Bay Area Lyme Foundation will be hosting LymeAid on Saturday, May 23rd, at a private residence in Silicon Valley. LymeAid, our exclusive annual fundraising event, hosts philanthropists, celebrities, scientists, patients, and clinicians for an elegant, fun-filled informational evening of inspiration. This year we will feature research breakthrough announcements, comedian Dana Carvey as Master of Ceremonies, and Musical Guest Chris Isaak.
This event is sold out!
Click here to explore our fabulous Live Auction.
Saturday, May 23rd, 2026
5:00–10:30 pm
Cocktail Reception • Dinner • Research Update • Comedy • Live Music & Dancing
Master of Ceremonies:
Dana Carvey, Emmy award-winning actor and comedian
Musical Guest:
Chris Isaak, American rock musician and occasional actor
Keynote Speaker: Charles Chiu, MD, PhD
Dr. Charles Chiu is a physician-scientist at the University of California, San Francisco, and a leader in the development of next-generation diagnostics for infectious disease. Bay Area Lyme has proudly funded his groundbreaking work, which is reshaping how complex infections are identified and studied. At LymeAid, Dr. Chiu will highlight three critical initiatives: the Biobank, his advanced diagnostic assay, and the Clinical Trials Network. His research exemplifies the power of cutting-edge science to accelerate progress toward more accurate diagnosis and improved patient outcomes.
Honorary Speaker: Denise Spector, PhD, MPH, ARNP
Denise Spector is the wife of the late beloved Dr. Neil Spector, a visionary physician-scientist whose work and advocacy helped shape the future of Lyme disease research. Dr. Spector spoke at LymeAid in 2016, inspiring our community with his commitment to scientific rigor and patient impact. Following his passing in 2021, Bay Area Lyme proudly committed to carrying forward the research he championed. In his honor, we continue to fund innovative Lyme disease research at Duke University under the leadership of Dr. Tim Haystead, advancing discoveries that reflect Dr. Spector’s enduring legacy.
Patient Speaker: Jesse Ruben
Jesse is a singer/songwriter with a passion for Lyme disease patient advocacy. He was diagnosed in 2013, after seeing 15 doctors in 9 months. After taking every known drug and supplement on the planet, he found success treating his Lyme with chelation and ozone. He has been in remission since 2016. Jesse has spoken and performed at Lyme disease events across the US and Europe and has run the New York City Marathon 3 times to support Lyme disease research. In 2018, Senator Richard Blumenthal of CT awarded Jesse the Starlight Award for his Lyme disease advocacy work. Cofounder of Generation Lyme.
2026 Emerging Leader Award Presentation
These grants support new and innovative projects and aim to attract aspiring new scientific talent to the field of Lyme and other tickborne pathogen research. We are thrilled to announce that Bay Area Lyme will be awarding two $150,000 Emerging Leader Awards in 2026.
Join us! Come be a part of the Lyme community at our annual LymeAid fundraiser, a fun-filled night of comedy and musical entertainment.
By invitation only • This event will be held at a private residence in an outdoor setting among the California oaks.
We are honored and excited to welcome you to this private event to celebrate our gathering of world-class scientists and supporters as we raise funds for medical breakthroughs in Lyme disease.
100% of your contributions go directly to our scientific research and prevention programs. Learn more about our research programs here.
Click here to explore our fabulous Live Auction.
Sponsorship opportunities are available. Email events@bayarealyme.org for more information.
Click here for photos from our 2023 LymeAid. Click here for our 2021 Highlights video.
More About the Entertainment
Master of Ceremonies, Dana Carvey
Emmy-award winning actor and comedian Dana Carvey is best known for his iconic and indelible SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE characters—most memorably Church Lady, Grumpy Old Man, Hans, of the Hans and Franz body building duo, and of course Garth—Mike Myer’s “excellent Co-Host” on the classic sketch turned feature film, WAYNE’S WORLD. Carvey has received much praise for his uncanny comedic impersonations of American political figures (popular with both audiences and the subjects of his impersonation), including the elder George Bush, Ross Perot, Jerry Brown, David Duke and Bob Dole.
Carvey made his feature film debut in THIS IS SPINAL TAP, and other earlier works include RACING WITH THE MOON, ONE OF THE GROUP, TOUGH GUYS, and the comedy OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS. Other notable films for Carvey include Alan Parker’s THE ROAD TO for Columbia Pictures, Zanuck’s CLEAN SLATE for MGM, and Twentieth Century Fox’s TRAPPED IN PARADISE. In 2004, Dana starred in THE MASTER OF DISGUISE, a family comedy where Carvey took on 36 different identities and spoke in 14 different languages as the hapless titular character. Most recently, Dana lent his voice to bring ‘Pops’ the dog to life in the 3D animated mega-hit, SECRET LIFE OF PETS.
In 2016, Carvey appeared as the expert-in-residence on USA Network’s comedic half hour series FIRST IMPRESSIONS. The show featured amateur impressionists competing against each other in a weekly battle of celebrity impressions with Carvey mentoring each contestant.
Also, Dana’s Netflix Special STRAIGHT WHITE MALE, 60, was released in 2016, to much acclaim.
Carvey won an Emmy Award in 1993 for Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program. He has received a total of six Emmy nominations, one of which was for a guest appearance on “Larry Sanders Show.” He was also honored with The American Comedy Award as Television’s Funniest Supporting Male both in 1990 and 1991.
Musical Guest, Chris Isaak
Over the course of his forty-year career, Platinum-selling and GRAMMY-nominated singer & actor Chris Isaak has performed to sold-out crowds across the globe with his longtime band Silvertone. His music and film credits include thirteen critically acclaimed studio albums, twelve chart-topping singles along with several motion pictures, such as The Silence of the Lambs and That Thing You Do!. His work has also taken him behind the scenes, creating music for multiple film soundtracks, including Eyes Wide Shut, True Romance, Wild at Heart, and Blue Velvet. Isaak has starred in his own critically acclaimed television series The Chris Isaak Show on SHOWTIME, has previously served as a judge on The X Factor Australia, and hosted the music talk show, The Chris Isaak Hour on BIO. 2024 marked the 35th Anniversary of Isaak’s beloved Heart-Shaped World album, which includes his breakthrough classic “Wicked Game”. Isaak was recently honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award for Performance by the Americana Honors. Click here to explore his entire music collection.