Annette Whittemore graduated from the University of Nevada with a BS Ed in Elementary and Special Education. Teaching children who had neuro-cognitive deficits, like those found in autism, ADD, and learning disabilities, provided her with a unique experience to later use in her pursuit of answers to her daughter's serious illness.

When her daughter became ill with a chronic neuroimmune disease, Annette began to seek appropriate medical care. Annette found that few doctors understood the reasons for her daughter's continuing physical decline. "We traveled to several well known University research hospitals hoping we would find the answers we needed. Seventeen years later there is still a scarcity of physicians with the medical knowledge or tools to treat the underlying causes of these chronic and often debilitating diseases." For this reason, Annette has committed her time and resources to bring attention to the serious nature of neuroimmune diseases and change her community in a positive way. She began this important mission in 1994 by supporting a Think Tank on ME/CFS, led by Dr. Daniel Peterson of Incline Village. In 2004 she and another patient advocate began a medical foundation to support research to find biomarkers of disease and treatments for patients impacted by the HHV-6A virus. "As a founding member of the HHV-6 board, I had the unique opportunity to learn about the association of this neurotrophic virus to many diseases of the brain, including MS, MTL epilepsy and ME/CFS."

In order to provide solutions for patients and bring new doctors into this field of medicine, Annette, legislators, and others supported a bill to build a biomedical research center at the University of Nevada, Reno with an Institute for Neuro-Immune disease and the Nevada Cancer Institute. In addition, Annette and Harvey have contributed over one million dollars and pledged another four million dollars in support of the building and programming to bring this project to fruition.

As the Founder and President, Annette supports the basic and clinical research programs, recruitment of physicians and support personnel, while also leading fundraising activities. "We have a wonderful team, including Dr. Daniel Peterson, Medical Director, Dr. Judy Mikovits, Research Director, Mike Hillerby, VP of Operations, and many other dedicated scientists, such as Drs Frank Ruscetti and Vince Lombardi, who have helped make this dream a reality," explained Annette. In addition, researchers at the University of Nevada Medical School have become collaborators on projects that are vital to our understanding of the immune deficits seen in these patients. "Our goal to work with other institutes, to enhance our efforts and bring expertise to this field of medicine, is already becoming a reality."

"I am continually amazed at the commitment of those who work with us, some of whom have moved their entire families to Reno. Most importantly I want to recognize the volunteers who have given so much of their time in furthering our goals to build a world class institute in Reno, Nevada."

The Nevada Business Journal recently honored Annette and her husband Harvey as Health Care Heroes for their personal commitment to this Institute and its mission. Other community activities include current positions on the Governing Board of the Davidson Institute and the Community Board of Pack Paws.

During more than 25 years of medical practice, Daniel L. Peterson has become a sought-after internist for diagnosing difficult and complex medical cases. When several patients in Incline Village became ill with symptoms that resembled persistent mononucleosis, Daniel Peterson was one of the first physicians to recognize an outbreak of what is known as ME/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS). He became a pioneering physician and researcher in understanding the biological characteristics and methods for diagnosing, managing and treating ME/CFS.

Daniel Peterson is a graduate Magna cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa of Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota. He graduated from the University of Rochester School of Medicine in Rochester, New York, in 1976. Dr. Peterson served his internship and residency at the University of Utah Medical Center from 1976-1979 and became a Diplomat of the American Board of Internal Medicine in 1979. He has been caring for patients with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/ Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS), for two decades, and his clinical work is complimented by a strong commitment to research as evidenced by his participation in more than 17 research studies and his foresight to collect and maintain the world's single largest repository of ME/CFS patient samples. Dr. Peterson was on the founding board and is a past president of the IACFS. Among the numerous awards that he has received, in 2007 he was awarded the prestigious Nelson Gantz Clinician Award.

Dr. Mikovits spent more than 20 years at the National Cancer Institute in Frederick MD during which time she received her PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, investigating mechanisms by which retroviruses dysregulate the delicate balance of cytokines in the immune response. This work led to the discovery of the role aberrant DNA methylation plays in the pathogenesis of HIV. Later in her career at the NCI, Dr. Mikovits directed the Lab of Antiviral Drug Mechanisms (LADM) a section of the NCI's Screening Technologies Branch in the Developmental Therapeutics Program. The LADM's mission was to identify, characterize and validate molecular targets and to develop high-throughput cell-based, genomic and epigenomic screens for the development of novel therapeutic agents for AIDS and AIDS-associated malignancies (Kaposi's sarcoma). Formally trained as a cell biologist, molecular biologist and virologist, Dr. Mikovits has studied the immune response to retroviruses and herpes viruses including HIV, SIV, HTLVI, HERV, HHV6 and HHV8 with a special emphasis on virus host cell interactions in cells of the hematopoietic system including hematopoietic stem cells (HSC). Dr. Mikovits' commercial experience includes serving as a senior scientist and group leader at Biosource International, where she led the development of proteomic assays for the Luminex platform that is used extensively for cytokine activity assessment in therapy development. She also served as Chief Scientific Officer and VP of Drug Discovery at Epigenx Biosciences, where she led the development and commercialization of cell and array-based methylation assays for drug discovery and diagnostic development. Dr. Mikovits has co-authored more than 40 peer-reviewed publications that address fundamental issues of viral pathogenesis, hematopoiesis and cytokine biology.

A graduate of the University of Nevada Reno, Michael has a 15 year background in non-profit leadership and management, with extensive experience in all aspects of non-profit management, including program development, fundraising, membership recruiting and retention, board relations, financial management, governance and public relations.

Michael is also the Executive Vice President of the Wingfield Nevada Group, a diversified real estate investment, development and operating company. As a member of the executive staff, his duties include management, government relations and other projects for the company and its work, including Coyote Springs, the largest master-planned community in Southern Nevada. With its significant land and water holdings, The Wingfield Nevada Group is one of the largest private landowners and land development companies in the state.

He comes to WPI having served as Chief of Staff to former Nevada Governor Kenny Guinn. Michael was responsible for the day to day management of the Governor's Office, as well as management and oversight of the Cabinet and the various agencies of state government. He also regularly worked with outside constituent groups, other Governor's offices, federal agencies, the White House and national associations, as well as staffing the Governor's recent Chairmanship of the Republican Governors' Association. Michael served on or chaired a variety of state committees for the Governor, as well as working on special projects in areas from Homeland Security to Information Technology.

Prior to his government service, Michael spent several years as a full-time lobbyist at the Nevada State Legislature, with expertise in the healthcare, insurance, utility, manufacturing, restaurant, design and arts industries. In addition, his firm provided executive management and consulting services to a variety of professional organizations and non-profit groups.

Michael is currently a member of the Board of Trustees of the Nevada Museum of Art, a founding member and President of Nevada Citizens for the Arts, on the Nevada Commission for Cultural Affairs, and a Trustee of the Western States Arts Federation. He also serves as Chairman of the Washoe County Human Services Advisory Board.