Autoimmune diseases affect millions of people in the United States. According to estimates from the American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association, there are over 50 million Americans living with autoimmune diseases, which translates to 1 in 5 people. Over the past few decades, there has been a significant increase in the incidence of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis, arthritis, lupus, and inflammatory bowel disease in Western countries. A number of factors have been linked to the increased incidence of autoimmune diseases, including diet, microbiota and environmental toxins. Over the past twenty years, Ms. Margaret (Peggy) Heppelmann has actively pursued a personal course of study regarding factors contributing to the rise of chronic inflammatory diseases in Western countries, especially among young females. A key aspect revealed by her review is the dearth of scientific inquiry into this area due to a lack of funding. Peggy hopes that by establishing this fund, Dr. Mangalam’s research will provide a new perspective on underlying factors contributing to the increased incidence of these chronic diseases.