Program areas at Bay Area Lyme Foundation
As an independent nonprofit organization, Bay Area Lyme is able to partner with leading researchers and institutions all across the country to support the most innovative and promising projects in Lyme disease research, regardless of affiliation. True breakthroughs will occur only through well-designed research projects and at Bay Area Lyme, we have a rigorous screening and monitoring process, grant contingencies, and project reporting, to ensure that projects are effectively designed and funds well spent. In 2022, Bay Area Lyme Foundation funded 10 grants averaging $266,000 per award to various institutions across the country for a total of $2,657,436. $857,268 was awarded to projects focused on improved diagnostics of Lyme disease and other tick-borne infections; $1,696,936 awarded to improve therapies, and the remaining grants for ecology and awareness projects. Duke University received a grant of $725,876 to continue the work of the late Dr. Neil Spector on Lyme disease. The lab of Dr. Charles Chiu received a grant of $1,047,721 to support the costs of establishing the UCSF Lyme Clinical Trial Center. The 2022 Emerging Leader Awards totaling $200,000 were awarded to diagnostic projects at Stanford University and Tufts University. The remaining grant awards of $683,839 were to organizations whose projects aligns with the Foundation's mission.
Bay Area Lyme Foundation's education and awareness programs include free Ticktective podcasts, Speaker Series presentations and a wide variety of education and training regarding tick-bite prevention. In 2022, Bay Area Lyme entered into its second year of its partnership with the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) providing its young members with tick prevention pouches that included a tick removal key, repellant and information about Lyme disease and other tick borne infections. This multi-year partnership is targeting over 10,000 youths across the country. It was the premier sponsor of 3 tournaments held in California and New Jersey. One in-person Speaker Series event was held in the fall of 2022 where guests listened to Dr. Steven Harris discussed the complexities of treating Lyme Disease.