On September 13, 2025, history was made at New York Fashion Week (NYFW) when Lyme disease took the spotlight during Project Lab Coat, a groundbreaking runway event uniting science, medicine, celebrity, and advocacy. Tick Boot Camp co-founders Matt Sabatello and Rich Johannesen were honored to attend as models, walking the runway to raise awareness for Lyme disease research, treatment, and advocacy.
Why Project Lab Coat Mattered
Organized by Christina Kovacs, Project Lab Coat merged the visibility of NYFW with the urgent need for Lyme disease awareness. The show proved that fashion can be a powerful platform to highlight one of the fastest-growing vector-borne illnesses in the world. Patients, advocates, doctors, researchers, and celebrities came together with a single mission: to find solutions and save lives.
Importantly, all funds raised from Project Lab Coat were donated to leading Lyme nonprofits, including Project Lyme, Global Lyme Alliance (GLA), and LymeLight Foundation. These organizations are on the front lines of funding critical research, providing patient support, and advancing advocacy for the Lyme community.
Stars Who Walked the Runway
The runway featured an extraordinary lineup of individuals, each lending their visibility and influence to elevate the Lyme community.
Researchers
-
Monica Embers – Tulane University
-
Michal “Mikki” Caspi Tal – Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
-
Holly Ahern – SUNY Adirondack
Celebrities
-
Elena Delle Donne – WNBA basketball star
-
Ren Gill – internationally acclaimed musician
-
Julia Seely & Kiana Tebyani (Z3lla) – rising music stars making waves on the global stage
-
Olivia Flowers – television personality and star of Bravo’s Southern Charm
-
Nicola “Coco” Verses – Palm Beach socialite, entrepreneur, and founder of the VERSÈ Collection jewelry line
Doctors
These Lyme Literate Medical Doctors (LLMDs) walked the runway to highlight the importance of specialized medical care for Lyme patients:
-
Dr. Nafysa Parpia
-
Dr. Eric Gordon
Advocates
-
Meghan Bradshaw – Center for Lyme Action
-
Lindsay Keys and Winslow Crane-Murdoch – Directors of The Quiet Epidemic documentary
-
Colonel Nicole Malachowski –America’s first female Thunderbird fighter pilot and member of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Lyme disease committee
-
Olivia Abrams – Creator of TiCK MiTT
-
Bennett Nemser – Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation, which provides significant funding for Lyme disease research
-
Mary Beth Pfeiffer – Investigative Lyme reporter
-
Julia Bruzzese – Featured in The Quiet Epidemic
Advocates in the Audience
The audience also included advocates such as Ali Moresco, Madison Lewis, Liza Blas, Sarah Quillen, Max Noir, and Jennifer Hoffmann, who came to support this landmark event.
Tick Boot Camp on the Runway
For us, Matt Sabatello and Rich Johannesen, walking the runway as co-founders of Tick Boot Camp was an incredible honor. We represented thousands of Lyme patients who deserve validation, community, and hope. As Long Islanders who built Tick Boot Camp to amplify patient voices and share stories of healing, this moment was both personal and historic.
A Turning Point for Lyme
Lyme disease remains misdiagnosed, underfunded, and misunderstood. But Project Lab Coat at NYFW created a cultural shift. By placing Lyme disease at the center of one of the fashion industry’s biggest stages, the event proved that awareness is growing and momentum is building for more research, better treatments, and patient support.
Looking Ahead
For Tick Boot Camp, being models at Project Lab Coat was about more than walking a runway. It was about walking for the millions who cannot. The September 13 show was a symbol of unity, resilience, and progress in the fight against Lyme disease.
