New Endowment for Future NEI Center at Florida International University

Coral Gables, FL, May 25, 2011 --(PR.com)-- Stephen and Marly Silverman, of South Florida, have donated $5,000 toward creating an endowment through the Florida International University Foundation as a first step in creating the NEI Center(TM). The NEI Center(TM), a project of P.A.N.D.O.R.A., Inc., a non-profit organization that advocates for improved quality of life for people with NeuroEndocrineImmune diseases (NEIDs), will be in the Department of Molecular Microbiology and Infectious Diseases at the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine at FIU.

Establishing a center that will provide the best in clinical care, cutting-edge research and assistance with accessing social services for multi-system diseases has been a P.A.N.D.O.R.A., Inc. project for years. NEIDs (NeuroEndocrineImmune diseases) include ME/CFS (myalgic encephalomyelitis / chronic fatigue syndrome), fibromyalgia, chemical sensitivities / environmental illness, chronic Lyme disease and Gulf War illnesses.

“The timing of this development could not be better as May is International NEIDs Awareness Month,” said Marly Silverman, P.A.N.D.O.R.A., Inc. founder. “Recent research has brought a better understanding of these illnesses, and I am pleased to see Florida will be prominent in turning that knowledge into improved patient care for the estimated 20 million Americans suffering with NEIDs.”

The philosophy of the NEI Center(TM) is that biomedical and translational research in any of these chronic NEI diseases will advance understanding and progress in the other NEI diseases. Using latest technology, the NEI Center(TM) will be the first of its kind, a multi-system and multi-disease research and clinical care facility that was initiated by a patient-driven organization dedicated to improving the life of those with NEIDs. Many of these conditions overlap, share symptoms and include similar multi-system dysfunctions.

“I am extremely excited that FIU and our department will be in the forefront of this field of medicine that has garnered so much national attention,” said Kalai Mathee, PhD, Founding Chair of the FIU Department of Molecular Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. “Physician training and updating in the new science of these diseases are crucial because effective treatments can restore quality of life and increase the life span for NEI disease patients.”

Recent interest from universities, the Canadian government and the US Department of Defense have accelerated momentum in research that will translate into improving the lives in this medically underserved patient community. P.A.N.D.O.R.A., Inc. will now have FIU as an academic partner in providing specialized, knowledgeable clinical care services for NEIDs patients from Florida, the US and around the globe.

About P.A.N.D.O.R.A., Inc. – Since 2002, the Patient Alliance for NeuroEndocrineImmune Disorders Organization for Research and Advocacy, Inc. has advocated for restoring the quality of life for persons chronically ill with NeuroEndocrineImmune diseases (NEIDs). P.A.N.D.O.R.A. Inc. is built on hope, strong on advocacy, and supports finding cures for NEIDs through research. For more information, go to p-a-n-d-o-r-a.org

About FIU Department of Molecular Microbiology and Infectious Diseases – With a student body of over 42,000, FIU is one of the 25 largest universities in the United States. As one of South Florida’s anchor institutions, FIU has been locally and globally engaged for more than four decades in finding solutions to the most challenging problems of this age. As part of the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, the Department of Molecular Microbiology and Infectious Diseases includes research in achieving its mission: to establish a vibrant department that uncovers many mysteries of science and facilitate better understanding of infections and develop approaches that ameliorate diseases.

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