Team Telomere

Team Telomere Supporting families worldwide affected by Dyskeratosis Congenita and Telomere Biology Disorders.

In case you missed it... Our 2026 Million Dollar Bike Ride merch is officially available! đźš´đź’™We dropped two limited-editi...
06/11/2026

In case you missed it... Our 2026 Million Dollar Bike Ride merch is officially available! đźš´đź’™

We dropped two limited-edition designs this year, the first is a retro-inspired tee with vintage lettering, throwback stripes, and a Philly skyline detail, a celebration of where this ride began! The second is a timeless green bike-inspired design featuring Team Telomere and Million Dollar Bike Ride artwork, perfect for riders, supporters, and everyone cheering from afar.

Every purchase puts profits directly toward our 2026 fundraising goal and moves Telomere Biology Disorder research forward. Whether you are riding, fundraising, or just want to show up for this community, this is a great way to be part of Research Season.

Don't miss out! These are limited edition! đź›’
Shop now: https://www.bonfire.com/store/team-telomere/

Donate to the 2026 Research Season: https://teamtelomere.networkforgood.com/projects/299856-million-dollar-bike-ride-2026

Over the past two days, we’ve shared how Team Telomere’s Million Dollar Bike Ride story began and how the research it fu...
06/10/2026

Over the past two days, we’ve shared how Team Telomere’s Million Dollar Bike Ride story began and how the research it funds has grown over time. Today, we close this series with the most recent projects funded through this community effort.

🔬2022 - Genetics and Diagnostics
Dr. Coleman Lindsley, MD, PhD
Using TERT variant-to-function analysis to define cryptic Telomere Biology Disorders in sporadic cancers

🔬2023 - Therapy Development
Dr. Suneet Agarwal, MD, PhD
Nucleoside Therapy for Telomere Diseases

🔬2024 - Fibrosis and Prognostic Markers
Dr. Alfredo RodrĂ­guez GĂłmez, PhD
Cross-tissue ultrastructural imaging for discovering fibrotic determinants and actionable targets in DC/TBD

Together, these grants tell a powerful story: one life honored, one community united, and many ripples of research impact. Since 2014, Team Telomere has partnered with Penn’s Orphan Disease Center through the Million Dollar Bike Ride to support high-quality, patient-centered TBD research. Through MDBR and our broader research programs, our community has helped raise over $1.3 million for Telomere Biology Disorder research.

Want to learn more about the science behind these projects? Read the summaries to read more about each grant and the impact of this research: https://teamtelomere.org/million-dollar-bike-ride/

This Research Season, our goal is to raise $40,000 for TBD research. Thanks to our incredible captains and supporters, we are already halfway there. Now we need your help to raise the final $20,000.

Donate and start your fundraiser today: https://teamtelomere.networkforgood.com/projects/299856-million-dollar-bike-ride-2026

Ready, Set, Pedal for Research.

Yesterday, we shared how Team Telomere’s Million Dollar Bike Ride journey began in 2015 as Team Josh’s DCO Riders, creat...
06/09/2026

Yesterday, we shared how Team Telomere’s Million Dollar Bike Ride journey began in 2015 as Team Josh’s DCO Riders, created in honor of Joshua Friedman and continues to inspire the research we help fund today.

As the years went on, the ride grew. So did the impact. Team Telomere’s MDBR-funded research expanded into critical questions about cancer risk, disease progression, tumor biology, and targeted treatment strategies for Telomere Biology Disorders.

🔬2019 - Cancer Risk and Disease Progression
Drs. Daria Babushok, MD, PhD, Bradley Johnson, MD, PhD, and Timothy Olson, MD, PhD
Pre-malignant Clonal Evolution in Telomere Biology Disorders

🔬2020 - Tumor Biology and Telomere Maintenance
Dr. Judy Wong, PhD
Characterization of Telomere Maintenance in Tumor Models of Dyskeratosis Congenita

🔬2021 - Targeted Therapy
Dr. Suneet Agarwal, MD, PhD
Targeting Shelterin in Telomere Diseases

Each project created another step toward understanding TBDs more deeply and identifying where future interventions may be possible. Want to learn more about the science behind these projects? Read the summaries to read more about each grant and the impact of this research: https://teamtelomere.org/million-dollar-bike-ride/

Tomorrow, we’ll share the most recent chapter: genetics and diagnostics, therapy development, and fibrosis.

Donate and start your fundraiser today: https://teamtelomere.networkforgood.com/projects/299856-million-dollar-bike-ride-2026

Ready, Set, Pedal for Research.

Every ride fuels discovery and for Team Telomere, this ride began with love, remembrance, and purpose.Team Telomere’s Mi...
06/08/2026

Every ride fuels discovery and for Team Telomere, this ride began with love, remembrance, and purpose.

