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Bay Area Lyme Foundation Opens Applications for 2026 Emerging Leader Awards and Research Grants

Emerging Leader Award 2026 call for entries

By Bay Area Lyme Foundation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Bay Area Lyme Foundation Opens Applications for 2026 Emerging Leader Awards and Research Grants

Annual program to fund two $150,000 grants to revolutionize diagnosis and treatment of tick-borne diseases, including new award focused on co-infections

PORTOLA VALLEY, Calif., October 22, 2025 – Bay Area Lyme Foundation, a leading sponsor of Lyme disease research in the US, today announced its call for applicants from academia and the private sector for the 2026 Emerging Leader Awards (ELA). These annual awards recognize innovative researchers advancing novel approaches in tick-borne disease diagnostics and treatments, while embodying the future of research leadership in this critical field.

In 2026, Bay Area Lyme Foundation will award two $150,000 ELA grants:

Lyme Disease Award will support creative approaches to advancing diagnostics and/or therapeutics for Lyme disease, continuing the legacy started more than a decade ago.
Tick-borne Pathogen Award is a new grant to support research on non-Borrelia tick-borne pathogens/infections occurring in the US, with preference for bacterial and parasitic pathogens. Projects may address co-infections in combination with Borrelia burgdorferi or as stand-alone investigations. Viral infections (e.g., Powassan virus, Heartland virus) are excluded from this category.

Applications are due by February 15, 2026, at 11:59pm PT. Eligible applicants include academic and private-sector researchers at the post-doctoral through associate professor level (or equivalent in industry), including those new to Lyme and tick-borne disease research. All applicants are encouraged to request samples from the Lyme Disease Biobank.

Applicants must demonstrate scientific leadership, a strong supporting rationale, and the ability to generate proof of concept within 12–24 months. While diagnostic and therapeutic approaches are of particular interest, all areas of research relevant to patients will be considered. Submissions require a research proposal and at least one supporting letter from a supervisor or Principal Investigator.

The full criteria and application can be found here. Awardees will be announced at LymeAid in May 2026.

Journal of Clinical Microbiology Studies Demonstrate Two Investigational Diagnostics Outperform Current Tests in Detecting Early Lyme Disease

By Bay Area Lyme Foundation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Journal of Clinical Microbiology Studies Demonstrate Two Investigational Diagnostics Outperform Current Tests in Detecting Early Lyme Disease

Studies utilize Bay Area Lyme Foundation’s Lyme Disease Biobank samples to point to the promise of single-tier diagnostics to potentially transform early detection

PORTOLA VALLEY, Calif., October 9, 2025 — Bay Area Lyme Foundation, the leading nonprofit funder of Lyme disease research in the US, today announced results from two independent studies published in Journal of Clinical Microbiology, conducted by researchers at Tufts University School of Medicine, and Kephera Diagnostics, respectively, demonstrating the potential of novel investigational single-tier Lyme disease tests to improve accuracy in the earliest stages of infection. Each study uses well-characterized samples from Bay Area Lyme Foundation’s Lyme Disease Biobank and demonstrated unprecedented accuracy, far exceeding the current CDC-recommended Lyme disease two-tier test, which can miss up to 70% of early-stage cases as well as later-stage cases.

“The CDC’s standard two-tier Lyme diagnostic misses the majority of early cases, delaying treatment and increasing the risk of developing persistent, debilitating symptoms for patients. The two novel single-tier assays—while not yet FDA-cleared for clinical use—point to a future where Lyme disease can be diagnosed quickly, accurately, and with a single test,” Liz Horn, PhD, MBI, a coauthor on both studies, and Principal Investigator of Lyme Disease Biobank, a Bay Area Lyme Foundation program that provides much-needed samples to approved researchers working to better understand tick-borne diseases and develop improved diagnostic tests and therapeutics. “These single tier tests, like InBios Lyme Detect™ and Kephera’s Hybrid Lyme ELISA could mark a turning point for Lyme diagnostics, giving physicians and patients more accurate tools that are urgently needed.”

