Lymphatic Education & Research Network, Inc.

Research goals: to foster research leading to treatments and cures of lymphatic disease and lymphedema

Education goals: to create a critical mass of people who know and understand lymphedema and lymphatic disease, its causes, treatments and symptoms

Advocacy goals: to support national policies that provide comprehensive insurance coverage for treatments of lymphatic disease and lymphedema

Research: we fund two-year research fellowships to inspire cutting edge research by a new generation of scientists; we fund travel awards so young investigators can attend conferences in lymphatics; we have established the world's first chair in lymphatic medicine and biology at Stanford University; we publish the journal "Lymphatic Research & Biology"; we have established the National Patient Registry & Tissue Bank so that researchers have access to information and samples that will lead to advancements in the field.

Education: we sponsor International live-stream symposiums featuring the world's leading authorities in the field; we have created a robust website and social media presence that highlights current research, trends, latest news; we provide an opportunity for patients to directly access the world's leading authorities through a web portal that allows them to "Ask the Experts" their questions.

Advocacy: we work closely with other organizations and legislators in support of insurance coverage for treatments of lymphatic disease and lymphedema; we work closely with NIH to ensure that lymphatic disease and lymphedema are a top research priority.

LE&RN currently funds research fellowships and has established the LE&RN National Patient Registry & Tissue Bank as a resource to researchers. LE&RN collaborates with Stanford University, having helped establish its University Chair in Lymphatic Research & Medicine. LE&RN's Patient Registry & Tissue Bank is housed at the Feinstein Institute, part of the North Shore LIJ Hospital System in NY. Scientific/Medical Advisory Council of the world's leading lymphatic & lymphedema authorities oversees these programs. Programs are funded through a variety of mechanisms to include bequests, State funding and both corporate and private funding. LE&RN also sponsors an annual National Walk for Lymphedema and Lymphatic Diseases, which raises funds and awareness.

LE&RN programs and accomplishments include: research fellowships, a patient registry and tissue bank, scholarships for lymphedema therapists, the field's only peer-reviewed journal (Lymphatic Research & Biology), NIH collaboration, free bi-monthly live-stream symposiums, direct access to researchers and medical practitioners (“Ask the Experts"), and a semi-monthly news publication, “Lymphedema & Lymphatic Disease Matters." In addition, LE&RN helped to establish the only Chair in Lymphatic Research & Medicine (Stanford University).