Team Telomere’s Million Dollar Bike Ride (MDBR) team started in 2015 as Team Josh’s DCO Riders, in honor of Joshua Friedman. Josh passed away in 2011 from Dyskeratosis Congenita (DC), a Telomere Biology Disorder. Josh lived a full and beautiful life, and he touched many people throughout his journey.

His legacy continues to move this community forward. Through the MDBR Grant, families, friends, riders, donors, clinicians, researchers, and supporters come together to fund research that brings us closer to better knowledge, better care, and better treatment options for individuals and families impacted by Telomere Biology Disorders.

The first three MDBR-funded projects helped lay the foundation:
🔬2016 - Transplant Care
Dr. Suneet Agarwal, MD, PhD

A multi-center, prospective, minimal-intensity BMT trial for Dyskeratosis Congenita
🔬2017 - Treatment Discovery
Dr. Suneet Agarwal, MD, PhD

Small molecule modulators of telomerase as novel treatments for Dyskeratosis Congenita
🔬2018 - Telomere Defect Rescue
Drs. Brad Johnson, MD, PhD and Chris Lengner, PhD
Pharmacologic rescue of telomere defects in Dyskeratosis Congenita

Want to learn more about the science behind these projects? Read the summaries to read more about each grant and the impact of this research: https://teamtelomere.org/million-dollar-bike-ride/

What began in Joshua’s honor became a community-powered commitment to research.
Tomorrow, we’ll continue the story with the next chapter: projects focused on cancer risk, tumor biology, and targeted therapy.

Donate and start your fundraiser today: https://teamtelomere.networkforgood.com/projects/299856-million-dollar-bike-ride-2026

Ready, Set, Pedal for Research.

Meet Tessa, one of our Million Dollar Bike Ride fundraisers riding for someone very close to her heart. đź’™In June 2024, T...
06/07/2026

Meet Tessa, one of our Million Dollar Bike Ride fundraisers riding for someone very close to her heart. đź’™

In June 2024, Tessa's daughter Willow was diagnosed with Dyskeratosis Congenita (DC), a rare Telomere Biology Disorder, at just one year old. Genetic testing revealed a TERT gene variant, which found that Willow's telomeres were significantly below the 1st percentile. For Tessa and her family, this diagnosis is deeply personal. Willow is the third known generation in her family to have this disorder.

In her own words:
"Our hope is that the money donated will help researchers find a cure before this disorder takes a significant hold on Willow's health."

There is currently no definitive cure for DC and other Telomere Biology Disorders. Every dollar raised through the Million Dollar Bike Ride funds the patient-centered research that brings us closer to one.

Donate to Tessa's fundraiser, support one of our other amazing teams, or start your own page and ride with us this Research Season. đźš´

💙 Donate to Tessa’s fundraiser or sign up to race with us today: https://teamtelomere.networkforgood.com/projects/301240-tessa-miller-s-fundraiser

Ready, Set, Pedal for Research.

Team Telomere was grateful to participate in the EMBO Workshop on Telomere Function and Maintenance in Health and Diseas...
06/07/2026

Team Telomere was grateful to participate in the EMBO Workshop on Telomere Function and Maintenance in Health and Disease, held in Lazise, Italy. This multi-day international meeting was dedicated entirely to telomere science - a reminder of how much momentum exists in the field and how researchers around the world are working to understand telomeres at the most fundamental level.

A helpful way to understand the meeting is through the three overarching types of research: basic science, clinical research, and translational science. Much of EMBO highlighted the strength of basic telomere science. This work is essential because it creates the foundation.

At the same time, one of Team Telomere’s takeaways was the need for continued translational science: research that connects discoveries in the laboratory to real-world diagnosis, care, and treatment for people living with Telomere Biology Disorders.

Katie Stevens, Team Telomere’s CEO, presented during “The Role of Telomeres in Disease” session. Her talk, “Advocacy-Driven Infrastructure to Advance Diagnosis, Care, and Research Readiness in Telomere Biology Disorders,” highlighted how advocacy has grown alongside science. A central message was that patient stories cannot only be held or told - they need to be translated into science.

Through examples from Team Telomere’s work with Citizen Health and the Centers of Excellence network, Katie showed how community experiences can become research-ready data, clinical insights, shared resources, and structured opportunities for collaboration. Team Telomere also presented a poster focused on improving diagnostic awareness, strengthening coordinated care, and building research readiness.

At a meeting filled with extraordinary discussion of telomere biology, Team Telomere helped bring the conversation back to the people impacted by TBDs and to avenues that can move the field forward.

