional emails to someone else please feel free to do so.

As far as what to do about the out of office messages from Monroe, I will try to find out tomorrow if there's any more information about when the decision will be made. I doubt anybody will tell me anything, but all I can do is try. My guess is that the decision is still at least a week or two away and that Dr. Monroe will have a chance to look at the emails when he gets back. For now, I don't think it's necessary to send anything to someone who is probably his administrative assistant.

Thanks for the update/clarification.