Neuropathy News March 2026
Nominations Open: PRMRP Consumer Reviewer (Due March 17)
The Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP) is looking for new consumer reviewers to join upcoming scientific review panels. If you are a PN patient and want to review research grants, this opportunity is for you!
This year, $370 million has been approved for the program. Peripheral Neuropathy is one of the topic areas. This is a great chance to speak up for the community and help guide research funding.
Consumer reviewers work with scientists and other advocates to review research proposals. They help make sure the patient voice is heard.
All nomination materials are due to FPN by Tuesday, March 17. We encourage dedicated patient advocates to apply for this important role.
Click here to download this form and email it back to us at [email protected].
Scholarship awardee shares research findings
Erika Williams, MD, PhD, a neuromuscular fellow at Massachusetts General Brigham, was one of our first Clinical Research Training Scholarship (CRTS) recipients in 2023. Her research focused on the autonomic nervous system, a component of the peripheral nervous system, and just recently finished.
We were excited to hear directly from Dr. Williams on her research findings and how valuable our funding was for starting her career in neuropathy research.
| A Call to Action for Research: NIH Collaboration, Funding Gaps, and the Future of PN Treatment |
Last month, FPN leaders met with officials at the National Institutes of Health and its National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, the group that leads diabetes research, including diabetic peripheral neuropathy.
From this meeting, we jointly encourage researchers and advocates to take action—apply for NIH grants, support more federal funding across institutes, help train new researchers, and raise awareness in your community.
If you are a researcher, please read these important updates from NIDDK and take action.
FPN Webinar: Charitable giving strategies for 2026
Join us for a webinar about recent tax law changes and how they may affect your charitable giving. On Thursday, April 2, we welcome FPN board member Lou Mazawey, Principal at Groom Law, and Russell Romanelli, Director of Strategic Planning at Wintrust Financial Corporation, who will explain what has changed in 2026 in simple terms and share practical ways to make the most of your giving.
We’ll cover different types of gifts, including cash, estate and legacy giving, appreciated stocks, retirement assets, and donor-advised funds. You’ll also learn about timing strategies like “bunching” and how Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) from IRAs can help donors age 70½ and older give in a tax-smart way.
Register now.
To learn more about charitable tax deductions, read this article.
Ariel Zhang, PhD, awarded 2026 scholarship
We’re pleased to announce that Ariel Zhang, PhD, was recently awarded the 2026 Clinical Research Training Scholarship (CRTS) to support her important research on chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy. Zhang is one of two recipients of this two-year, $150,000 grant that is fully funded by the Foundation for Peripheral Neuropathy.
To read more about her research project, click here.
To fund early investigator research like this CRTS Scholarship, donate today.
| FPN Community Survey: Help shape our work |
| Whether you are living with PN, caring for someone who is, or working in the medical field, your feedback helps us understand the challenges you face and the support you need. Take the community survey. |
New IMAGiNe site: Brigham and Women’s Hospital
We’re excited to share that the Brigham and Women’s Hospital has joined the IMAGiNe Study as a new research site. With help from FPN’s grant money, they will take part in this international study about IgM anti-MAG peripheral neuropathy, a rare autoimmune form of PN.
