Let's talk medical research

In the end, it was vanity that brought Shanelle Gabriel to the doctor who diagnosed her lupus. At least that’s how she tells it.

The aim of medical research is to drive the development of new treatments and cures for diseases. But how are priorities set? Why do some diseases receive more funding for research than others?

The answer, in part, is through the work of health advocates who lobby Congress for government funding and establish foundations of their own to fund research studies.

Today we celebrate five mothers who embody the saying “necessity is the mother of invention.” These amazing women have played a key role in accelerating medical research not because of their work in a lab or a hospital, but through advocacy for their children.

The hall was full of people clad in conference attire: black suits, white shirts, and, for some, an adventurous pop of color in a shoe or a tie.

On March 6th, Antidote’s partners Lupus and Allied Diseases Association and Lupus Research Alliance, along with the Lupus Foundation of America, released the Lupus Patient Voices report.

When Erica Barnes founded Chloe's Fight Rare Disease Foundation along with her husband, Philip, in 2014, she had two goals:

“I have a vision of a world where every single child with a rare disease has a treatment option," said Erica Barnes, founder of Chloe's Fight Rare Disease Foundation.

“No one who has an invisible chronic illness that is not life threatening is looking for a clinical trial. We already have our hands full just getting through each day. Living with chronic pain is not an easy task.” - Kim Johnson, I Tripped Over a Stone

Donna Matlach is on a mission to increase participation in clinical trials. Donna has lived with severe asthma for nine years. During that time, she suffered three near-death experiences, prompting her to embark on a national search for relief. After visiting 28 doctors in 12 hospitals, she enrolled in an asthma research study. The drug she received as part of the asthma research study saved her life.

Medical journalist Andrew Schorr took his professional skills to a new level when he became a patient himself. Together with his wife, Esther, Andrew founded Patient Power, an online channel dedicated to empowering cancer patients and caregivers through information to help people return to, or maintain, good health.

Cody Barnett is Director of Communications for the Melanoma Research Alliance, a medical nonprofit dedicated to accelerating the pace of scientific discovery in melanoma, and a member of Antidote’s Connect Network. As MRA’s go-to social media expert, Cody is charged with spreading melanoma research awareness and education through social media channels. Cody shared with us his top five suggestions for using video to better engage audiences.