Bay Area Lyme Foundation

Programs: Bay area lyme foundation partnered with leading researchers and institutions all across the country to support the most innovative and promising projects in lyme disease reseach regardless of affiliation. True breakthroughs will occur only through well-designed research projects. The foundation has a rigorous screening and monitoring process, grant contingencies and project reporting, to ensure that projects are effectively designed and funds well spent. In 2016, the foundation awarded 6 grants and 2 conference sponsorships. One grant totaling $75k was awarded in lyme and tick ecology research - research focuses on understanding the basic pathogenesis of lyme disease and related tick-borne-bacteria, their transmission through ticks and other intermediate hosts, and the impact of local ecological conditions on their prevalence and virulence; 2 grants totaling $106. 5k in diagnostic research - research focuses on leveraging new technologies and methodologies to improve both acute and late stage diagnosis through direct and indirect tests for dna, rna, antigens, antibodies, cytokines, metabolites, or other biomarkers; and 3 grants totaling $261k in treatment research - research focuses on examining new and alternative approaches and adjuntive therapies to help the body fight infection (in conjunction with antibiotics and for weakened and non-functioning immune systems). The foundation sponsored a lyme disease hackathon, hacklyme, that brought together more than 100 scientists, clinicians, researchers, entrepreneurs, and investors from several states in the u. S to brainstorm solutions for lyme disease. The sponsorship of $179,000 included $60,000 in prize money to top finalists.

the foundation offers free in-service education training regarding tick-bite prevention to residential outdoor schools, outdoor enviromental education, and profession outdoor program/field trip providers on-site. The foundation is partnering with the association of enviromental and outdoor educators (aeoe) to offer education and training to the professional naturalist community who teach children in the 130 residential outdoor science schools throughout california. School-age children are particularly susceptible to contracting lyme and other tick-borne illnesses. Because of our educational outreach program, outdoor education teachers are now instructing children to check themselves for ticks daily and are learning the correct steps to take if they get bitten. The in-service ensures that adults working at outdoor school facilities know how to protect themselves against lyme and tick-borne diseases, and enhances the safety of teachers and students. This program is relevant for naturalists, outdoor educators and teachers, park rangers,outdoor sport and recreation instructors, docents, emts, first aid providers, firefighters, volunteers and anyone who is working in a position of responisbilitiy for the health and safety of others in the outdoors.