Lyme & Tick borne disease resaerch center Opens

[Dr. Dorothy]

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/4/prweb520058.htm

First Lyme & Tick-Borne Diseases Research Center to Open at Columbia
University Medical Center, Time for Lyme and the Lyme Disease
Association Endow Center for Lyme Research and Cure

The Lyme & Tick-borne Diseases Research Center will open at Columbia
University Medical Center. It will be the first in the country to
focus on unraveling the complexities of these illnesses.

Greenwich, CT (PRWEB) April 20, 2007 -- On April 30, The Lyme &
Tick-borne Diseases Research Center (The Center) at Columbia
University Medical Center will open its doors, making it the first in
the country to focus on unraveling the complexities of these illnesses
and offering hope to the thousands who struggle with them. Brian A.
Fallon, MD, MPH, Associate Professor at the Columbia University
Medical Center and the director of the Lyme Disease Research Program
at the New York State Psychiatric Institute, will be its general director.

The Center will make one of the first goals the development of an
accurate diagnostic test. The Center will use the latest in molecular
genetics and proteomics to identify better diagnostic tests; it will
conduct clinical research to evaluate new treatments and identify
biomarkers that will better direct treatment; it will work to educate
medical students and physicians on evaluating and treating Lyme &
tick-borne diseases and it will support research projects
internationally to help speed the scientific process of ultimately
finding a cure for these diseases.

Other areas of concentration will include the presence of comorbid
infections in ticks and comorbid diseases in chronically ill patients;
improved understanding of the pathophysiologic mechanism of disease,
particularly as it relates to chronic Lyme disease; genetic studies to
identify vulnerability factors within families; neuroimaging to better
understand the brain mechanisms of disease; treatment trials to
examine the efficacy of a wide range of therapeutic interventions, and
further study of the neurologic and neuropsychiatric manifestations of
Lyme disease.

"The official establishment of the Lyme & Tick-Borne Disease Research
Center at Columbia University could not come at a better time," notes
Debbie Siciliano, co-president and founder of Time for Lyme, Inc., a
research, education and advocacy group headquartered in Greenwich, CT.
"At a time when Lyme and other tick-borne illnesses are becoming more
prevalent, with 49 of the 50 states and the District of Columbia
reporting cases, some treatment guidelines are marginalizing our
efforts to understand, diagnose, treat and cure this disease,"
Siciliano adds. Siciliano is referring to the repressive Infectious
Diseases Society of America (IDSA) Guideline, which is creating the
controversy that could effectively deny treatment to thousands of Lyme
disease patients.

"By reaching our fund-raising goal of $3 million to open the Center,
Time for Lyme (TFL) and the Lyme Disease Association (LDA)'s
achievement now enables a major research thrust to take place". "Those
IDSA guideline threaten scientific progress and undermine the biggest
medical issues of our time. The good news is that researchers at
Columbia are stepping up to the plate and it is time take a leap
forward for research," adds Siciliano.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that about
23,000 cases of Lyme disease are diagnosed each year in the U.S.
However, the CDC agrees that its own estimates are low, and Lyme
experts believe the actual number of new cases each year exceed
230,000. Not only does controversy exist about the guidelines, but
also the number of cases reported. Part of the problem is getting
states to count cases in a uniform manner. No one really knows the
true incidence of Lyme disease.

Dr. Fallon notes, "The current controversy underscores our crucial
need for the Lyme & Tick-Borne Diseases Research Center at Columbia,
and for the more definitive research on Lyme disease and other
tick-borne illnesses we will conduct here - particularly in their
chronic stages." He and many other Lyme specialists believe chronic
Lyme disease causes serious long-term effects - from cardiovascular
and lung problems to neurological deficiencies and joint disorders -
in 10-25% of all Lyme disease patients.

The Center at Columbia University will establish an integrative
research program with state of the art and visionary research. Dr.
Fallon explains, "Because the Center will focus on basic science and
clinical research, we will have the ability to connect the diagnostic
questions and treatment issues that have puzzled the medical community
for decades with the scientists who have access to the powerful
biotechnological tools that are transforming modern medicine. It's the
questions that emerge from working with individuals and subgroups of
patients with Lyme disease that will play a key role in shaping the
direction of laboratory studies," he concludes.

Time for Lyme's Debbie Siciliano notes that, while the generosity of
donors enabled her organization to help endow the Lyme & Tick-Borne
Diseases Research Center at Columbia, their job is far from over. "We
are mindful that now the real work begins. With research programs
targeting better diagnostics and, ultimately, a cure, we envision
speedy progress to help eradicate Lyme disease and other tick-borne
illnesses," Siciliano explains.

About Time for Lyme
Time For Lyme, Inc., affiliate of Lyme Disease Association, is an
organization dedicated to eliminating the devastating effects of Lyme
disease and other tick-borne illness. Our mission is to prevent the
spread of disease, develop definitive diagnostic tools and effective
treatments, and to ultimately find a cure for tick-borne illness by
supporting research, education, and the acquisition and dissemination
of information. In addition, we will continue to act as advocates for
Lyme disease sufferers and their families through support of
legislative reform on the federal, state and local levels. For more
information on our organization, please visit www.timeforlyme.org.

