Connective tissue holds together everything within our bodies and connects every system and structure to the whole. The Dubois Institute for Connective Tissue Issues, nfp, was founded to be the connection between treatment, research, patient needs, and family needs for those afflicted with these disorders.
The Dubois Institute is focused on:
• Creating resources for patients, their families, physicians, and researchers.
• Leading research into Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) and other connective tissue disorders to aid in the advancement of medicine.
• Giving EDS patients hope and improving their quality of life.
• Advocating for the less fortunate living with underdiagnosed connective tissue diseases.
• Helping the underserved who cannot afford modern, specialized healthcare.
The Dubois Institute commits to implementing these policies and, with the assistance of generous souls, provide relief to those who face EDS alone. We believe that good research and practice are mutually reinforcing — that each point of view and endeavor should inform and influence others. We believe it is critical to share our knowledge for the greater good, facilitating a more efficient research process and translating findings into action.

Nonprofit organizations rely on the generosity of donors, and The Dubois Institute for Connective Tissue Issues is no exception. As Kathy Calvin once put it, "giving is more than making a donation. It is all about making a difference.” We are here to make that difference in a way only we can and make the world a better place. We inform and empower individuals to contribute to the advancement of positivity, promoting research. Our research contributes to the development of solutions that benefit both our communities and the world at large.

The Dubois Institute for Connective Tissue Issues has assembled a dynamic team dedicated to achieving positive social change. We intend to develop workshops, webinars, peer learning programs, and e-learning courses to raise awareness on connective tissue disorders and to teach patients and their families to live with these conditions, reclaim their confidence, and reclaim their lives.

Average time for diagnosis

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EDS Characteristics

The Dubois Institute’s fundamental value is human diversity. A people-oriented organization, everything we do is in collaboration with, and for, people. We are committed to inclusion, which is reflected in our managerial and functional culture, values, norms, and behaviors to the fullest extent possible. We promote diversity across all lines of difference in our work, including age, economic circumstance, ethnic origin, race, range of ability, religion, sexual orientation, and gender identity.

We believe in a better world for all.

Isabelle Brock, MD, performs clinical research and offers comprehensive services to clients with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS), connective tissue disorders, dysautonomia, mast cell disorders, and problems with posture and proprioception at Clinical Paradigms and QoLify (Quality of Life Improvements for You). She is a visiting scientist at Indiana University School of Medicine, Dep of Medical and Molecular Genetics and the Indiana University Health Center for Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes: a clinic dedicated to research, education and patient care for EDS and its comorbidities.

Dr. Brock has more than six years of experience in EDS research including opening clinics solely dedicated to EDS and its comorbidities. Dr Brock’s thesis on EDS is the basis on which the EDS Paris scale was created.

Dr. Brock serves as a member of the International Consortium on EDS, Pain Management as well as the Allergy and Immunology working group and is a member of the Breaking Down Barriers group; She is the Co-Chair and international clinical project manager at the Research and Study Group for EDS at GERSED, France and is an honorary president for GERSED, Belgium; She serves as the Chief Scientific Officer at the EDS Initiative Deutschland and sits on the scientific committee of the Foundation for Research and Advocacy in Muscle Pain Education (FRAME).

Education: Doctor of Medicine at Windsor University School of Medicine in St. Kitts, West Indies; Bachelor of Arts in Italian Philology from the University of Stockholm, Sweden; Certificate in EDS Diagnosis from the Paris-Est Créteil University in Paris, France; Certificate in Ayurvedic Medicine for Medical Professionals from the Institute of Ayurveda and Alternative Medicine in Sri Lanka (in conjunction with the University of Ruhuna, Sri Lanka).

Fluent in: English, French, German, Italian, Swedish.