The first study, evaluating the InBios Lyme Detect™ Multiplex ELISA, was conducted by Pete Gwynne, PhD, a 2022 Bay Area Lyme Emerging Leader Award (ELA) winner, and colleagues at Tufts University School of Medicine. Using samples from the Lyme Disease Biobank, this new diagnostic correctly identified all two-tier positive samples evaluated in the study, while also detecting 21 of 79 clinically diagnosed patients who were missed by following the current CDC guidance for testing using FDA-cleared standard two-tier tests (STTT) and had erythema migrans (EM) skin lesions. Importantly, the InBios test maintained >99% specificity, with only one false positive across more than 200 control and lookalike disease samples and was shown to be highly reproducible.

Bay Area Lyme Foundation Launches Bay Area Lyme Ventures as First Impact Investment Fund to Support Entrepreneurs and Companies Advancing Lyme Disease Solutions

By Bay Area Lyme Foundation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Bay Area Lyme Foundation Launches Bay Area Lyme Ventures as First Impact Investment Fund to Support Entrepreneurs and Companies Advancing Lyme Disease Solutions

New venture philanthropy fund announces initial investments and will help guide game-changing Lyme diagnostics and therapeutics to commercialization

PORTOLA VALLEY, Calif., September 4, 2025 — Bay Area Lyme Foundation, a leading sponsor of Lyme disease research in the US, today announced the launch of Bay Area Lyme Ventures (Lyme Ventures), a bold new impact fund that is the first designed to attract and drive investment to promising tick-borne diagnostics and therapeutics nearing commercialization. By bringing together strategic research investments, collaborative partnerships, and patient-focused resources, Lyme Ventures aims to advance innovative diagnostics and therapeutics to fill significant gaps that exist in medical care. Today, the fund announces investments in Aces Diagnostics and LymeAlert, both of which are designed to help people bitten by ticks navigate the complicated process of getting an accurate diagnosis.

“This new chapter expands Bay Area Lyme Foundation’s commitment to accelerating innovative diagnostics and therapeutic breakthroughs, as there is an extreme scarcity of support for entrepreneurs and companies developing accurate solutions for patients and clinicians in tick-borne disease,” said Linda Giampa, who led Bay Area Lyme Foundation for the past 12 years and is now the founder and managing director of Bay Area Lyme Ventures.

Lyme Ventures will complement Bay Area Lyme Foundation’s continued commitment to funding scientific research by advancing promising discoveries into clinical development and, ultimately, through commercialization. To date, Bay Area Lyme Foundation has granted more than $30 million toward research, while Lyme Ventures has a goal of investing $5 million by 2027 into companies working to bring solutions to market. Proceeds from these philanthropic investments will fund research projects at Bay Area Lyme Foundation.

Dr. Joe Burrascano: A Masterclass on Tick-Borne Illness

By Bay Area Lyme Foundation

Ticktective Podcast Transcript

In this episode of Ticktective™, host Dana Parish interviews Joe Burrascano, MD. Dr. Burrascano is a pioneer in the field of Lyme disease, having treated patients since the early days of the illness in the 1980s and 1990s. He co-founded the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS) to help train clinicians in treating Lyme and associated tick-borne diseases. Dr. Burrascano discusses the challenges in diagnosing and treating Lyme, including issues with the limited testing criteria and the chronic, multisystemic nature of the disease. He outlines his approach to treating early Lyme with a “hybrid” antibiotic regimen, as well as the use of pulsed and cycling antibiotic therapies for chronic cases. He also highlights the importance of addressing underlying health factors like immune dysfunction, toxin buildup, and co-infections like Bartonella and mold toxicity in chronic Lyme patients. Dr. Burrascano emphasizes the need for a holistic, patient-centered approach to managing complex, persistent tick-borne illnesses.

“If you have something that’s every part of your body is bothering you, and it comes and goes and it moves around, of course, you’re going to be labeled as a little bit cuckoo. It’s not. It’s Lyme disease.”

