Dedicated to research, education, treatment and finding a cure for ME/CFS BOARD OF DIRECTORS Welcome To the Fort Lauderdale IACFS/ME Conference! PRESIDENT On behalf of the board of directors of IACFS/ME, I would like to warmly welcome you to our international research Fred Friedberg, Ph.D. and clinical conference. We have an exciting program of research and clinical talks, innovative workshops, and Stony Brook University compelling master speakers. And we’ve reserved plenty of time for Q and A—a must for a field with so many Stony Brook, NY, USA disparate lines of scientific research. CO-VICE PRESIDENTS On our speakers list, we have an impressive roster of international CFS/ME experts representing a wide range of Staci R. Stevens, M.A. biomedical and behavioral disciplines. And our professional workshops promise to offer the latest information on Workwell Foundation good clinical practice. Ripon, CA, USA Our keynote speaker, Vicky Whittemore, PhD, is a major player at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) with respect to new CFS/ME research initiatives. She is expected to give an in-depth view of plans and programs for CFS/ME with Lily Chu, M.D., M.S. perhaps some surprising new developments (pending NIH approvals). We also have Norwegian physician and Burlingame, CA, USA researcher, Øystein Fluge, MD as our plenary speaker, who was the principal investigator of the two published rituximab trials that show promise as an intervention for CFS/ME. His collaborator, Olav Mella, MD will also have a TREASURER speaking role on the subject. Steve Krafchick, MPH, JD Krafchick Law Firm PLLC Pragmatic clinical focus Legal Services for Injured and In keeping with feedback from the last conference, a pragmatic clinical focus will be present throughout the Disabled People conference with informative workshops (e.g., orthostatic intolerance, acute and chronic enteroviral infection, Seattle, WA, USA CFS/ME diagnosis and management) and a two hour difficult clinical cases seminar chaired by Nancy Klimas, MD with an invited panel of high profile ME/CFS clinicians. In addition, our treatment studies session will include clinical Sonya Marshall-Gradisnik, PhD practice issues. We are asking all presenters to include a “clinical implications” slide (as appropriate) so that our Melbourne, Australia clinical professionals can consider the presented research with respect to their patients. Jon D. Kaiser, MD NIH and CDC presentations UCSF Medical School Vicky Whittemore, PhD, our keynote, will also be chairing a Friday evening session titled: “Common Data Elements San Francisco, CA, USA (CDEs) for Standardized Testing and Clinical Studies.” In addition, Beth Unger, MD, PhD, Chief of the Chronic Viral Diseases Branch at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), will play an important role in this meeting with talks during the public health research session as well as a 90-min lunch panel focusing on the CDC’s Multi-site Clinic Assessment of ME/CFS. Travel awards for new investigators For the first time, IACFS/ME has received a NIH conference grant that is funding six early stage investigators to attend the meeting. This is exceedingly important as we have very few new researchers on the horizon showing interest in CFS/ME research. Please say hello to our six awardees who will be identified on their badges. Revamped patient meeting We have also made our patient meeting day into a combined patient and professional meeting with direct benefits to patients (and their families). Our keynote speaker is scheduled for this day and our afternoon session will be devoted to several 1 hr 45 min workshops on patient issues (self-management skills such as meditation and pacing), as well as combined patient and professional workshops on ME/CFS legal issues, global advocacy, and educating students who have ME/CFS. Finally, please know that your ongoing support helps to sustain our organization and the benefits we provide to you including a peer review journal, newsletter, a practice primer, and timely IACFS/ME position statements on critical issues (e.g., PACE Trial). With best regards, Fred Fred Friedberg, PhD President International Association for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (IACFS/ME) www.iacfsme.org 1 IACFS/ME • 12TH BIENNIAL CONFERENCE • OCTOBER 2016 Table of Contents About IACFS/ME & IACFS/ME Board of Directors ........................................................................................... 3 Recognition of IACFS/ME Lifetime Members and Supporters ................................................................... 4 Conference Function and Room Locator ............................................................................................................. 