Igenex Archives - Bay Area Lyme Foundation

Better Tests, Better Answers

By Bay Area Lyme Foundation

Bay Area Lyme Leading the Way Series

“The IGeneX test is far more sensitive than most commercially available tests for Lyme disease, detecting far more positive patients compared to standard two-tier ELISA or Western Blot tests,”

– Jyotsna Shah, PhD

For people living with or who suspect Lyme disease, getting a clear diagnosis can feel like the hardest part. Symptoms often mimic those of other illnesses, and traditional tests miss many cases.

In this episode of Ticktective™, Dr. Jyotsna Shah, President and Laboratory Director of IGeneX, shares with our host, Dana Parish, how her team is changing that—and how Bay Area Lyme Foundation helped make it possible.

Dr. Shah explains how partnerships between innovative labs like IGenex, Bay Area Lyme Foundation, and our Lyme Disease Biobank are helping deliver faster, more accurate diagnostics—and new hope for patients who’ve struggled for years to find answers.

Dr. Jyotsna Shah: Inside IGeneX’s Game-Changing Lyme Test

By Bay Area Lyme Foundation

Jyotsna Shah, PhD

Dr. Jyotsna Shah is an immunologist and molecular biologist with over 40 years of experience in diagnostic tools for tick-borne diseases. She holds a Ph.D. in diagnostic immunology from the University of Nairobi and conducted postdoctoral work at Harvard University. Shah joined IGeneX in 1997, becoming Laboratory Director in 2003 and now serving as President and CEO.

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If Pain Had a Sound: The Hunt for Relief is Riddled with Hope and Madness

By Bay Area Lyme Foundation

Written by: K.L, Lyme patient

BAL Spotlights Series

K.L.’s journey with Lyme disease, as recounted three years ago, highlights the ongoing challenges faced by those affected by this debilitating illness. Despite her perseverance and a wonderful support system, K.L. continues to grapple with intermittent flares. However, amidst these struggles, K.L. has found a new home and a new love, demonstrating resilience in the face of adversity. Her story serves as a poignant reminder of the urgent need to improve Lyme disease diagnosis and treatment, ensuring that others do not endure similar hardships. By amplifying voices like K.L.’s, we strive together towards a future where Lyme disease is easy to diagnose and simple to cure, allowing individuals to reclaim their lives and pursue their passions without the burden of infection-associated chronic illness.

Spine strangled, muscles on fire, bones buzzing
I will migrate within you
I am relentless
My address is your body
This is the kind of pain that rages silently in
the caverns of marrow and suffocates hope.
It gyrates and bangs clamors and rattles
A parasite upon the soul~
it drowns out the voice of God.

– KL’s journal; August 16, 2012

Lyme Patient, Shellie Krick, Discusses a Better, Calmer Way to Get Through the Day

By Bay Area Lyme Foundation

BAL Spotlights Series

In her book, The Art of Living With Chronic Illness, Pain, and Disability: A Practical and Spiritual Approach Inspired by the 12-Step Recovery Model, author, and former social worker Shellie Krick, explores how she used the 12-step Al-Anon program as a template to cope with her Lyme disease. Shellie has experienced over 30 years of chronic health problems stemming from Lyme and Bartonella infections, misdiagnosis, and dangerous, unproven treatments—some of which caused serious harm. Her book stems from her personal journey, offering a step-by-step guide to developing a different way of handling daily life with a chronic illness or chronic pain.

“I definitely wasn’t the type of person who liked sitting around doing nothing—Lyme has been really hard on me in that way. But through my book, if I can help just one person cope with their situation better, then I will feel I have accomplished a lot.”

– Shellie Krick