Ten Research Applications Submitted for NIH Centers for Excellence

[dreampop]

Cort revealed that 10 groups have applied for the NIH CFE grants.

Which I gather is more than he expected with a surprise applications from a genetic research center in CT and an unknown Boston application. I think this is actually a really interesting discussion/poll on who should get the grants. Probably this is controversial among patients. I'm normally quite stoic about these things, but this seems particularly important as those centers will probably set the pace for ME/CFS for the foreseeable future in the U.S. One question I have for @Ben Howell or @Janet Dafoe (Rose49) is how close that grant would get or alleviate the $5M annual needs Ron has set out?

 

[BurnA]

I think this is actually a really interesting discussion/poll on who should get the grants.

It looks like 4 people voted for ??? So that's interesting!

I think news of new groups entering the field and applying for grants is great news, I hope they will stick the course even if they don't get grants.

 

[A.B.]

One of the mystery applications turned out to be from Derya Unutmaz of the Jackson Laboratory in Connecticut, together with the Bateman-Horne Center. Here is what he said in an email to Cort:

The last missing group is from Jackson Genomic Medicine, I am the PI and as you would expect it’s in close collaboration with Bateman Horne center. I think we put together an outstanding team of experts on microbiome, immunology, metabolism, clinical, computational and bioinformatics analysis -that has the possibility of creating something transformative. Actually, I would say this is one of the most exciting grants and teams I had the fortune to assemble, despite the arduous process of putting it together.

https://www.jax.org/research-in-action/the-jackson-laboratory-for-genomic-medicine

Nitpick: the last applicant is still unknown.

 

[msf]

I will be disappointed if the funds don´t go to Hanson, Lipkin, Davis or Lombardi. I think the other groups aren´t going to get to the root of the disease, with the possible exception of the groups I know nothing about.

 

[msf]

Lipkin with the asterisk that the Hornig/Lipkin/whoever group retains most of its effectiveness.

 

[msf]

Just looking at the polls, I am quite surprised that Klimas is in second place at the moment - perhaps I am ignorant with regards to her group´s research, but has it been responsible for any great leaps forward in terms of our understanding of ME? And before someone asks the same question about the Lombardi group, I would say that KDM´s studies have been referenced by (and were presumably a basis for) Lipkin´s and Hanson´s studies, although perhaps Klimas´s were too and I just missed it.

 

[dreampop]

Just looking at the polls, I am quite surprised that Klimas is in second place at the moment - perhaps I am ignorant with regards to her group´s research, but has it been responsible for any great leaps forward in terms of our understanding of ME? And before someone asks the same question about the Lombardi group, I would say that KDM´s studies have been referenced by (and were presumably a basis for) Lipkin´s and Hanson´s studies, although perhaps Klimas´s were too and I just missed it.

Yes, I was a bit surprised by some of the results. I respect and am grateful for all our researchers, but I agree some have more potential at getting to the root cause. Ron is so far in front for me, that as long as he gets it, I will be satisfied. I agree with Lipkin with a very big asterik with Hanson taking his place if the Colombia team falls apart. At the moment, I would add in the JAX lab third for a couple reasons. 1) It commits new, talented researchers to the field. 2) It's not just a lab but a center that does grad and post grad seminars for the greater New York and New England area (lots and lots of med schools). Having CFS be taken seriously there might put it into the minds of a lot of up and coming genetic researchers that want to make their mark on something new.

I think that's a good mix of established researchers coming from a variety of fields with a lot of great connections in esteemed research centers. Of course, if I could give it to them all, I would.

Sidenote: I noticed the Lights weren't in any group, I wonder if the are associated with Jason's application.

 

[BurnA]

Cort has a blog about the ninth applicant


https://www.healthrising.org/blog/2...me-competition-stiffens-nih-research-centers/