David Tuller

David M. Tuller, DrPh, is a Senior Fellow in Public Health in Journalism at the Center of Global Public Health, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, California. Previously to this appointment in July 2017, he was of academic coordinator of the University of California, Berkeley's joint masters program in public health and journalism. He's worked as a reporter and editor for ten years at the San Francisco Chronicle, served as health editor at Salon.com and frequently writes about health for The New York Times.

He's an experienced public health activist with a background as an ACT UP activist which included an arrest at the Wall Street demonstration in 1987.

David Tuller covered the PACE trial results for The New York Times in February 2011. However he became concerned about the trial and wrote a further article regarding case definitions which resulted in an immediate response from the PACE trial authors which resulted in him investigating the trial and its authors further after contact with others in the patient community.

Tuller is sympathetic toward the cause of the myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) patient community. In an article in 2015 he wrote:

"'In the course of my reporting, I’d realized that the disease was both devastating and widely misunderstood. People were really, really sick—some were homebound for months and years at a stretch. Yet their condition had been saddled with one of the most condescending names ever given a major illness.'"

In June 2017 after writing dozens of articles and organizing open letters on the PACE trial, David Tuller sought crowdfunding help from the patient community to continue his work on investigating the PACE trial. MEAction had an exclusive interview about his crowdfunding effort. He raised it on Crowdrise Virology Blog's Trial By Error: Reporting on PACE, ME/CFS and Related Issues (2017) and succeeded and actually exceeded his goal within four weeks. The funds raised went to the Center for Scientific Integrity who transferred them to the School of Public Health at University of California, Berkeley, which in turn created a position for Tuller to continue his investigative work.

In 2018, Tuller is renewing his crowdfunding campaign in order to continue his work on writing and speaking to raise awareness about ME/CFS and the error-ridden PACE trial.

Tuller began 2019 by covering the UK Parliament Appropriate ME Treatment debate, criticizing both the UK government response from Under-secretary Steve Brine, and the ME/CFS training course offered by the Royal College of General Practitioners which Steve Brine had praised during the debate.

Education

 * 2005, Masters in Public Health from University of California, Berkeley
 * Doctor of Public Health

Awards

 * 2016, IACFS/ME Special Service Award - for outstanding personal effort and contribution to the CFS/ME community
 * 2016, Tymes Trust Award for Scientific Journalism

Talks and interviews

 * Feb 6, 2011 - Virology blog podcast: TWiV 119: Science and journalism with David Tuller. Dr. Tuller appeared as a guest on Vincent Racaniello's podcast.
 * Feb 27, 2016 - Discussed the flaws of the Pace trial with Frank Twisk while in Amsterdam at The Forgotten Plague Conference.
 * Feb 28, 2016 - Speech on PACE Trial with Q&As in Amsterdam.
 * Jul 10, 2016 - Virology blog Podcast: TWiV 397: Trial by Error Dr. Tuller speaks at length and in detail about the PACE trial (calling the PACE Trial preposterous and a pack of nonsense, and a piece of crap) and FINE trial, The Lancet, British Medical Journal (BMJ) and PLOS ONE, patients being ill yet deconstructing the PACE Trial, how ME/CFS is a disease being treated inappropriately with Exercise, GET and CBT, touches on the Institute of Medicine report and SEID, Valerie Eliot Smith and Karina Hansen, and more.
 * Aug 21, 2016 - Virology blog Podcast: TWiV 403: It’s not easy being vaccine Discussion with David Tuller regarding PACE trial at 00.17.38- 00.23.57.
 * Oct 29, 2016 - Undark Podcast #8: Worse Than the Disease Dr. Tuller discusses Graded Exercise Therapy (GET) "a therapy commonly prescribed for chronic fatigue syndrome — one for which supporting research is now unraveling."
 * Feb 20, 2017 - Chronic Fatigue: Missing Millions (Carte Blanche DSTV)
 * 30th May 2017 - Hope 4 ME & Fibro Northern Ireland Seeking Solutions conference took place in the Long Gallery, Stormont, Northern Ireland government headquarters. David Tuller presented an overview of the PACE Trial to medical professionals, health commissioners and MLAs (members of the legislative assembly)
 * May 31, 2017 - Virology blog Podcast: TWiV Special: Trial by Error, Continued David Tuller returns to discuss the continuing saga of the UK’s PACE trial for chronic fatigue syndrome, including the accusation that he is engaging in libelous blogging.
 * May 2017 - Interview with David Tuller PhD, Dublin, May 2017
 * June 1, 2017, Pre-Conference Dinner Speaker at the 12th Invest in ME International ME Conference on "#TearItUp" on his analysis of the Pace trial
 * Video of pre-conference dinner presentation


