The Bay Area Lyme Foundation announced the nearing of the deadline for their 2023 Emerging Leader Awards applications. The Foundation detailed that it will be offering at least two $150,000 grants. The Emerging Leader Awards are given to researchers who have contributed innovations and advancements to the field of Lyme disease. To qualify, applicants must be at the postdoctoral through the associate professor level at an academic or research institution and have professional and scientific leadership experience in both the biological and medical sciences. All candidates are expected to submit proposals for proof-of-concept projects intended to generate initial results for improved Lyme disease diagnostics or treatments within 1 to 2 years. The Foundation noted that the application deadline is February 15, 2023, and that the winners will be announced in May 2023.
The Foundation also highlighted the winners of the 2022 Emerging Leader Awards, who were selected for their potential to lead new research initiatives. Nichole Pedowitz, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow at the Stanford University School of Medicine, was awarded $100,000 for the development of the rapid diagnostic peptide conjugated biosensor to directly detect the spirochete bacteria of the genus Borrelia. Peter Gwynne, BSc, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher at the Tufts University School of Medicine, was granted $100,000 for his evaluation of all antilipid antibodies correlated with acute Lyme disease infections and their potential to serve as diagnostic markers for persistent disease.