Autoimmune Encephalitis Alliance

07/22/2026

Our June campaign is closed. And we are so grateful.

Together, this community raised $12,408.67 to fund AE research through the AEA Edward Arditte Community Seed Grant Program.

This year we are proud to support two extraordinary researchers:

Dr. Mengzhi Jin — Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam — investigating antibody discovery in seronegative autoimmune brainstem encephalitis.

Dr. Jakob Kreye — Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin — building the Encephalitis Encyclopedia, a global platform for patient-level AE data integration.

Thank you to every donor who gave — at every level. Thank you to every applicant who submitted a proposal. Thank you to the Research Subcommittee of our Medical Advisory Board for their rigorous and dedicated review. And thank you to the AEA Board of Directors for their continued leadership and trust.

This campaign was run in honor of Ed Arditte. We felt his spirit in every gift.

Research is a year-round passion. If you would like to continue supporting this program, we welcome gifts at any time.

Give anytime - https://aealliance.app.neoncrm.com/forms/give-to-aea-research_make-a-difference

06/30/2026

06/30/2026

Did you know that the AE Alliance offers SIX support groups per month? All support groups are peer-led. The complete July schedule is on our website --> https://aealliance.org/all-events/

Email [email protected] and let us know which groups you would like to attend.

If you've never attended a support group -- It's time to check us out. No one should navigate AE alone. Sharing and learning from the lived-experience of others is a game changer.

Join us!

06/30/2026

This is the final day of our month of giving for the 2027 AEA Edward Arditte Seed Grant Program.

Today we introduce our second 2026 seed grant recipient, Dr. Kreye. Dr. Kreye is a researcher at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, one of the world's leading academic medical centers. His study, the Encephalitis Encyclopedia, or Enc2, is building a web-based platform that brings patient-level AE data together from institutions around the world.

In plain terms: AE research is happening everywhere, but the data is scattered. Dr. Kreye's platform will change that giving researchers a richer, more complete picture of the disease and accelerating discovery for every patient waiting for answers.

Read more about his study on our blog and watch his personal recorded message: https://aealliance.org/meet-jakob-kreye/

Donate to new AE Research - bit.ly/AEAPossibilties

06/18/2026

Something extraordinary just happened.

Two generous donors have each committed $2,000 in matching gifts to our June campaign. That means every dollar you give right now is tripled — both donors match your gift simultaneously.

Your $10 becomes $30. Your $50 becomes $150. Your $100 becomes $300.

We need just $2,000 in new donations to exhaust both matches completely. Help us fund one complete AE research grant before June 30.

Every day we wait is a day the match goes unused. Give today.

Donate to new AE Research - bit.ly/AEAPossibilties

06/18/2026

Meet Dr. Mengzhi Jin.

Two weeks ago, Dr. Jin received a 2026 AEA Edward Arditte Community Seed Grant. This week, she recorded a personal thank-you to the AEA community — and introduced the study your gifts are making possible.

Dr. Jin's research focuses on antibody discovery in currently seronegative autoimmune brainstem encephalitis. For patients who test negative for all known antibodies, her work could mean earlier diagnosis, targeted treatment, and fewer of the devastating delays that AE families know too well.

This is what a seed grant does. This is why it matters.

Watch Dr. Jin's message and read more about her study here: https://aealliance.org/meet-dr-mengzhi-jin/

Donate to new AE Research - bit.ly/AEAPossibilties

06/10/2026

It's hard to believe that $25 can make a difference but it can. Together, we can make a difference by funding novel research ideas and giving young researchers a start.

Give today ... fund a new idea, give a new researcher a chance, make a difference in the course of AE.

Some of the most important advances in autoimmune encephalitis begin with a single idea — and the support to bring that idea to life. The Edward Arditte Community Seed Grant Program honors the extraordinary legacy of a man whose passion, vision, and

06/08/2026

When a child is diagnosed with autoimmune encephalitis, one of the first questions a parent asks is: What does the future look like for my child?

It is one of the hardest questions a doctor has to answer because for a long time, the data simply did not exist.

One of our funded seed grants is working to change that. Researchers are identifying biomarkers that predict neurocognitive outcomes in children with AE, giving families a clearer picture of the path ahead and giving doctors, therapists, and teachers better tools to support each child.

This is what a $10,000 seed grant makes possible. This June, help us fund two more.

Learn more here --> https://bit.ly/AEAPossibilties

06/04/2026

Ed Arditte became a driving force within the AE Alliance — connecting with physicians, advocating for greater awareness, and traveling wherever he could to shine a light on a disease that too often went unrecognized.

His boundless energy and belief in what was possible inspired everyone around him. He helped build our Medical Advisory Board and helped establish the Community Seed Grant Program, creating opportunities for researchers to pursue promising ideas that might otherwise never receive funding.

When Ed passed away from ALS in April 2023, the AE community lost a remarkable leader, advocate, and friend. His wife Bibi, his children, and his grandson Caleb carry his memory every day. So do we.

Yet his vision continues to guide us. Today, the Edward Arditte Community Seed Grant Program carries forward the work he cared about most.

No ask today. Just gratitude for a man who gave everything to this cause.

Learn more here --> https://bit.ly/AEAPossibilties

06/03/2026

We're coming to Rochester, Minnesota!

The AE Alliance is filled with excitement to spend the day at the Mayo Clinic Rochester and spend the day with our friends The Sumaira Foundation, The Stiff Person Syndrome Research Foundation, and most importantly YOU!

Check out all the details below.

Are you or your loved one impacted by: AE*, CIDP*, CNS Vasculitis*, MG*, MOGAD*, neurosarcoidosis, NMOSD*, or SPS*? TSF is inviting patients and caregivers impacted by rare neuroinflammatory & related disorders from Minnesota and the upper midwest region to join us on Saturday, June 20th at Mayo Clinic's Civic Center. To register, visit www.tinyurl.com/TSFRochester

Join us for a memorable and impactful day of education, community and fun to:
🦄 Meet local patients, partners, care-partners and clinicians
🦄 Ask experts questions in real time about symptom management, treatments and therapies, comorbidities and more
🦄 Learn about updates on the latest research and findings from local key opinion leaders

This event is being organized in collaboration with Dr. Eoin Flanigan and Dr. John Chen (Mayo Clinic Rochester) and in partnership with Autoimmune Encephalitis Alliance, MG Holistic Society and The Stiff Person Syndrome Research Foundation.

Registration is free and lunch will be served. We can't wait to see you in Rochester!

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💡 stands for autoimmune encephalitis
💡 stands for chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy
💡 CNS Vasculitis stands for central nervous system vasculitis
💡 stands for myasthenia gravis
💡 stands for myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disorder
💡 stands for neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder
💡 stands for stiff person syndrome See less

TSF is inviting patients and caregivers impacted by rare neuroinflammatory & related disorders from Minnesota and the upper midwest region!