 * Oct 14, 2017, TWiV Special: Tear it up with David Tuller, interviewed by Vincent Racaniello
 * Dec 26, 2017, David Tuller and the (s)PACE cake eaters interviewed by Anil van der Zee
 * Mar 2018 - Talk with Emerge Australia
 * Apr 15, 2018 - ME/CFS – Debunking Medical Myths, A Conversation between Sue Gilbey, Dr David Tuller, Penelope McMillan & Tania Emms, highlighting the challenges of living with ME/CFS on Radio Adelaide
 * Apr 16, 2018 - U.S. Journalist raising awareness for Chronic Fatigue interviewed on Perth Tonight with Chris Ilsley
 * Nov 15, 2018, ME/CFS Alert Episode 102 - Interviewed by Llewellyn King

Writings about ME/CFS
Trial By Error on Virology Blog (Older posts can be found on Trial By Error)

2019

 * Jan 7, 2019 - Trial By Error: My Letter to LP Study’s Senior Author
 * Jan 7, 2019 - Trial By Error: More Thoughts on the Interferon Study
 * Jan 21, 2019 - Trial By Error: Carol Monaghan Scores Another Parliamentary Debate
 * Jan 22, 2019 - Trial By Error: My Six-Month Review
 * Jan 22, 2019 - Trial By Error: S4ME Summary for Week of January 14th
 * Jan 23, 2019 - Trial By Error: Action For ME’s Employment Advice
 * Jan 28, 2019 - Trial by Error: Steve Brine's Troubling Claim in Parliamentary Debate on ME
 * Jan 28, 2019 - Trial by Error: My Letter to Professor Chew-Graham about METRIC
 * Jan 31, 2019 - Trial By Error: Some Thoughts About an Upcoming Article
 * Jan 31, 2019 - Trial By Error: Bristol Investigating Crawley Papers
 * Jan 31, 2019 - Trial By Error: The Reporter’s Questions for Professor Racaniello
 * Feb 1, 2019 - Trial By Error: A Bit More About Bristol’s Investigation
 * Feb 3, 2019 - Trial By Error: A Recap of the School Absence Study
 * Feb 5, 2019 - Trial By Error: And Another Prebuttal…
 * Feb 6, 2019 - Trial By Error: HRA Report Does Not Vindicate PACE
 * Feb 12, 2019 - Trial By Error: BMJ Amends Last Week’s PACE Article
 * Feb 13, 2019 - Trial By Error: Re-visiting My Questions for PACE Professors
 * Feb 13, 2019 - Trial By Error: Spotila’s Take on NIH Grant Reviewers
 * Feb 18, 2019 - Trial By Error: Professor Sharpe’s Retraction Requests
 * Feb 18, 2019 - Trial By Error: Letters to Fiona Godlee and Nigel Hawkes
 * Feb 20, 2019 - Trial By Error: Cochrane Update, and Caroline Struthers’ Latest Letter
 * Feb 25, 2019 - Trial By Error: The Cost of MUS
 * Mar 04, 2019 - Trial By Error: Who Has the School Study Documents?
 * Mar 06, 2019 - Trial By Error: Stupid Studies
 * Mar 11, 2019 - Trial By Error: Kaiser Permanente Changes Course
 * Mar 12, 2019 - Trial By Error: Cochrane’s Report on Courtney’s Complaint
 * Mar 18, 2019 - Trial By Error: My Letter to Professor Hotopf About Bristol’s School Absence Study
 * Mar 18, 2019 - Trial By Error: My Letter to Kate Kelland
 * Mar 25, 2019 - Trial By Error: The CDC’s Pathetic Response to Reuters
 * Apr 01, 2019 - Trial By Error: A Bit More on Kaiser Permanente
 * Apr 01, 2019 - Trial By Error: My Berkeley Crowdfunding Appeal
 * Apr 02, 2019 - Trial By Error: This Year’s US Clinician Summit
 * Apr 08, 2019 - Trial By Error: Crowdfunding, Week 1
 * Apr 09, 2019 - Trial By Error: My Latest Letter to Bristol
 * Apr 15, 2019 - Trial By Error: Crowdfunding, Week 2; and more Sharpe and Chalder
 * Apr 18, 2019 - Trial By Error: A Reuters Update
 * Apr 21, 2019 - Trial By Error: Revisiting the Reuters Story
 * Apr 22, 2019 - Trial By Error: Crowdfunding Week 3 Matching Grant
 * Apr 23, 2019 - Trial By Error: Jennie Spotila on Collins’ NIH Talk
 * Apr 29, 2019 - Trial By Error: My Latest Letter to Bristol’s Legal Department
 * Apr 30, 2019 - Trial By Error: My Follow-Up Letter to Reuters
 * May 06, 2019 - Trial By Error: My Letter about MUS to the British Journal of General Practice
 * May 07, 2019 - Trial By Error: My Exchange with the British Journal of General Practice
 * May 13, 2019 - Trial By Error: My Most Recent Exchange with Bristol
 * May 14, 2019 - Trial By Error: A Crowdfunding Wrap-Up
