Lymphatic Education
& Research Network
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History

  1. 2023
    • LE&RN celebrates its 25th Anniversary
    • The National Institutes of Health Open Session features the establishment of the National Commission on Lymphatic Diseases, a result of LE&RN's advocacy efforts
    • The LE&RN Resource Center™ was launched as a complementary global support service to assist the lymphatic community in navigating the complexities of lymphatic diseases, including lymphedema, lipedema, and lymphatic anomalies
    • LE&RN grows to 62 Centers of Excellence and 34 Chapters worldwide
    • The LE&RN Global Registry for Lymphatic Diseases™ was revitalized to address the urgent need for lymphatic data
    • LE&RN successfully advocates for Congress to add lymphedema and lymphatic diseases to the Department of Defense’s Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program, opening its $370M medical research budget to lymphatics
  2. 2022
    • LE&RN's Advocacy results in Congress calling for creation of a National Commission on Lymphatic Diseases
    • The National Institutes of Health (NIH) establishes a Working Group to pursue the National Commission
    • LE&RN succeeds at getting Congress to add LE and LD to the Dept. of Defense's Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP) opening its $400M medical research budget to lymphatics
    • NIH creates categories for LE and LD for the first time in its history
    • LE&RN welcomes its 50th Center of Excellence into the program
  3. 2021
  4. 2020
  5. 2019
  6. 2018
    • LE&RN creates Physician CME Seminar in Lymphatic Disease Diagnosis and Treatment
    • LE&RN inaugurates first Legislative Lobby Days in Washington, DC to advocate for research funding
    • LE&RN establishes standards for lymphatic disease Centers of Excellence
    • LE&RN authors New York State first-in-nation bill mandating all hospitals give lymphedema information packets to all at-risk patients
  7. 2017
    • LE&RN Spokesperson Kathy Bates honored by Research America with "Impact on Public Opinion Award"
    • LE&RN co-organizes the inaugural biennial researcher event Lymphatic Forum: Exploring the Lymphatic Continuum in Chicago, June 2017
    • LE&RN partners with Harvard University Medical Schools for the first Lymphedema Symposium in Boston, MA
  8. 2016
    • March 6 officially established as World Lymphedema Day by U.S. Senate, New York legislature, and countries around the world
    • International Chapters inaugurated
    • LE&RN spearheads $70M US Senate Appropriations request sponsored by Sen. Schumer (NY)
    • Spokesperson Kathy Bates takes LE&RN's mission center stage on a multitude of network television shows and print cover stories
  9. 2015
    • LE&RN/Fat Disorder Research Society Lipedema Postdoctoral Fellowship Awards established
    • LE&RN/NAVBO partnership to establish biennial conference in lymphatics
    • Agreement to transfer University of Pittsburgh’s Family Lymphedema Study bio-specimens into LE&RN’s tissue bank
    • State Chapters inaugurated
    • First Virtual Expo established
    • LE&RN receives GreatNonprofits Top-Rated Award
  10. 2014
    • “Ask the Experts” web feature established to connect patients to leading authorities
    • The LE&RN/LymphNotes Lymphedema Therapist Scholarship Program is founded
    • NYC Walk to Fight Lymphedema and Lymphatic Diseases crosses Brooklyn Bridge for the first time
    • The Face of Lymphedema Challenge and Membership Campaign are kicked off
    • Academy Award-winning Actress Kathy Bates becomes LE&RN’s Spokesperson
    • New York State Legislature awards funding for National Patient Registry & Tissue Bank
  11. 2013
    • LRF becomes LE&RN with an expanded mission and opens New York City office
    • Live-streamed Medical & Research Symposium Series established
  12. 2012
    • LE&RN National Lymphatic Disease and Lymphedema Tissue Bank established
    • Breakthrough study, blood test for diagnosis of lymphedema published—Stanford University School of Medicine Endowed Chair
  13. 2010
    • First annual Walk to Fight Lymphedema & Lymphatic Diseases
    • LE&RN National Lymphatic Disease and Lymphedema Patient Registry created
  14. 2008
    • First-ever Endowed Chair of Lymphatic Research and Medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine established
  15. 2006
    • Postdoctoral fellowship awards program inaugurated
  16. 2005
    • Grants and Awards Programs established
  17. 2004
    • The Biennial Gordon Research Conference Series, Molecular Mechanisms in Lymphatic Function and Disease established
  18. 2003
    • Lymphatic Research and Biology, an international peer-reviewed journal, has its first printing
  19. 2002
    • Congressional and National Institutes of Health (NIH) support for lymphatic research and lymphatic diseases secured
  20. 1998
    • LE&RN is founded under the name Lymphatic Research Foundation to promote research, treatments and cures