For multi-system chronic complex diseases like ME/CFS and Long COVID, no single laboratory, dataset, or discipline can capture the whole picture alone. Through our Collaborative Approach to Systems Research model, Open Medicine Foundation (OMF) brings together multiple institutions and disciplines within a shared scientific framework.
This approach enables coordinated hypothesis generation, standardized data collection, and integrative analysis across these diseases.
Our Collaborative Research Centers
OMF’s Collaborative Research Centers (CRCs) represent a multitude of disciplines, joining forces to solve a complex problem.
- Collaborative Center at Stanford University – directed by Ron Davis, PhD: Dr. Davis’ center uses cutting edge, innovative, interdisciplinary research and technology development to uncover the biological basis of ME/CFS and establish objective tools for diagnosis.
- Ronald G. Tompkins Harvard ME/CFS Collaboration – directed by David Systrom, MD: Dr. Systrom is a leader in cardiopulmonary and dysautonomia research, revealing the circulatory and metabolic impairments underlying ME/CFS, Long COVID, and other chronic complex diseases, with a special emphasis on post-exertional malaise.
- Collaborative Center at Montreal – directed by Alain Moreau, PhD: Dr. Moreau drives research into molecular biomarkers and patient subtyping, working to identify distinct biological signatures that could lead to personalized approaches to diagnosing and treating ME/CFS and Long COVID.
- Collaborative Center at Uppsala – directed by Jonas Bergquist, MD, PhD: Dr. Bergquist and his team specialize in advanced proteomics, metabolomics, and neuroinflammation research, investigating the complex interplay between the immune and nervous systems in ME/CFS.
- Melbourne ME/CFS Collaboration – directed by Chris Armstrong, PhD: Dr. Armstrong’s center aims to decipher the common biological pathways found in ME/CFS, with an emphasis on metabolic studies and precision medicine.
- Computational Research Center for Complex Diseases – directed by Wenzhong Xiao, PhD: Dr. Xiao and his team apply big data analytics and bioinformatics to integrate complex datasets from across the CRC network and beyond, accelerating the discovery of patterns and targets that drive ME/CFS research forward.
Gathering Together: IIMEC18 and Research Directors Annual In-Person Meeting
To connect with other researchers in the field, OMF will attend the annual International ME Conference Week, hosted by the UK charity Invest in ME Research. The conference week spans May 2026 26-29, and the IIMEC18 event—open to researchers, clinicians, patients, and caregivers—will take place on May 29. To learn more and register, visit IIMEC18.
We are thrilled to share that, following the conference, OMF’s Collaborative Research Center Directors, our CEO, and our VP of Research Programs will all remain in Cambridge, UK, for our annual in-person meeting. This is critical for facilitating deeper collaboration and refining our research priorities.
Building Momentum in May
This May, be part of May Momentum by making a donation to OMF. Every contribution helps drive critical research for ME/CFS and Long COVID, bringing us closer to effective treatments and, ultimately, a cure.
If you’re able, please consider giving today. Every gift—no matter the size—helps build the momentum needed to move research forward.
Donate your appreciated stock directly to OMF and you can receive an immediate income-tax deduction for the fair market value of the securities on the date of transfer (even if you originally paid much less for them).