What if the fact that ME/CFS looks different from person to person is actually the key to understanding it?
That’s the question driving Dr. Zack Shan’s work at the Thompson Institute, University of the Sunshine Coast, in Australia. His team is studying how brain blood flow, autonomic nervous system signals, and neuroinflammation vary across people with ME/CFS. And crucially, he’s exploring what those patterns might mean for diagnosis and care.
“The most surprising thing I’ve found is the heterogeneity…of ME/CFS. We see abnormalities in brain blood flow, autonomic function, and neuroinflammation, but not every patient has the same pattern. That tells me this isn’t one single disease. It’s a condition with different biological subtypes. So the question now is not just: what’s wrong? But rather: which pathways are impaired in this specific patient’s pattern?”
— Dr. Zack Shan
In this interview, Dr. Shan shares:
- What his team is learning from brain scans and autonomic testing
- Why biological subtypes may hold the key to future diagnosis and treatment
- How real-world patterns in patients are shaping the next generation of ME/CFS research
- What it means to truly listen to the patient voice in science
Dr. Shan also reflects on how the positive messages he receives from patients and the hope he sees in the data itself are what keep him going in his research.
If you’ve ever felt like your experience of ME/CFS didn’t fit the mold, this conversation is here to offer hope.
🎥 Watch the full interview here.
