Open Medicine Foundation

The Open Medicine Foundation (OMF) is an American non-profit 501(c)(3) organization established in 2012. It funds and initiates groundbreaking research into complex chronic illnesses. It supports neuro-immune disease research with a focus on Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME), Fibromyalgia (FMS), and Chronic Lyme Disease.

The OMF's current project is the End ME/CFS Project.

Many of those involved in OMF, including Executive Director Linda Tannenbaum, either have a neuro-immune disease or have a family member who has a neuro-immune disease.

OMF's strategy is to include highly recognized and accomplished scientists with expertise in body systems linked to neuro-immune diseases. The organization also has an extensive patient network as developed through email newsletter subscriptions.

ME/CFS Scientific Advisory Board
The advisory board is made up of world-renowned researchers:


 * Dr. Ronald Davis (Scientific Advisory Board Director, and father of Whitney Dafoe)
 * Paul Berg (cellular metabolism, Nobel laureate)
 * Mario Capecchi (genetics, Nobel laureate)
 * Mark Davis (immunology)
 * Craig Heller (exercise physiology)
 * Andreas Kogelnik (OMI founder)
 * Robert Naviaux (virology & cell biology, mitochondrial specialist)
 * Baldomero Olivera (neurobiology & pain)
 * Ronald Tompkins (trauma & metabolism)
 * James Watson (genetics, Nobel laureate)
 * Wenzhong Xiao (computational genomics)
 * David Bell (ME/CFS clinician. See Lyndonville outbreak)
 * Maureen Hanson (cell and molecular biology)
 * Øystein Fluge (oncology)
 * Olav Mella (oncology)

Board
The OMF board comprises:


 * Linda Tannenbaum (Executive Director)
 * Kimberley Hicks (Treasurer)
 * Patti Linsley (Secretary)
 * R.P. Channing (MD)
 * Deborah Rose (MD)
 * H. Kenneth Walker (MD)

Research Projects
The ME/CFS Severely Ill, Big Data Study was announced in May, 2015. The most severely ill ME/CFS patients are being studied to find a diagnostic bio-marker.

In 2016, "Mitochondria Man Gets Money UK Goes Mega Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Research Moves Forward"

Notable research
2016, Metabolic features of chronic fatigue syndrome

Funding
OMF have fund-raised primarily from ME sufferers and community for the research. NIH have not stepped up to fund the research.

In January 2018 Pineapple fund, a bitcoin investor, donated $1 million to OMF. The anonymous donor was so touched by the outpouring of appreciation from the worldwide ME community that they increased the donation to  $5 million.

In May 2018, OMF received a new $1 million anonymous pledge to escalate Dr. Ronald Davis’s systems biology approach with Robert Phair.

Advocacy
The OMF and the Davis-Dafoe Family held two screenings of Forgotten Plague. Dr. Davis spoke about ME/CFS and research after the screening.

Dr. Davis, along with colleagues, have written Open letters in reference to research funds and the PACE trial.

Talks and interviews
Ronald Davis

2017
 * Q&A on ME/CFS Research with Dr. Ron Davis (Mar 7)
 * An Update on ME/CFS Research with Dr. Ronald W. Davis (Feb 21)
 * Scientist Ron Davis Tells How We Are "Fast-Tracking" ME/CFS Research (Feb 3)

2016
 * Getting Answers to ME/CFS Faster through Collaboration and Openness (Dec 13)
 * Short Story of a Family's Struggle with ME/CFS (May 21)

Linda Tannenbaum

2016
 * Episode 79 - Linda Tannenbaum (May 8)

Online Presence

 * Website
 * Facebook
 * Twitter
 * YouTube

Learn more

 * What is ME/CFS?