Brian Vastag
Brian Vastag is a journalist, previously with the United States The Washington Post, advocate, and person living with ME/CFS. When the National Institutes of Health announced in late 2015 they would be increasing funding for myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), Francis Collins called a number of advocates including Brian Vastag to break the news.[1]
In 2015 he confirmed his latest project was contributing to a new edition of The Science Writers' Handbook.[2]
In 2012, he was a News Winner of the David Perlman Award for Excellence in Science Journalism for his article, “For Virginia’s fault zone, an event of rare magnitude,” published 23 August 2011 in The Washington Post about an earthquake near Washington, D.C.[3]
Disability claim[edit | edit source]
On May 31, 2018, the United States District Court of New Jersey in Brian Vastag v. Prudential Insurance Company of America, Civ. No. 15-6197 (KSH), (CLW), awarded Mr. Vastag both short-term disability (STD) and long-term disability (LTD) noting "the plan administrator improperly denied him STD and LTD benefits payable under the plan".[4]
Brian was able to prove his post-exertional malaise (PEM) was a severe symptom causing disability with a Two-day cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET). qEEG and cognitive tests revealed he had "significant problems with visual perception and analysis, scanning speed, attention, visual motor coordination, motor and mental speed, memory, and verbal fluency."[5]
Talks and interviews[edit | edit source]
Online presence[edit | edit source]
See also[edit | edit source]
Learn more[edit | edit source]
- 2015, "I’m disabled. Can NIH spare a few dimes?"
- 2015, "The Tragic Neglect of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome" by Olga Khazan for The Atlantic[6]
- Jun 4, 2018, Victory For ME Disability Claim – U.S. Court Upholds Plaintiff's Lawsuit After Being Denied Disability[5]
- Washington Post - Brian Vastag
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Promises To Keep: NIH Commits to Reinvigorate Effort on Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- ↑ The Science Writers' Handbook: Everything You Need to Know to Pitch, Publish, and Prosper in the Digital Age
- ↑ http://honors.agu.org/medals-awards/david-perlman-award-for-excellence-in-science-journalism-news/
- ↑ [US District Court of NJ: Brian Vastag v. Prudential Insurance Company of America, Civ.15-6197 (KSH), (CLW) https://t.co/Vq9GXo4VEI]
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Tillman, Adriane (June 4, 2018). "Victory for ME Disability Claim - U.S. Court Upholds Plaintiff's Lawsuit After Being Denied Disability". #MEAction. Retrieved February 2, 2019. Cite has empty unknown parameter:
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(help) - ↑ Olga Khazan (October 8, 2015), "The Tragic Neglect of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome", The Atlantic