Young Inventor’s App Selected as Part of Groundbreaking $20 Million NIH Grant for Lyme Disease Research

Tufts University School of Medicine awarded a historic grant with Olivia Goodreau’s innovative technology at the forefront of tracking patients’ symptoms.

DENVER, CO, UNITED STATES, November 13, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Young Inventor’s App Selected as Part of Groundbreaking $20 Million NIH Grant for Lyme Disease Research


20-Year-Old Olivia Goodreau’s Innovation Paves the Way for Tracking Patient Symptoms in Persistent Lyme Disease Research


November 12, 2024 — Denver, CO — Olivia Goodreau, a 20-year-old Lyme disease advocate and inventor of the free LongHaulTracker app has made history as her groundbreaking app becomes a key part of the largest National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant aimed at advancing Lyme disease research and patient care. This historic grant, awarded to Dr. Linden Hu and Dr. Elaine Chervinsky and their team at Tufts University School of Medicine, marks a major milestone in the fight against Lyme disease, with Goodreau’s innovative technology at the forefront of tracking patients’ symptoms.


The NIH grant, designed to support research into the long-term effects of persistent Lyme disease, will fund a consortium of researchers, physicians, and innovators working to better understand and treat the chronic symptoms experienced by millions of Lyme disease patients worldwide. Ms. Goodreau’s LongHaulTracker app, developed to empower patients with Lyme disease, long-COVID, and other chronic conditions to track their symptoms, treatments and progress over time, will play a pivotal role in helping researchers collect critical data directly from those enrolled in this historic study.


“I’m incredibly honored to be part of this groundbreaking effort,” said Olivia Goodreau. “As a Lyme patient myself, I know firsthand how devastating this illness can be. The LongHaulTracker app was born out of my own experiences and my desire to help others struggling with chronic symptoms. Seeing it now used as a tool in NIH-funded research is beyond my wildest dreams. It’s a huge step forward for Lyme patients everywhere.”


Diagnosed with Lyme disease at the age of 9, Goodreau has dedicated her life to advocating for better awareness, treatments, and research for Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses. In 2017, she founded the LivLyme Foundation which provides research grants and financial support to children battling Lyme disease and educates the world about ticks. Her passion for supporting Lyme patients led to the development of the free LongHaulTracker app, embraced by patients and medical professionals alike for its user-friendly design and valuable data collection capabilities.


The inclusion of LongHaulTracker in the NIH grant is expected to have a transformative impact on how researchers understand and address the long-term effects of persistent Lyme disease. By leveraging real-time patient data, researchers can gain unprecedented insights into symptom patterns, treatment responses, and patient outcomes, ultimately driving more personalized and effective approaches to care.


The NIH’s $20 million grant will support a comprehensive, multi-year research initiative through Tufts University School of Medicine, aimed at unraveling the complexities of persistent Lyme disease and improving the lives of those affected. Goodreau’s app will serve as a vital resource, helping bridge the gap between patients and researchers in the first-ever study of persistent Lyme disease.


“We are excited to have Olivia and the LivLyme team adapt the LongHaulTracker app for our study. The app will make it easier for us and our study participants to actively track symptoms in real-time.” said Dr. Linden Hu, research team leader.


For more information about the NIH Lyme disease research grant, please visit Tufts University NIH Lyme Disease Research Grant Information.


About Olivia Goodreau
Olivia Goodreau is a 20-year-old Lyme disease advocate, speaker, author, and founder of the LivLyme Foundation, the LongHaulTracker app, and the TickTracker app. After being diagnosed with Lyme disease at the age of 9, Olivia has dedicated her life to raising awareness about Lyme disease and supporting other patients through innovative technology and philanthropy. In 2023, she published her memoir, But She Looks Fine – From Illness to Activism. She is currently a sophomore at UCLA, majoring in Public Health.


About LongHaulTracker
The LongHaulTracker app is a free, patient-friendly tool designed to help individuals with Lyme disease, long-COVID, and other chronic illnesses track their symptoms, treatments, and progress. The app allows users to share data with their healthcare providers and contribute to research efforts to improve the understanding of long-term illnesses.

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Denise Erwin
LivLyme Foundation
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