Medical professor receives national award for chronic fatigue research

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Contact:
Gregg Takayama, (808) 382-3212
John A. Burns School of Medicine
Posted: Jun 27, 2007


HONOLULU - Pathology Professor Yoshitsugi Hokama, Ph.D., at the John A. Burns School of Medicine, has received a national award for his research linking ciguatera poisoning to chronic fatigue and immune dysfunction syndrome (CFIDS).

The National CFIDS Foundation awarded Dr. Hokama its "2007 Outstanding Researcher Award" for his research, which was the first to discover ciguatoxin, a potent neurotoxin, in the blood of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome patients.

Since the announcement of his discovery at a 2002 medical conference in Japan, Dr. Hokama has secured an international blood permit so that millions of patients worldwide, who suffered with the disease, would have access to testing offered by the medical school. The test identified ciguatera toxin reactivity in the blood of over 95% of all those afflicted with CFIDS.

"Our Medical School is pleased to support Dr. Hokama‘s pioneering research, which has the potential to help millions suffering from the crippling effects of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome," said interim JABSOM Dean Gary Ostrander.

Dr. Hokama is a world expert in the area of fish toxins with hundreds of peer reviewed publications to his credit. Ciguatoxins are recognized as some of the most potent biological toxins known. The National CFIDS Foundation, Inc. was founded a decade ago with the primary goal of funding medical research to find a cause, expedite treatments and eventually a cure for the disease.