Metrodora Foundation Announces New Scientific Advisory Board
Board will serve as strategic advisors to accelerate research for millions of patients living with chronic, multisystem disorders
18 January, 2024 - Metrodora Foundation, a non-profit organization focused on catalyzing scientific collaboration and discovery to find new diagnostics, treatments and cures for chronic, multisystem disorders today announced the creation of a new Scientific Advisory Board (SAB), which will provide strategic guidance and consult on the Foundation’s research strategy. The SAB brings deep expertise in life sciences, clinical research, technology, and industry to Metrodora, and a commitment to advancing collaborative, data-driven science that improves patient outcomes.
Steve Gardner, PhD, and CEO at PrecisionLife, and Rohit Gupta, Chief Scientific Officer and Head of R&D at Metrodora Institute, will serve as Co-Chairs of the SAB. Initial members also include: Oved Amitay, Former President and CEO, Solve ME/CFS Initiative, Mark Bouzyk, PhD, President, CSO & Co-Founder, AllaiHealth Inc., Steven Hicks, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Holden Maecker, PhD, Professor of Microbiology and Immunology, and Director of the Human Immune Monitoring Center, Stanford University, and Peter Rowe, MD, Professor of Pediatrics, Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
"Inherent to Metrodora’s mission is bringing together the most respected leaders from science, technology and business who will help to identify and dismantle the silos and obstacles that slow down progress for patients" said Fidji Simo, President of the Metrodora Foundation. "It will take the brightest minds across diverse fields - from genomics to immunology to artificial intelligence and computational biology - to understand these conditions and develop cures. We couldn’t be more pleased to have this esteemed group of scientific thought leaders collaborating to accelerate critical research for patients living with complex chronic conditions."
By assembling experts with a track record of working across innovative modalities, the SAB will enable Metrodora to develop cutting-edge research programs and improve patient outcomes for patients living with these conditions. Typically triggered by an immune-activating event, such as an infection, surgery, injury, or hormone change, these conditions include: Long-Covid, ME/CFS, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), Migraine and other pain related conditions, Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes, Mast Cell Activation Syndrome, Sjögrens Syndrome, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and Irritable Bowel Disorder (IBD).
“Nothing speaks more deeply to me and to each of us at PrecisionLife than pioneering discovery for the complex, chronic disease population. It’s an honor to serve as Scientific Advisory Board Chair for Metrodora Foundation and to partner with other leaders to develop a robust research program to uncover the biological drivers of these underserved conditions which impact millions,“
Steve Gardner, CEO of PrecisionLife
About the Metrodora Foundation
The Metrodora Foundation is a patient-founded 501(c)(3) non-profit organization catalyzing scientific collaboration and discovery to find cures for chronic, multisystem disorders. The Foundation prioritizes imperative research areas with the greatest potential impact for patients, including identifying genetic and immune contributions to these conditions, and biomarker discovery and validation. Chronic, multisystem disorders are caused by dysregulated communication between the nervous, immune, endocrine and gastrointestinal systems and simultaneously affect multiple body systems, resulting in complex illnesses that are difficult to diagnose and treat. There are no cures for these conditions and treatment options remain severely limited.