About the Lyme Disease Association
The Lyme Disease Association (LDA) is a national nonprofit volunteer
organization that devotes ninety-eight percent of its funds to
programs--funding research, education, prevention and patient support.
LDA-funded research has been published in peer review including JAMA,
Neurology, Infection, and the Proceedings of the National Academy of
Science. Recognizing that the ability to find solutions involves a
multi-disciplinary effort, the LDA has partnered with businesses,
patient groups, celebrities, government, and the medical community to
unlock the secrets of Lyme and other tick-borne diseases. LDA is
currently planning its 8th fully CME accredited medical conference for
physicians on Lyme and other tick-borne diseases. To order free
brochures, to learn about LDA's LymeAid 4 Kids fund for families
without insurance, or to find out more about Lyme disease, visit
LymeDiseaseAssociation.org.

About Dr. Brian A. Fallon
Brian A. Fallon, MD, MPH, Associate Professor at the Columbia
University Medical Center, is the director of the Lyme Disease
Research Program at the New York State Psychiatric Institute. A
graduate of Harvard College, he obtained his M.D. degree from the
Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, as well as a
master's degree in public health epidemiology from Columbia
University. Dr. Fallon is the recipient of over $10 million in federal
and private foundation grants, with work spanning infectious disease,
neuropsychiatry, and neurology. Dr. Fallon's publications have focused
on chronic Lyme disease, its diverse manifestations in children and
adults, the impact of Lyme disease on the brain, and controlled
treatment trials. He has presented his research internationally and
before members of Congress, the CDC, NIH, and HHS. Recent research has
focused on the search for better diagnostic tests and biomarkers of
treatment response.

###

MORE INFO:
http://www.lymediseaseassociation.org/CUMC.html

Dr. Beverly Drottar, Good-bye & good luck on this board!!

[Dr. Dorothy]

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/4/prweb520058.htm

First Lyme & Tick-Borne Diseases Research Center to Open at Columbia
University Medical Center, Time for Lyme and the Lyme Disease
Association Endow Center for Lyme Research and Cure

The Lyme & Tick-borne Diseases Research Center will open at Columbia
University Medical Center. It will be the first in the country to
focus on unraveling the complexities of these illnesses.

Greenwich, CT (PRWEB) April 20, 2007 -- On April 30, The Lyme &
Tick-borne Diseases Research Center (The Center) at Columbia
University Medical Center will open its doors, making it the first in
the country to focus on unraveling the complexities of these illnesses
and offering hope to the thousands who struggle with them. Brian A.
Fallon, MD, MPH, Associate Professor at the Columbia University
Medical Center and the director of the Lyme Disease Research Program
at the New York State Psychiatric Institute, will be its general director.

The Center will make one of the first goals the development of an
accurate diagnostic test. The Center will use the latest in molecular
genetics and proteomics to identify better diagnostic tests; it will
conduct clinical research to evaluate new treatments and identify
biomarkers that will better direct treatment; it will work to educate
medical students and physicians on evaluating and treating Lyme &
tick-borne diseases and it will support research projects
internationally to help speed the scientific process of ultimately
finding a cure for these diseases.

Other areas of concentration will include the presence of comorbid
infections in ticks and comorbid diseases in chronically ill patients;
improved understanding of the pathophysiologic mechanism of disease,
particularly as it relates to chronic Lyme disease; genetic studies to
identify vulnerability factors within families; neuroimaging to better
understand the brain mechanisms of disease; treatment trials to
examine the efficacy of a wide range of therapeutic interventions, and
further study of the neurologic and neuropsychiatric manifestations of
Lyme disease.

"The official establishment of the Lyme & Tick-Borne Disease Research
Center at Columbia University could not come at a better time," notes
Debbie Siciliano, co-president and founder of Time for Lyme, Inc., a
research, education and advocacy group headquartered in Greenwich, CT.
"At a time when Lyme and other tick-borne illnesses are becoming more
prevalent, with 49 of the 50 states and the District of Columbia
reporting cases, some treatment guidelines are marginalizing our
efforts to understand, diagnose, treat and cure this disease,"
Siciliano adds. Siciliano is referring to the repressive Infectious
Diseases Society of America (IDSA) Guideline, which is creating the
controversy that could effectively deny treatment to thousands of Lyme
disease patients.

"By reaching our fund-raising goal of $3 million to open the Center,
Time for Lyme (TFL) and the Lyme Disease Association (LDA)'s
achievement now enables a major research thrust to take place". "Those
IDSA guideline threaten scientific progress and undermine the biggest
medical issues of our time. The good news is that researchers at
Columbia are stepping up to the plate and it is time take a leap
forward for research," adds Siciliano.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that about
23,000 cases of Lyme disease are diagnosed each year in the U.S.
However, the CDC agrees that its own estimates are low, and Lyme
experts believe the actual number of new cases each year exceed
230,000. Not only does controversy exist about the guidelines, but
also the number of cases reported. Part of the problem is getting
states to count cases in a uniform manner. No one really knows the
true incidence of Lyme disease.