– Joe Burrascano, MD

Dana Parish: Welcome to the Ticktective Podcast, a program of the Bay Area Lyme Foundation, where our mission is to make Lyme disease easy to diagnose and simple to cure. I’m your host, Dana Parish, and I’m the co-author of the book Chronic, and I sit on the advisory board of Bay Area Lyme Foundation. This program offers insightful interviews with scientists, clinicians, patients, and other interesting people. We’re a nonprofit based in Silicon Valley, and thanks to a generous grant that covers a hundred percent of our overhead, all of your donations go directly to our research and prevention programs. For more information about Lyme disease, please visit us@bayarealyme.org.

Justin Timberlake’s Lyme Diagnosis and His Struggle to Be Believed

By Bay Area Lyme Foundation

Bay Area Lyme Spotlights Series

Medical skepticism isn’t just cruel, it’s physically, mentally, and emotionally harmful.

When Justin Timberlake revealed his Lyme disease after weeks of criticism for low-energy performances during his recent tour, the Internet did what the Internet does: It immediately questioned whether he was telling the truth.

The skepticism was rife and merciless. Reddit threads quickly surfaced with accusations that he was making excuses, faking illness, or using Lyme as a convenient cover story. “There must be something else going on,” people assumed. “Chronic Lyme isn’t a thing,” they said.

While it’s almost expected to see anonymous Internet commenters take aim at a major celebrity going through a low point, for the millions of Americans living with Lyme disease, Timberlake’s experience is not surprising at all.

Teaching Kids to Protect Themselves from Tick Bites

By Bay Area Lyme Foundation

Bay Area Lyme Spotlights Series

“Lyme and ticks are talked about a lot more! Students are showing peers their tick keys and sharing information, and even staff are discussing it around campus.”

– Melissa Kelly, teacher

Children are the most at-risk group for contracting tick-borne diseases, so Monterey Peninsula health educator, Melissa Kelly, gave her students an important assignment during Lyme Disease Awareness month: design a poster to teach their school community about Lyme and tick-borne diseases and how to prevent tick bites. Bay Area Lyme Foundation provided tick keys and educational materials to support Melissa’s teaching and curriculum. We asked Melissa to tell us about the project!

Q: Melissa, tell us about your school, where it’s located, and how you learned about Lyme disease awareness month.

A: Chartwell School is located in Seaside, California. We serve students with learning differences such as dyslexia and more. Our school community includes students from 1st to 12th grade. I work specifically with high school students. I first learned about Lyme Disease Awareness Month after my own experience with Lyme disease. Before teaching, I worked as a field biologist and likely contracted Lyme during my fieldwork. Thankfully, I was able to get it treated, and I am okay. That experience has kept me engaged with the latest research and studies on tick-borne diseases, which is how I learned about Lyme Awareness Month.

Dr. Joe Burrascano: A Masterclass on Tick-Borne Illness

By Bay Area Lyme Foundation

Dr. Joe Burrascano

Dr. Joseph J. Burrascano Jr., a pioneer in the field of Lyme, began his practice in East Hampton, NY, in 1981, where he identified and detailed the clinical aspects of Lyme in a high-prevalence area. Renowned for his groundbreaking diagnostic and treatment guidelines since 1984, he has advised the CDC, NIH, and U.S. Senate, authored extensive publications, and is a founding member of ILADS, continuing to educate globally.

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New Bay Area Lyme Foundation Study Reports That Only One-Third of Early Lyme Patients with On-Going Symptoms Followed up with their Healthcare Providers

By Bay Area Lyme Foundation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

New Bay Area Lyme Foundation Study Reports That Only One-Third of Early Lyme Patients with On-Going Symptoms Followed up with their Healthcare Providers

The new research, published in Frontiers in Medicine, points to need for greater follow-up from medical professionals to address potential treatment failures.

