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.

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
Use of Oxford criteria or Fukuda criteria not using Post-exertional malaise as a mandatory symptom in research. Psychiatrists steer the Collaborative.

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 will be held at Gatwick Airport on Wednesday 28 and Thursday 29 September 2016.

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
 * Sonya Chowdhury
 * Charles Shepherd
 * 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)
 * Julia Newton
 * Zoe Gotts (ZG), Northumbria University
 * Allison Wallace (Wellcome Trust observer)

Professor Peter White was a member of the board, but has since left.

Membership
Anyone, including patients, can join the collaborative as a member.

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