Dr. Fallon notes, "The current controversy underscores our crucial
need for the Lyme & Tick-Borne Diseases Research Center at Columbia,
and for the more definitive research on Lyme disease and other
tick-borne illnesses we will conduct here - particularly in their
chronic stages." He and many other Lyme specialists believe chronic
Lyme disease causes serious long-term effects - from cardiovascular
and lung problems to neurological deficiencies and joint disorders -
in 10-25% of all Lyme disease patients.

The Center at Columbia University will establish an integrative
research program with state of the art and visionary research. Dr.
Fallon explains, "Because the Center will focus on basic science and
clinical research, we will have the ability to connect the diagnostic
questions and treatment issues that have puzzled the medical community
for decades with the scientists who have access to the powerful
biotechnological tools that are transforming modern medicine. It's the
questions that emerge from working with individuals and subgroups of
patients with Lyme disease that will play a key role in shaping the
direction of laboratory studies," he concludes.

Time for Lyme's Debbie Siciliano notes that, while the generosity of
donors enabled her organization to help endow the Lyme & Tick-Borne
Diseases Research Center at Columbia, their job is far from over. "We
are mindful that now the real work begins. With research programs
targeting better diagnostics and, ultimately, a cure, we envision
speedy progress to help eradicate Lyme disease and other tick-borne
illnesses," Siciliano explains.

About Time for Lyme
Time For Lyme, Inc., affiliate of Lyme Disease Association, is an
organization dedicated to eliminating the devastating effects of Lyme
disease and other tick-borne illness. Our mission is to prevent the
spread of disease, develop definitive diagnostic tools and effective
treatments, and to ultimately find a cure for tick-borne illness by
supporting research, education, and the acquisition and dissemination
of information. In addition, we will continue to act as advocates for
Lyme disease sufferers and their families through support of
legislative reform on the federal, state and local levels. For more
information on our organization, please visit www.timeforlyme.org.

About the Lyme Disease Association
The Lyme Disease Association (LDA) is a national nonprofit volunteer
organization that devotes ninety-eight percent of its funds to
programs--funding research, education, prevention and patient support.
LDA-funded research has been published in peer review including JAMA,
Neurology, Infection, and the Proceedings of the National Academy of
Science. Recognizing that the ability to find solutions involves a
multi-disciplinary effort, the LDA has partnered with businesses,
patient groups, celebrities, government, and the medical community to
unlock the secrets of Lyme and other tick-borne diseases. LDA is
currently planning its 8th fully CME accredited medical conference for
physicians on Lyme and other tick-borne diseases. To order free
brochures, to learn about LDA's LymeAid 4 Kids fund for families
without insurance, or to find out more about Lyme disease, visit
LymeDiseaseAssociation.org.

About Dr. Brian A. Fallon
Brian A. Fallon, MD, MPH, Associate Professor at the Columbia
University Medical Center, is the director of the Lyme Disease
Research Program at the New York State Psychiatric Institute. A
graduate of Harvard College, he obtained his M.D. degree from the
Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, as well as a
master's degree in public health epidemiology from Columbia
University. Dr. Fallon is the recipient of over $10 million in federal
and private foundation grants, with work spanning infectious disease,
neuropsychiatry, and neurology. Dr. Fallon's publications have focused
on chronic Lyme disease, its diverse manifestations in children and
adults, the impact of Lyme disease on the brain, and controlled
treatment trials. He has presented his research internationally and
before members of Congress, the CDC, NIH, and HHS. Recent research has
focused on the search for better diagnostic tests and biomarkers of
treatment response.

###

MORE INFO:
http://www.lymediseaseassociation.org/CUMC.html

Dr. Beverly Drottar, Good-bye & good luck on this board!!

[Tootsie]

Beverly

Wishing you well wherever you go! I know how this disease can screw with you mind and thoughts and emotions so dont be too hard on yourself. Like you said in another post, its the disease talking.
ive seen a sincere desire to help people on many of your posts, and I always beleive in the goodness of people, Hope you find a new "morgellons home" quickly! Frisk

[Tootsie]

Beverly

Wishing you well wherever you go! I know how this disease can screw with you mind and thoughts and emotions so dont be too hard on yourself. Like you said in another post, its the disease talking.
ive seen a sincere desire to help people on many of your posts, and I always beleive in the goodness of people, Hope you find a new "morgellons home" quickly! Frisk

[hilly]

That all seems great news Beverley. Thanks for finding it and posting it, great encouragement and hope for all. It really seems to be getting going, wonderful... Best luck in all you do you in the future, and I do hope life gets easier for you in every way. Hilly

[hilly]

That all seems great news Beverley. Thanks for finding it and posting it, great encouragement and hope for all. It really seems to be getting going, wonderful... Best luck in all you do you in the future, and I do hope life gets easier for you in every way. Hilly