 * May 16, 2019 - Trial By Error: A Plea to Fiona Godlee on a Familiar Topic
 * May 20, 2019 - Trial By Error: My Follow-Up Letter to the British Journal of General Practice
 * May 20, 2019 - Trial By Error: The Lightning Process Is “Effective”? Really?
 * May 22, 2019 - Trial By Error: My Latest Letter on The Lightning Process Study; and an Update
 * May 29, 2019 - Trial By Error: British Journal of General Practice Agrees to Correction about MUS
 * Jun 03, 2019 - Trial By Error: Professor Edwards’ Letter to BMJ’s Dr Godlee About the LP Study
 * Jun 03, 2019 - Trial By Error: A Freedom of Information Request to Bristol About LP Study
 * Jun 03, 2019 - Trial By Error: Time to Retract the LP Study; Letter to Archives of Disease in Childhood
 * Jun 03, 2019 - Trial By Error: Re-Visiting My Questions for the Science Media Centre about Bristol’s LP Study
 * Jun 05, 2019 - Trial By Error: My Follow-Up Follow-Up with Dr Segal about LP Study Citation
 * Jun 05, 2019 - Trial By Error: A Second Letter to LP Study’s Senior Author
 * Jun 10, 2019 - Trial By Error: Hey BJGP, Where’s That Correction about the Cost of MUS?
 * Jun 11, 2019 - Trial By Error: BJGP Correction Coming, BMJ Still Stonewalls
 * Jun 12, 2019 - Trial by Error: A Letter to Bristol about my Recent FOI Request; Update Added
 * Jun 19, 2019 - Trial By Error: Jennie Spotila’s Latest NIH Funding Fact-Check
 * Jun 24, 2019 - Trial By Error: Another Review Mentions LP Study and Prompts More Letters
 * Jun 26, 2019 - Trial By Error: An Update about the Pediatric MUS Systematic Review
 * Jul 01, 2019 - Trial By Error: FOI Response from Bristol about LP Study; Correction in BJGP about MUS
 * Jul 01, 2019 - Trial By Error: My Letter to Professor Chew-Graham about the Cost of MUS
 * Jul 08, 2019 - Trial By Error: Some Thoughts on MUS and Bermingham; My Letter to Professor Payne
 * Jul 10, 2019 - Trial By Error: Mary Dimmock on CDC’s New Evidence Review
 * Jul 15, 2019 - Trial By Error: Our Exchange with BMJ Journal about “Correction” of LP Study
 * Jul 16, 2019 - Trial By Error: NHS ME/CFS Clinics Lax on Treatment Harms, Study Finds
 * Jul 29, 2019 - Trial By Error: More GET Drivel from Australia
 * Aug 13, 2019 - Trial By Error: An Ill-Informed Article in The Guardian
 * Aug 19, 2019 - Trial By Error: My Interview with Melbourne’s Dr Don Lewis
 * Aug 21, 2019 - Trial By Error: Joan McParland’s Lightning Process Experience
 * Aug 28, 2019 - Trial By Error: An Open Letter to Dr Godlee about BMJ’s Ethically Bankrupt Actions
 * Sep 03, 2019 - Trial By Error: Calls for Retraction of the LP Study
 * Sep 04, 2019 - Trial By Error: More on Cochrane’s New Risk of Bias Tool
 * Sep 09, 2019 - Trial By Error: More Experts Urge Godlee to Retract Lightning Process Study
 * Sep 11, 2019 - Trial By Error: Experts Send More Tough Letters to Dr Godlee
 * Sep 16, 2019 - Trial By Error: My Letter to Professor Chalder about the PRINCE Trial
 * Sep 16, 2019 - Trial By Error: Another Batch of Letters To Dr Godlee on BMJ’s LP Study Mess
 * Sep 18, 2019 - Trial By Error: My Letter to BMJ Open about False MUS Claim
 * Sep 24, 2019 - Trial By Error: What’s Up With Cochrane’s Exercise Review?
 * Oct 02, 2019 - Trial By Error: Where Is Bristol’s Review of Professor Crawley’s Ethics Missteps?
 * Oct 09, 2019 - Trial By Error: More on the Revised Cochrane Exercise Review
 * Oct 21, 2019 - Trial By Error: Bristol’s Report Due Soon; My Oxford Talk
 * Oct 28, 2019 - Trial By Error: The HRA’s Letter about the Investigation of Bristol Research
 * Oct 29, 2019 - Trial By Error: “Bristol, It Is Time to Withdraw Your Complaints to Berkeley”
 * Oct 30, 2019 - Trial By Error: How Bristol Investigators Avoided Ethical Review (Reprise)
 * Nov 02, 2019 - Trial By Error: The HRA’s Letter to Berkeley’s Chancellor
 * Nov 13, 2019 - Trial By Error: My Talk in Newry, Northern Ireland
 * Nov 15, 2019 - Trial By Error: A Follow-Up Letter to Bristol