Read more at our Research Corner: https://teamtelomere.org/research-corner/

Meet Rachel, Sarah, and Haley, three of our incredible Million Dollar Bike Ride fundraisers riding with heart and purpos...
06/06/2026

Meet Rachel, Sarah, and Haley, three of our incredible Million Dollar Bike Ride fundraisers riding with heart and purpose this Research Season. đź’™

They ride in honor of their Uncle Tom, who passed away in October 2022 from pulmonary fibrosis caused by a Telomere Biology Disorder.

In their words:
"Our uncle was funny, generous, and kind. He loved music, cooking, good wine, and his family, and we are raising money in hopes that new research can help find a cure for this and other rare diseases."

Uncle Tom's memory is the fuel behind every mile, and every dollar raised brings us closer to the answers this community deserves.

Want to support Rachel, Sarah, and Haley? Donate directly to their fundraiser, join one of our other incredible teams, or start your own fundraising page and ride with us this season!

đź’™ Donate or sign up today: https://teamtelomere.networkforgood.com/projects/301268-rachel-sarah-and-haley-s-fundraiser

Ready, Set, Pedal for Research. đźš´

Gerald Wysoczynski is Traversing for Telomere Research! 🚴During Team Telomere’s 2026 Research Season, we are proud to sh...
06/06/2026

Gerald Wysoczynski is Traversing for Telomere Research! đźš´

During Team Telomere’s 2026 Research Season, we are proud to shine a light on Gerald Wysoczynski, Southern Team Captain for Traversing for Telomere Research (TTR) - a fundraising cycling campaign supporting critical research into Telomere Biology Disorders (TBDs).

Gerald lives with a TBD himself. This year, he's riding and racing across Texas - including rides up to 100 miles! - to raise funds for research that is making real differences in TBD diagnosis, treatment, and care.

TTR builds on a legacy of the Team Telomere community that has raised over $1.3 million for TBD research since 2014. Gerald's Southern Team has already raised $8,725 - and every donation is moving us closer to better answers, better care, and towards a cure.

Coming up on June 13 in Dallas, Texas, Gerald's fundraiser ride rolls out from Community Beer Co. with ride groups for all levels, plus lunch, TBD education, and an NMDP bone marrow donor registry swab event with Team Cate in support of Cate, an 11-year-old TBD patient searching for a bone marrow donor match.

đź’™ Support Gerald's ride and the 2026 Research Season by visiting: https://teamtelomere.networkforgood.com/projects/297443-gerald-wysoczynski-s-fundraiser

See those great Team Telomere Research Season jerseys being repped? You can rep one, too! Create your own fundraising page and raise $300 to earn a custom Team Telomere jersey and represent Research Season in style: https://teamtelomere.networkforgood.com/projects/299856-million-dollar-bike-ride-2026

Katie is at it again - and this time, she is taking on one of Missoula’s toughest trail races for Telomere Biology Disor...
06/05/2026

Katie is at it again - and this time, she is taking on one of Missoula’s toughest trail races for Telomere Biology Disorder (TBD) research and the TBD community.

On Sunday, June 7, Katie will run the Pengelly Double Dip, a challenging half marathon+ course with 3,200 feet of elevation gain X2! This is not your average race - it is steep, intense, and capped at just 150 participants!

This will be Katie’s THIRD race dedicated to raising awareness and support for TBD research and the families who make up this community - and as the saying goes “third time’s the charm”! Every mile, every climb, and every step is rooted in the same goal: moving research, care, and hope forward for those impacted by TBDs.

To honor the 7,400 feet of elevation Katie is taking on, we invite you to donate $32 for 3,200 feet (TWICE).

Your gift helps support Team Telomere’s work to advance research, education, and connection for the TBD community.

This research season, climb for a cure alongside Katie and donate $32 for 3,200 feet: https://teamtelomere.networkforgood.com/projects/294404-katie-runs-for-rare-rural

Join us for our next Community Chat with Maggie Rowe, Team Telomere’s Education Liaison!For those with Telomere Biology ...
06/05/2026

Join us for our next Community Chat with Maggie Rowe, Team Telomere’s Education Liaison!

For those with Telomere Biology Disorders (TBDs), the educational environment can bring unique considerations. Individuals and families often look for support in navigating school participation, physical limitations, treatments, accommodations, and other factors that can impact learning and daily school life.

In this community chat, Maggie will share practical guidance on IEP planning and educational advocacy. She is a Clinical Social Worker and Child Life Specialist in Spokane, WA, and has served as a hospital-school liaison, bringing valuable expertise in supporting children with chronic medical concerns in educational settings.

This session will offer a supportive space to learn more about 504 plans, Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), and how education advocates can help families understand their options and work with schools.

Register now! Tuesday, June 9, 2026 at 7:00 PM ET
https://teamtelomere.org/resources/community-chats/

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