PORTOLA VALLEY, Calif., July 10, 2025—Bay Area Lyme Foundation, a leading sponsor of Lyme disease research in the US, announced the publication of new research in Frontiers in Medicine based on data from Bay Area Lyme Foundation’s Lyme Disease Biobank. This large-scale study conducted over 10 years at sites on the East Coast and the Upper Midwest demonstrates the need for improved diagnostics and increased follow-up by medical professionals for Lyme disease patients.

Only one-fifth of study participants (23%), enrolled with signs and symptoms of early Lyme, were positive by the CDC’s standard two-tiered test for Lyme disease, which supports previous research that found that it misses up to 70% of cases of early-stage Lyme disease. Further, approximately 1 in 5 patients reported ongoing symptoms at 3 months, including joint pain, fatigue, and muscle pain yet only one-third (35%) of these participants followed up with their healthcare providers about these ongoing symptoms. Due to difficulties in diagnosing Lyme disease and resulting treatment delays, as many as two million people may suffer from persistent Lyme disease, which can be debilitating.

Accurate, timely detection of Lyme disease is critical to preventing long-term complications. Moreover, follow-up from medical professionals with all patients after they complete antibiotic treatment could improve outcomes and reduce the burden of Lyme disease,” said lead author Liz Horn, PhD, MBI, Principal Investigator of Lyme Disease Biobank, a Bay Area Lyme Foundation program which helps to accelerate research by collecting, storing and providing much-needed human biological samples for use in research. “Our data also confirm the limitations of serology testing in early Lyme disease and after antibiotic treatment.”

Tick-borne Disease Prevention for City Employees

By Bay Area Lyme Foundation

Bay Area Lyme Spotlights Series

“Tick-borne diseases are a growing public health concern in California and across the country. Educating the community and supporting prevention efforts is essential.”

– Guillermo Calvillo, Staff Specialist

For the past four years, Bay Area Lyme Foundation has partnered with the City of San Jose’s Environmental Services Division (ESD) to offer free tick-bite prevention and Lyme disease awareness training to employees whose jobs in the field place them at risk of exposure to ticks. As part of our ongoing education efforts, we spoke with Staff Specialist Guillermo Calvillo to learn more about his department’s work—and why tick-bite prevention matters to his team.

BAL: What do you do?

Calvillo: I work at the City of San Jose Environmental Services Division (ESD). I am in charge of all aspects of safety training and compliance for the entire ESD. I have been with the city for almost five years, and I have learned a great deal while enjoying being part of the ESD team.

Bay Area Lyme Foundation Announces National Winner of the 2025 Emerging Leader Award to Develop a Much-Needed Rapid, Low-Cost, Easy-to-Use Lyme Disease Test

By Bay Area Lyme Foundation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Bay Area Lyme Foundation Announces National Winner of the 2025 Emerging Leader Award to Develop a Much-Needed Rapid, Low-Cost, Easy-to-Use Lyme Disease Test

Winner Chao Wang of Arizona State University will receive $150,000 to evaluate a unique diagnostic that uses gold nanoparticles and has been proven in other infectious diseases

PORTOLA VALLEY, Calif., June 12, 2025—Bay Area Lyme Foundation, a leading sponsor of Lyme disease research in the US, has given its 2025 Emerging Leader Award (ELA) to Chao Wang, PhD, associate professor in the School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering at Arizona State University, faculty with ASU’s Biodesign Institute® and an expert in nanotechnology and biosensors. Wang will receive $150,000 to support his work to develop a much-needed rapid, low-cost, easy-to-use test, called Nano2RED-LD, for Lyme disease. The test aims to deliver results in as few as 30 minutes when a patient who may have Lyme disease first sees a doctor.

There is an immense need for better Lyme disease tests. Today’s standard-of-care tests miss too many cases at all stages of Lyme disease, including as many as 70% of early Lyme cases.

“With Lyme disease cases rising steadily across the U.S., the need for accurate and timely diagnostic tools has never been greater,” said Katariina Tuovinen, research grant director, Bay Area Lyme Foundation. “Dr. Wang’s pioneering work epitomizes the essence of this award as it applies innovation from other infectious diseases in an effort to enhance outcomes for patients affected by Lyme disease.”