Posted by Cort Johnson In a startling announcement on 3pm on Friday the CFIDS Association of America reported that the man who’d vowed to outlast everyone, Dr. Willam Reeves of the CDC, was out and that Dr. Elizabeth Unger was temporarily taking over controls of the CDC’s CFS Research program. Certainly, no one expected this. At the end of the
ContinuePosted by Cort Johnson In a recent article on RJC.com Dr. Mikovits came out swinging. Fights between researchers can get nasty but its probably rare that they veer into this kind of territory. After suggesting that the Imperial College group purposefully tried not to find the virus (!) Dr. Mikovits referred to the fact that the paper was paid for,
ContinuePosted by Cort Johnson And if you see some negative papers coming out, don’t be discouraged. It’s going to happen. There are going to be some negative papers. People really jump to do this. And the method is not that easy and getting the right bits and pieces you need together (is not easy)” Dr. Nancy Klimas The Brits Smack XMRV…Or
Continue Posted by Cort Johnson EVENTS Biggest Event – what else? XMRV takes the spotlight as no research finding has before, retrovirologists across the world clamor for samples, worry mounts about a tainted blood supply, Hilary Johnson blows into the New York Times Op Ed section, and patients gasp and cross their fingers in hopes that it will all work out. See XMRV
ContinuePosted by Cort Johnson Hilary Johnson, beloved CDC headhunter is raking the CFIDS Association over the coals again. Once again she’s taking no prisoners. In her last blog on the CAA she called the organization the Bechtel of the CFS community and accused them of inciting a ‘pogrom’. In this blog she proclaims CAA is the CDC and vice versa .
ContinuePosted by Cort Johnson The Researcher of the Year analysis doesn’t just take research into account; it also includes their outreach into the patient community and their impact on how the research field is functioning. This year the Researcher of the Year was an easy choice. Dr. Vernon excelled in all three categories in 2008. (As she did in 2009.
ContinuePosted by Cort Johnson A Bold Effort Collaboration – Dr. Vernon believes increased collaboration will be essential for our research community’s success. She knows the power collaboration can unleash. The Pharmacogenomics projects she lead at the CDC – which ended up thrusting ME/CFS into the research spotlight and helped triggered the National Press Conference – was the result of a
ContinuePosted by Cort Johnson XMRV was next up at the mike at the CFSAC meeting. First Dr. Peterson went over the published research one more time. Hearing it again simply reinforced what an extraordinary discovery XMRV may be. His presentation was, in some ways, though, really just a prelude to Dr. Coffin’s presentation. The co-author of the major text in
ContinuePosted by Cort Johnson The CDC Problem – The CDC attempted to explain away the patients explosion of frustration at their Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) program as the result of a well organized plot by the CFID’s Association of America. They haven’t yet come up with a good explanation for the avalanche of criticism visited upon them by the professional community. Instead of responding to
ContinuePosted by Cort Johnson It was as if someone had transported the CFSAC committee to a different planet. Down from their small perch on at top of the building into the main lobby with the banks of lights shining down and three cameramen following their every move one wondered if this might be what the future looks like. The people
ContinuePosted by Cort Johnson With her smile and her ingratiating matter Dr. Hanna is the NIH’s Teflon woman for ME/CFS. As Dr. Reeves punches up his next dazzling 20 minute PowerPoint presentation Dr. Hanna throws her few tidbits into the mix and shuts up. It’s remarkable how little interest there has been in what is arguably the most important federal
ContinuePosted by Cort Johnson Tantalized by the opportunity to make a difference the ME/CFS community let loose on the CDC over the past year. To its credit the CDC’s review process allowed for that. Missing the Forest for the Tree – The CDC, however, is not the main game in town – they’re not the alpha dog we vitally need
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