Awards Dinner Dance

The Lymphatic Research Foundation Dinner Dance, “A Wicked Evening Affair,” held in October in Old Westbury, New York was an overwhelming success and highlighted once again LRF's mission to advance lymphatic research.

LRF congratulates the event honorees, each of whom has a special relationship to LRF and a commitment to supporting and advancing the Foundation's work—a patient, a researcher, and a business leader in bioscience technologies.

Honorees Sidney and Sharon Braginsky who were introduced to the work of LRF through their son, Philip Braginsky, a dedicated LRF supporter and current Chair of LRF's Board of Directors, are an extraordinary couple that the Lymphatic Research Foundation was elated to honor. Sidney Braginsky, CEO of Digilab, Inc., and President of Atropos Technologies, LLC, is chairing an LRF Board Sub-Committee for the newly launched National Lymphatic Disease and Lymphedema Registry.

McKenna Johnson, LRF's Child Ambassador since the age of eight, was also honored during the event. A champion of the scientific research that holds so much promise for McKenna and her fellow lymphatic disease patients, McKenna, who is affected by a complexity of lymphatic anomalies including intestinal lymphangiectasia, has become a valued member of the LRF team and a symbol of hope and courage for lymphatic disease patients.

LRF is also fortunate to have Mihaela Skobe, Ph.D., Associate Professor in the Department of Oncological Sciences/The Tisch Cancer Institute at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City, as a long time friend and supporter. Dr. Skobe has served as the chair of the Scientific Review Committee for the 2010 LRF Postdoctoral Fellowship Awards Program, and her research laboratory has focused on the role of the lymphatic system in cancer metastasis and inflammation. Dr. Skobe is a leader in the field of tumor lymphangiogenesis and has made important discoveries about the role of the lymphatic system in cancer metastasis and regulation of immune response. The Lymphatic Research Foundation embraced the opportunity to add her to the list of honorees.

David C. Zawieja, Ph.D. (College of Medicine-Texas A&M Health Science Center), 2010 LRF Lymphatic Research Leadership Award recipient and member of the LRF Scientific/Medical Advisory Council, since 2000, was formally presented this award as part of the special evening.

The night was filled with such spirit and enthusiasm and all in attendance were focused on the vital efforts of the Lymphatic Research Foundation. Event photos may be found at www.lymphaticresearch.org.

Rare Disease Day 2011

The Lymphatic Research Foundation once again was a partner in Rare Disease Day, on February 28, 2011. Rare Disease Day is an international advocacy day organized to bring widespread recognition of rare diseases as a global health challenge. Rare Disease Day was first observed in Europe in 2008, after being established by EURODIS, the European Rare Disease Organization. In 2009, EURODIS asked the National Organization for Rare Diseases to be its partner in this initiative and to sponsor Rare Disease Day in the United States. The Lymphatic Research Foundation was instrumental in securing the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo of New York State to proclaim February 28, 2011 as Rare Disease Awareness Day. This year's theme was “Rare but Equal” which highlighted” Rare Disease and Health Inequalities”. You can read more about Rare Disease Day at http://rarediseaseday.us/ and http://www.rarediseaseday.org/.

National Lymphatic Disease and Lymphedema Registry

The National Lymphatic Disease and Lymphedema Registry, which has been officially opened for patient registration since September 2010, has received an excellent response to date. Please spread the word and help us continue to reach out to patients. Patients may register by visiting, http://registry.lymphaticresearch.org.