6 IACFS/ME Banquet & Awards ................................................................................................................................... 7 Accreditation Statement ............................................................................................................................................. 8 Faculty – Oral Presentations ..................................................................................................................................... 9 Faculty Disclosures ....................................................................................................................................................... 11 Faculty – Poster Presentations ............................................................................................................................... 12 Conference Agenda Thursday .............................................................................................................................................................. 16 Friday .................................................................................................................................................................... 20 Saturday ............................................................................................................................................................... 23 Sunday .................................................................................................................................................................. 25 Oral Presentation Abstracts (Chronological Order by Day and Session) ............................................................... 27 Poster Abstracts ........................................................................................................................................................... 70 IACFS/ME • 12TH BIENNIAL CONFERENCE • OCTOBER 2016 2 About International Association for CFS/ME The mission of the IACFS/ME is to promote, stimulate and coordinate the exchange of ideas related to CFS, ME and fibromyalgia (FM) research, patient care and treatment. In addition, the IACFS/ME periodically reviews the current research and treatment literature and media reports for the benefit of scientists, clinicians and patients. The IACFS/ME also conducts and/or participates in local, national, and international scientific conferences in order to promote and evaluate new research and to encourage future research ventures and cooperative activities to advance scientific and clinical knowledge of these illnesses. The IACFS/ME shall at all times be organized and operated exclusively for charitable, scientific, literary or educational purposes as a qualified exempt organization described under section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue code of 1986 and the regulations promulgated thereunder as they may now exist or as they may be hereafter amended. IACFS/ME Board of Directors President Fred Friedberg, Ph.D. Co-Vice Presidents Staci R. Stevens, M.A. Lily Chu, M.D., M.S. Treasurer Steve Krafchick, MPH, JD Board Members Sonya Marshall-Gradisnik, Ph.D. Jon D. Kaiser, M.D. 3 IACFS/ME • 12TH BIENNIAL CONFERENCE • OCTOBER 2016 Recognition of IACFS/ME Lifetime Members Dr. Dharam V. Ablashi Dr. Charles W. Lapp Dr. Jan Baldwin Catherine Laughlin Dr. R. Larry Baldwin Henry Levin Dr. Lucinda Bateman Kristin S. Loomis Dr. David S. Bell Dr. Jose Alegre Martin Dr. Leonard H. Calabrese Dr. Lee B. Meisel Alexander C. Chester Edna Moore Linda Clark Dr. Benjamin Natelson Bill Cohen Marion S. Nelson Barbara B. Comerford Lola Perpich Dr. Barbara Cottone Mary Sue Perpich Dr. Ferran J. Garcia Rudy Perpich, Jr. Dr. Sudhir Gupta Doug Peterson Ms. Marlene Guthrie Dr. Daniel Peterson Brent Handel Victoria Petri-Jones Dr. Stephen T. Holgate Barbara Saltzstein Dr. Byron M. Hyde Dr. Daniel W. Shaw Marc M. Iverson Jennifer Smith Dr. Nancy G. Klimas Dr. Donald R. Staines Dr. David C. Klonoff Edward L. Taylor Steven Krafchick Dr. Jacob E. Teitelbaum Dr. Hirohiko Kuratsune Maria C. Weiss Frederick P. Langer Annette Whittemore In Appreciation The International Association for CFS/ME (IACFS/ME) gratefully acknowledges those who provide support for our commitment to education for researchers, clinicians and patients. President’s Circle Genova Diagnostics (Copper) Major Donors Griffith University US National Institutes for Health K-PAX Pharmaceuticals Dr. Thomas H. Meyer – In Memory of Ms. Ann E. Silveri Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine Institute for Neuro-Immune Medicine Nova Southeastern University Office for Translational Research and Economic Development Additional Donors Open Medicine Foundation Solve ME/CFS Initiative MitoQ Ltd. BC Women’s Hospital & Health Centre Genova Diagnostics