Rainbow at shoreline

The Massachusetts ME/CFS & FM Association, a 501(c)3 founded in 1985, exists to meet the needs of patients with ME (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis), CFS (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) or FM (Fibromyalgia), their families and loved ones. The Massachusetts ME/CFS & FM Association works to educate health-care providers and the general public regarding these severely-disabling physical illnesses. We also support patients and their families and advocate for more effective treatment and research.

The Massachusetts CFIDS/ME & FM Association was pleased and honored to welcome back Anthony Komaroff, M.D., Simcox-Clifford-Higby Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, Clinician and Researcher, as the keynote speaker at our Fall 2013 Educational Lecture. The title of Dr. Komaroff's talk was "CFS Research: Recent Progress and Challenges." The lecture took place on Saturday, November 2, 2013 at the Morse Institute Library in Natick, MA.

YouTube links (YouTube versions can be only be accessed from this site or from the direct links; the videos are not searchable on YouTube):

Dr. Komaroff's 2013 lecture "The Latest Research on CFS" (56 minutes)

Dr. Komaroff's 2013 lecture Questions & Answers (37 minutes)

Some of the highlights from Dr. Komaroff's talk included advancements in gene technology and other methods which have improved the ability to research CFS and other illnesses. Dr. Komaroff explained that every gene can now be identified, but even more important, researchers can determine whether genes are turned on or off and detect changes or abnormalities in this process—these differences are what really matter because they may provide the link to the development of disease. He also reviewed several new treatments that have been studied scientifically and have shown encouraging results. Lastly, Dr. Komaroff emphasized the growing interest in CFS by scientists around the world.

Notice about names

The Massachusetts ME/CFS & FM Association would like to clarify the use of the various acronyms for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), Chronic Fatigue & Immune Dysfunction Syndrome (CFIDS) and  Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) on this site. When we generate our own articles on the illness, we will refer to it as ME/CFS, the term now generally used in the United States. When we are reporting on someone else’s report, we will use the term they use. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other federal agencies, including the CDC, are currently using ME/CFS. 

Massachusetts ME/CFS & FM Association changed its name in July, 2018, to reflect this consensus.