Dharam Ablashi

Dharam V. Ablashi, (b. 1931), DVM, MS, Dip. Bact. (Diploma in Bacteriology), Research Microbiologist, Head of DNA Viruses Section and Coordinator of DNA Viruses, National Cancer Institute. He co-discovered Human herpesvirus 6 in 1986, while working at the National Cancer Institute at National Institutes of Health and is the Scientific Director of the HHV-6 Foundation and Chair of the Scientific Advisory Committee.

Awards

 * 2007, Rudy Perpich Senior Lectureship Award, presented to a distinguished CFS/FM scientist, physician or healthcare worker awarded by IACFS/ME
 * 2007, Achievement Award from New Jersey CFS Association Inc.

IACFS/ME
Ablashi co-founded the American Association of CFS with Orvalene Prewitt, in 1990. The organization has been renamed as the International Association for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis with Ablashi serving as a past President of the Board of Directors from 2003-2004.

CFSAC testimony
Written presentation by Dr. Ablashi on October 29, 2009:"It is imperative that the CDC study biopsy samples from the gut, and brain as well as heart tissues, and that they look at spinal fluid. Most of the studies done by the CDC have been on serum. However, many pathogens cannot be found in the serum because they do not circulate in the peripheral blood after the initial infection."

Open letters to The Lancet
In response to The Lancet 's publication of the controversial PACE trial in 2011, three open letters to the editor of The Lancet urged the editor, Richard Horton, to commission a fully independent review of the PACE trial. Dr. Ablashi signed the second and third letters. The first, written in 2015, was signed by six ME/CFS experts. In 2016, thirty-six additional colleagues in the ME/CFS field, signed the second letter. In 2018, a resubmitted letter had over one hundred signatories.
 * Nov 13, 2015, An open letter to Dr. Richard Horton and The Lancet
 * Feb 10, 2016, An open letter to The Lancet, again - Virology blog
 * Jul 9, 2018, Yet Another Appeal to The Lancet, With More On Board

Notable studies in ME/CFS

 * 1992, A chronic illness characterized by fatigue, neurologic and immunologic disorders, and active human herpesvirus type 6 infection (Abstract)
 * 1992, Clinical, Epidemiologic, and Virologic Studies in Four Clusters of the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (Abstract - can request full article)
 * 1994, Ampligen inhibits human herpesvirus-6 in vitro (Abstract)
 * 1995, Long Term Improvements in Patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Treated with Ampligen (Abstract)
 * 1996, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS): A Critical Evaluation of Testing for Active Human Herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6) Infection, Review of Data of 107 Cases (Abstract)
 * 1995, Viruses and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (Abstract)
 * 2001, Prevalence of IgM and IgG Antibody to Human herpesvirus 6 and HHV-8 and Results of Plasma PCR to Human herpesvirus 6 and HHV-7 in a Group of CFS Patients and Healthy Donors - (Abstract)
 * 2010, Serum Cytokine Levels in Postinfective Fatigue Syndrome (Full Text)

Online presence

 * LinkedIn

Learn more

 * HHV-6 Foundation Website
 * Wikipedia