Press release · October 1, 2026
Long Covid Families announces pediatric Long COVID Scientific Board
The 11-member board will help Long Covid Families use current research to shape programs and policy priorities for children with Long COVID.
CHARLOTTE, N.C., October 1, 2026 — Long Covid Families (LCF) today announced its Scientific Board on Pediatric Long COVID, an advisory board of clinicians and researchers who will help the organization apply current evidence to its programs and policy priorities.
Chaired by Alessandra Angelino, MD, MPH, a pediatrician and adolescent medicine specialist, the advisory board brings together 11 clinicians and researchers. Membership includes Long COVID researchers working with pediatric and adolescent populations, pediatric clinicians actively treating Long COVID, and directors of pediatric Long COVID clinics.
The board will provide scientific and clinical expertise on five documents that anchor LCF’s policy and public communications: the Pediatric Long COVID Research Brief, the Pediatric Long COVID Priority Agenda, the School Impact and Attendance Brief, a federal and state legislative memo, and clinical care and access considerations for pediatric Long COVID. The Research Brief comes first, a citable account of current evidence for journalists, public health officials, and policymakers that distinguishes what is established, what is emerging, and what remains unresolved.
Members serve two-year volunteer terms. The board is advisory and non-governing, and LCF retains final editorial and policy authority over its materials.
“Our job is to make the evidence on pediatric Long COVID clear and usable for clinicians, and to make sure that evidence is grounded in what patients and families tell us matters most,” said Angelino.
“Children need care that takes their symptoms seriously and school support that makes participation possible,” said Megan Carmilani, founder and president of Long Covid Families. “We bring families’ experiences into decisions about what professionals need to know and where systems need to change.”
“Parents should not have to be the ones handing research to their child’s doctor or teacher,” said Kelli Coviello, a parent and member of the Long Covid Families board. “This board takes that on.”
About Long Covid Families
Long Covid Families is a nonprofit advancing research, medical care, and educational access for children with Long COVID. Founded in 2021, LCF brings family experience and scientific evidence into decisions about children’s care and education.
###
Media contact
Katie Mercer
Communications Manager
team@lcfam.org