(Older blog entries can be found on the Trial By Error page.)

The New York Times
 * Jul 17, 2007 - Chronic Fatigue No Longer Seen as 'Yuppie Flu'
 * May 30, 2008 - What to Ask About Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
 * May 30, 2008 - Learning Firsthand About Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
 * Aug 24, 2010 - Study Links Chronic Fatigue to Virus Class
 * Jan 3, 2011 - Exhausted by Illness, and Doubts
 * Feb 17, 2011 - Psychotherapy Eases Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Study Finds
 * Mar 4, 2011 - Defining an Illness Is Fodder for Debate
 * Jun 1, 2011 - 2 Studies Examine Syndrome of Fatigue
 * Sep 22, 2011 - Viral Theory Is Set Back in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Study
 * Dec 22, 2011 - Fatigue Syndrome Study Is Retracted by Journal
 * Dec 26, 2011 - Scholars Retract Another Study Linking Virus to Fatigue Syndrome
 * Feb 6, 2012 - Fallout From Fatigue Syndrome Retraction Is Wide
 * Sep 18, 2012 - Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Back to Square 1
 * Nov 24, 2014 - Brains of People With Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Offer Clues About Disorder - New York Times: Well (2014)
 * Feb 10, 2015 - Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Gets a New Name
 * Mar 18, 2017 - Getting It Wrong on Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (with Julie Rehmeyer) and Letters of response' Letters - The New York Times

Other print media


 * Jan 27, 2014 - How 'Chronic Fatigue Syndrome' Obscures A Serious Illness Buzzfeed
 * Nov 18, 2015 - Reporter Excoriates Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Study: "I Stopped at 14,000 Words-Enough Was Enough" California Magazine
 * Oct 27, 2016 - Worse Than the Disease Undark
 * Apr 27, 2017 - Once again, the PACE authors respond to concerns with empty answers Journal of Health Psychology
 * Jul 26, 2017 - CDC Removes Reference to Disputed ME/CFS Therapies From Website Undark
 * Sep 25, 2017 - Why did it take the CDC so long to reverse course on debunked treatments for chronic fatigue syndrome? StatNews by David Tuller and Julie Rehmeyer
 * 2018, Rethinking the treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome—A reanalysis and evaluation of findings from a recent major trial of graded exercise and CBT - (Full Text)
 * 2019, The 'Cognitive Behavioural Model' of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Critique of a Flawed Model - (Abstract)

Online presence

 * Twitter
 * ResearchGate

Learn more

 * Berkeley Wellness - David Tuller