Our Story

Rowe’s Research Runners is committed to funding research and raising awareness for chronic fatigue illnesses, including Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS), orthostatic intolerance, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, and related conditions.

We believe in the power of movement - both in the miles we walk, run, or roll and in the progress we help fund. Through our annual events, volunteer efforts, and donor support, we stand with patients and families to bring visibility, research, and hope to those whose lives are affected every day.

Why We Do What We Do

Why We Do
What We do

Rowe’s Research Runners is a grassroots nonprofit organization committed to funding research and raising awareness for chronic fatigue illnesses, including Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS), orthostatic intolerance, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, and related conditions.

We believe in the power of movement - both in the miles we walk, run, or roll and in the progress we help fund. Through our annual events, volunteer efforts, and donor support, we stand with patients and families to bring visibility, research, and hope to those whose lives are affected every day.

Your Impact

Your donations allow the Chronic Fatigue and Related Disorders Clinic to conduct research, care for an underserved population, and educate other practitioners - locally, nationally, and internationally.

The clinic relies almost entirely on philanthropic support from donors like you.

Here are some numbers to show the impact YOU have made over the last decade.

Our Founder

RRR began with Emily Steffensmeier’s wish to give back to Dr. Peter Rowe - the physician who helped her go from bedridden to living a fuller life.

What started as a birthday fundraiser grew into Rowe’s Research Runners in 2017, in partnership with Johns Hopkins Children’s Center.

Dr. Rowe has dedicated his career to caring for and advocating for patients with ME/CFS, dysautonomia, and related conditions. Supporting his research helps improve the lives of thousands of patients and families.

Emily’s 27-year journey with these conditions inspires her to use her story to drive change and fuel hope through research.

RRR began with Emily Steffensmeier’s wish to give back to Dr. Peter Rowe — the physician who helped her go from bedridden to living a fuller life. What started as a birthday fundraiser grew into Rowe’s Research Runners in 2017, in partnership with Johns Hopkins Children’s Center.

Dr. Rowe has dedicated his career to caring for and advocating for patients with ME/CFS, dysautonomia, and related conditions. Supporting his research helps improve the lives of thousands of patients and families.

Emily’s 24-year journey with these conditions inspires her to use her story to drive change and fuel hope through research.

Our Founder: Emily

Dr. Peter C. Rowe is the inspiration behind Rowe’s Research Runners. As the former Director of the Chronic Fatigue Clinic at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center and a Professor of Pediatrics, Dr. Rowe has dedicated his career to researching and treating complex conditions, including Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS), orthostatic intolerance, and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, in young people.

His groundbreaking work has offered life-changing answers to patients and families living with chronic fatigue illnesses, many of whom previously felt unseen or misunderstood. Rowe’s Research Runners was founded to honor his compassionate care and to support the research that continues to bring hope, healing, and clarity to this community.

Every dollar raised and every mile moved helps further the mission he started.

We now have a six-person team working on ME/CFS, dysautonomia, long COVID and related conditions. From having just Dr. Rowe as the solo physician and Colleen Marden as the part-time research assistant in the years before 2020,
we now have a team that includes Dr. Alba Azola, who is now leading our program, a pediatrician who will join us in January, two nurse practitioners—Samantha Lemmon who started in July 2024, and Sarah Frank who began in July 2025—along with our clinic nurse Renee Swope, and our research assistant
Meghan Swope. This has been a real triumph of fund-raising, and is allowing us to take care of a growing number of patients with these often-neglected conditions, as well as to continue contributing to the advancement of knowledge

Dr. Peter C. Rowe is the inspiration behind Rowe’s Research Runners. As the former Director of the Chronic Fatigue Clinic at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center and a Professor of Pediatrics, Dr. Rowe has dedicated his career to researching and treating complex conditions, including Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS), orthostatic intolerance, and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, in young people.

His groundbreaking work has offered life-changing answers to patients and families living with chronic fatigue illnesses, many of whom previously felt unseen or misunderstood. Rowe’s Research Runners was founded to honor his compassionate care and to support the research that continues to bring hope, healing, and clarity to this community.

Every dollar raised and every mile moved helps further the mission he started.

Behind Dr. Peter Rowe’s pioneering research stands a dedicated team of clinicians, researchers, and support staff who share his unwavering commitment to helping young people living with chronic fatigue illnesses.

This remarkable group plays a vital role in every aspect of care and discovery—from conducting clinical evaluations and managing patient visits to analyzing data, coordinating studies, and mentoring the next generation of specialists.

Their combined expertise, empathy, and tireless effort fuel the progress that Rowe’s Research Runners is proud to champion. These are the people who turn research into real-world change and compassion into meaningful care. Get to know the team helping move science—and lives—forward.