As many as 2.5 million Americans suffer from myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), a poorly understood chronic disease characterized by long-lasting and profound fatigue, unrefreshing sleep, cognitive dysfunction, and pain. Symptom severity can vary widely from patient to patient, and even vary for the same patient at different times in their lives. Very little is known about the biological basis of this disease, making it extremely difficult to diagnose and treat.

The purpose of this blog is to chronicle the advances made in ME/CFS research in general and progress from our Jax ME/CFS CRC and from other CRC projects. We aim to use this to inform and communicate with the patient and advocacy communities. Thus, we will also share news and information about community outreach efforts and notify about future events or discussions, and occasional questions and surveys.

This blog is maintained by Courtney Gunter, the Program Manager for the JAX CRC research project, and Derya Unutmaz as the editor. Courtney double-majored in Biology and Microbiology at the University of Massachusetts, and has her M.S. in Microbial Systems Analysis from the University of Connecticut. Before joining the JAX team, she worked in the Biotech sphere. She has a passion for community outreach, and feels it is important to stay engaged with the patients to ensure that the ME/CFS research has a positive impact on their health and outlook.

You can contact Courtney for questions about articles or the CRC, from the Contact page on this blog or directly via email at courtney.gunter@jax.org.