Scientists Awarded $700,000 for Lyme Disease-Research Leadership

Bay Area Lyme Foundation's Emerging Leader Awards are designed to encourage new Lyme disease research projects. Genomics, immunotherapy and unraveling the stealth attributes of Lyme disease were the focus of the 2018 Emerging Leader Award projects.

Bay Area Lyme Foundation awarded grants to four inspired scientists who have developed promising diagnostics or therapies for Lyme disease. George Church, Ph.D., and Ting Wu, Ph.D. were each awarded a $250,000 grant to launch the Genomic Lyme Disease Research Initiative project at Harvard Medical School. Michal Caspi Tal, Ph.D., and Steven E. Phillips M.D. will each receive $100,000 toward therapeutic research related to immunotherapy and an innovative new drug aimed at eliminating chronic tick-borne infections, respectively.

“The only way to solve the mysteries of Lyme is for great scientific minds to focus on it,” said Alexandra Cohen, president, Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation. “It's an honor to have these recipients come to us with their ideas, plans and excitement for investigating, and potentially overcoming this disease.”

Dr. Church and Dr. Wu will use their Emerging Leader Award grant to establish the Genomic Lyme Disease Research Initiative at Harvard Medical School. Through this initiative, they plan to compare the genetic and immune variations of those who have Lyme disease with those who are unaffected, in an effort to better understand the genetic underpinnings of the disease as well as finding targets for future therapeutics. The objective is to better understand not only if some people are more susceptible to the disease, but also if those who are exceptionally less susceptible may offer clues that point toward potential therapeutic research.

“The role that an individual's own genome or immunome may play in contracting and fighting Lyme disease is still a mystery. My colleagues and I are excited by the opportunity to lend our expertise and scientific resources to better understand the role genetics may play in both increasing susceptibility and potentially pointing us toward new therapeutic options,” remarked Dr. Wu, professor of Genetics at Harvard Medical School.

The research projects of the two $100,000 Emerging Leader Award recipients both target some of the stealth activities exhibited by the bacteria that causes Lyme disease:

• Michal Caspi Tai, Ph.D., will study the bacteria's ability to utilize the CD47 immune escape mechanism which has been observed in other infectious diseases as well as cancer. This understanding could lead to advances in treatment.
  

• Steven E. Phillips, M.D., will perform initial testing of a novel therapeutic strategy aimed at more effectively eliminating difficult-to-treat tick-borne diseases.

“Each year, the Emerging Leader Award process offers us renewed hope for the future of Lyme disease patients, because the scientific creativity, determination and commitment of the applicants is so inspiring,” said Bonnie Crater, Chairperson, Science Committee, Bay Area Lyme Foundation. “We are enthusiastic about the progress of previous awardees as we stay informed of their progress and maintain support for their work, through either continued funding or by connecting them with other researchers to help overcome research obstacles.”

Previous Emerging Leader Award recipients have come from institutions including Brandeis University, Harvard University/Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Louisiana State University, North Carolina State University, Stanford University School of Medicine, and University of California, San Francisco. Most of these projects were in the early stages of research upon awarding, and the Emerging Leader Award offered a springboard for scientists to explore the concepts that were later recognized with grants from the government and other established entities, increasing the scope of focus on Lyme disease. Some have been accepted for presentation at well-respected scientific forums.

The Emerging Leader Awards from Bay Area Lyme Foundation, a leading sponsor of Lyme disease research in the U.S., are made possible each year by a generous donation from the Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation. This year, a supplemental donation by Emily and Malcolm Fairbairn allowed for a fourth award, for a total of $700,000 in grants given. These awards are presented annually and are designed to be awarded to promising scientists who have identified a defined approach to improved diagnostics or therapies for Lyme disease. Researchers interested in applying for the 2019 Emerging Leader Award or learning about the other grants that Bay Area Lyme Foundation offers throughout the year should contact info@bayarealyme.org.