UK CFS/ME Research Collaborative

The UK CFS/ME research Collaborative (CMRC) is a group of researchers and ME/CFS patient groups in the UK. It is led by Professor Stephen Holgate. It was launched in 2013 and the launch was covered by the Science Media Centre.

Its members include the ME Association, ME Research UK, Action for ME and the Association of Young People with ME.

Aims
The collaborative was set up with the intention of:


 * providing a mechanism for M.E. charities, researchers and clinicians to work together in a coordinated and collaborative way,
 * increasing awareness of M.E. within the research community,
 * highlighting priorities for research funding to assist funders such as the Medical Research Council
 * increasing funding for M.E. research.

The Grand Challenge
The Grand Challenge is a UK study announced in 2015 and aiming to collect a large sample size (10,000+) of data from people with M.E.

Declined membership
Invest in ME declined to join and have written about their criticism of the grouping, favouring their own Invest in ME Conference.

Tymes Trust also declined involvement, criticising the collaborative's rules.

The 25 Percent ME Group declined to join the collaborative, stating: "It is wholly unacceptable for people with chronic fatigue and mental health issues to be included in research for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and for people with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis to be used for CF research"

Criticism
The collaborative has been criticised not using Post-exertional malaise as a mandatory symptom in research. .

The Wellcome Trust gave £10,000 to UK CFS/ME Collaborative in 2015 and in 2016 the Wellcome Book Prize was awarded to Suzanne O'Sullivan who outlined ME as psychosomatic.

See Science Media Centre: Criticism.

2016
The 2016 conference was held at Novotel Hotel near Newcastle Airport on Wednesday 28 and Thursday 29 September 2016. Link to UK CFS/ME Research Collaborative 3rd Annual Science Conference Programme

Speakers include: Prof Stephen Holgate, Dr David Patrick, Dr Zaher Nahle, Prof George Davey Smith, Prof Caroline Relton, Prof David Ford, Prof Paul Little, Prof Tom Whalley, Opal Wesbster-Philip, Victoria Strassheim, Dr Lesley Kavi, Prof Julia Newton, Sonya Chowdhury, Dr Neha Issar-Brown, Dr Lindsay Keir, Dr Julius Bourke, Andreas Finkelmeyer, Andrea Polli, Dr Sarah Knight, Dr Esther Crawley, Dr Juliet Chenery-Robson, and Dr Jo Elson.


 * UK CMRC Conference 2016 part 1/10
 * UK CMRC Conference 2016 part 2/10
 * UK CMRC Conference 2016 part 3/10
 * UK CMRC Conference 2016 part 4/10
 * UK CMRC Conference 2016 part 5/10
 * UK CMRC Conference 2016 part 6/10
 * UK CMRC Conference 2016 part 7/10
 * UK CMRC Conference 2016 part 8/10
 * UK CMRC Conference 2016 part 9/10
 * UK CMRC Conference 2016 part 10/10

2015

 * UK CFS/M.E. Research Collaborative Science Conference Day 1, Part 1/3
 * UK CFS/M.E. Research Collaborative Science Conference Day 1, Part 2/3
 * UK CFS/M.E. Research Collaborative science conference Day 1 Part 3/3
 * UK CFS/M.E. Research Collaborative science conference Day 2 Part 1
 * UK CFS/M.E. Research Collaborative science conference Day 2 Part 2
 * UK CFS/M.E. Research Collaborative science conference Day 2 Part 3
 * CMRC conference 2015 report available in full

2014

 * CFS/ME Research Collaborative Conference Report 2014

Minutes

 * DRAFT Minutes of CMRC Minutes of CMRC Meeting Meeting Meeting 15 January 2016
 * DRAFT Minutes of CMRC Meeting 11 November 2015

Executive Board

 * Stephen Holgate (Chair)
 * Esther Crawley (Vice-Chair)
 * Sonya Chowdhury (Action for ME)
 * Charles Shepherd (ME Association)
 * Mary-Jane Willow, Association of Young People with M.E.
 * Paul Little (PL), Southampton University
 * Hugh Perry (HP), Southampton University
 * Jen McKendrick (JM), ME Research UK
 * Paul Moss (PM), Birmingham University
 * Joe McNamara (JM), Medical Research Council
 * Neeha Isaar-Brown (NIB), Medical Research Council
 * Clive Kerfoot (CK), CFS Research Foundation
 * Edward Sykes (Science Media Centre)
 * Peter Muir (PM), CFS Research Foundation
 * Neil Abbott (NA), ME Research UK
 * Julia Newton (JN), Newcastle University
 * Zoe Gotts (ZG), Northumbria University
 * Allison Wallace (Wellcome Trust observer)

Membership
Membership is open to researchers, health care professionals, charities and patients. Associate membership is free, enabling patients to receive updates & take part in sessions at the conference.

Online presence

 * UK CFS/M.E. Research Collaborative (hosted by Action for ME)

Learn more

 * 2016, The Power and Pitfalls of Omics: George Davey Smith’s storming talk at ME/CFS conference (Pt 1 of 2) (George Davey Smith)
 * 2016, CEO blog: Prof George Davey Smith on the Grand Challenge
 * 2013, UK Research Collaborative
 * 2013, CFS/ME Research Collaborative