CODA Supports International Collaboration Between Stellenbosch University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology to Advance Microvascular Research in Complex Chronic Disorders
PR EurekAlert
New York, NY — The Complex Disorders Alliance (CODA) today announced its support of an international research collaboration focused on advancing understanding of microvascular dysfunction and immune-mediated clotting processes in complex chronic disorders, including Long COVID, ME/CFS, and related conditions.
CODA is funding research led by Professor Resia Pretorius of Stellenbosch University, in collaboration with Dr. Mikki Tal of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The work will expand the ability to observe microvascular blood flow in real time, supporting investigation of clotting-related immune activity, endothelial dysfunction, and impaired tissue oxygen delivery in these conditions.
“These conditions affect millions and millions of people, yet we still don’t have effective treatments for patients,” says Amy Rochlin, CEO of CODA. “Microvascular research is providing important biological insights that may help guide how we diagnose and treat patients living with Long COVID, ME/CFS, and related disorders.CODA is excited to support experts Dr. Pretorius and Dr. Tal as they join forces around key hypotheses to more quickly determine which patients can benefit from treatment.”
Professor Pretorius is internationally recognized for her pioneering work on the role of microvascular clotting and blood dysregulation in chronic disease. Her research has identified fibrinaloid microclots that resist normal breakdown, hyperactivated platelets, and a cycle of inflammation, endothelial injury, and impaired oxygen delivery that may contribute to persistent symptoms in conditions such as Long COVID and ME/CFS.
“I am thrilled to work with CODA, and to collaborate with Dr. Tal and her team at MIT,” said Professor Pretorius. “CODA’s support of these collaborative efforts creates a unique opportunity to accelerate discovery for patients. It allows us to focus on advancing research findings and translating them more quickly into clinical care. CODA is an innovative research organization taking a deep biological and multisystemic approach to complex chronic disorders, and this partnership brings together the expertise needed to advance understanding of these complex diseases.”
Dr. Michal “Mikki” Tal is a pioneering immunoengineer at MIT whose work is reshaping how medicine understands infection-associated chronic illness by unifying immunology, engineering, and clinical science into a systems-level approach. As a Principal Scientist and leader of the Tal Research Group, she directs the MAESTRO study, one of the largest and most comprehensive clinical efforts at MIT, integrating deep multi-modal data to uncover why some individuals fail to recover from infections such as Lyme disease and COVID-19 . Her research challenges traditional disease silos by focusing on shared immune mechanisms across conditions, including sex-based differences in immune response and the biological drivers of persistent symptoms, while advancing predictive diagnostics and targeted therapies for complex chronic disorders.
Together, this collaboration reflects CODA’s commitment to supporting best-in-class scientists and advancing coordinated efforts that match the scale and complexity of complex chronic disorders.
About CODA
The Complex Disorders Alliance (CODA) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit disease research foundaiton that accelerates high-impact neuroimmune research to improve patient outcomes in complex disorders. For more information, visit complexdisorders.org.
Media interviews
Amy F. Rochlin, CEO, CODA, Email: info@complexdisorders.org, www.complexdisorders.org
Prof. Resia Pretorius, Stellenbosch University, Email: resiap@sun.ac.za, Mobile: +27 82 929 5041
