Scientific Director Vernon Hard at Work
(June-September 2008)

Suzanne Vernon, PhD, is the Association’s scientific director. To learn more about our scientific director, read “Meet Suzanne Vernon” (PDF format).

When hired last fall, the Association’s scientific director Suzanne Vernon, PhD, immediately and enthusiastically dove into her role. Since then, she has participated in numerous scientific conferences, met and conversed with leading CFS researchers around the world, shared information and insight with federal health officials and members of Congress—not to mention the skilled work she has contributed to helping the Association create a more robust research grant-making program.

Here’s a quick rundown of Vernon’s activities over the summer:

• Vernon gave the keynote address at the September 3 International Fatigue Science conference in Okinawa, Japan. Leading up to the conference she assisted noted Japanese investigator Yasuyoshi Watanabe, PhD, with plans for the event. She also helped arrange for CFS researcher Dikoma Shungu, MD, to present data from his Association-funded study at the conference.
• Vernon assembled a multidisciplinary team of scientific experts to evaluate the scientific merit of the diverse proposals the Association received from the 21 investigators who met initial review criteria and were invited to apply for research grants.
• Vernon continued dialogue with researchers from the University of Alberta to explore the possibility of developing an HPA axis modeling collaborative. She also maintained contact with sources at the NIH about intramural and extramural research opportunities.
• Vernon gave a presentation on micorarray studies at a CFS and infections symposium at the Sixth International Conference on HHV-6 and HHV-7 on June 22-23 in Baltimore, Maryland. The Association was a co-sponsor for this satellite meeting. You can read her thoughts on the conference in “View from HHV-6 and Virus Meetings.”
• Vernon gave a presentation titled “Understanding the Biology of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome to Improve Objective Diagnosis and Intervention” at the Fifth Annual Scientific Meeting of the TMJ Association on June 2 in Bethesda, Maryland. She also represented CFS on a panel of representatives of conditions with overlapping symptoms.

What’s next?
Vernon will participate in the Whittemore Peterson Institute’s 2008 scientific retreat in Reno, Nevada, September 26-28. She has also accepted an invitation from Brian Fallon, MD, to make a presentation at the national Lyme disease conference on October 17 in San Francisco.

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