Christopher Armstrong

Source:SMCI

Christopher William Armstrong, PhD, performs research in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and the Bio21 Molecular Science & Biotechnology Institute at the University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia with an interest in the dysfunction of energy metabolism of people with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS).

Dr. Armstrong is a member of the Working Group which offers their expertise and resources to the ME/CFS Collaborative Research Center at Stanford University.

ME Australia interviewed Dr Armstrong and wrote a profile on him 'Meet the Scientists: Dr Christopher Armstrong'.

In 2018, Dr Armstrong was part of delegation briefing Australia's Chief Medical Officer, Prof Brendan Murphy, on research into ME.

Awards

• 2016 Ramsay Award Program grant recipient, sponsored by the Solve ME/CFS Initiative. This grant, shared with Geraldine Cambridge, University College London, and Fane Mensah, University College London, will focus on the metabolic analysis of B-Cell maturation in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Books

• 2014, Chapter Five in Advances in Clinical Chemistry, Vol. 66, published by Elsevier; "Metabolism in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome," by Christopher W. Armstrong, Neil R. McGregor, Henry L. Butt, and Paul R. Gooley (Link)

Notable studies

• 2022, The underlying sex differences in neuroendocrine adaptations relevant to Myalgic Encephalomyelitis Chronic Fatigue Syndrome - (Full text)
• 2019, Post-Exertional Malaise Is Associated with Hypermetabolism, Hypoacetylation and Purine Metabolism Deregulation in ME/CFS Cases - (Full text)
• 2018, CD24 Expression and B Cell Maturation Shows a Novel Link With Energy Metabolism: Potential Implications for Patients With Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome - (Full Text)
• 2017, The association of fecal microbiota and fecal, blood serum and urine metabolites in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome - (Abstract)

• 2016, Widespread pain and altered renal function in ME/CFS patients - (Abstract)

• 2015, Metabolic profiling reveals anomalous energy metabolism and oxidative stress pathways in chronic fatigue syndrome patients - (Abstract)
• 2014, Metabolism in chronic fatigue syndrome - (Abstract)
• 2012, NMR metabolic profiling of serum identifies amino acid disturbances in chronic fatigue syndrome - (Abstract)

Talks and interviews

• 15-16 June 2016, Speaker at the International Conference on Fibromyalgia and Chronic Pain. Speech title: "The impact of the gut microbiome on host fatigue in ME/CFS patients"
• 20 Oct 2016, Solve ME/CFS Initiative Webinar with Christopher Armstrong, on recent metabolomics studies
• 23 Nov 2016, Inside Story Podcast - "In Melbourne, progress on Chronic Fatigue Syndrome"
• 12 Aug 2017, Community Symposium on the Molecular Basis of ME/CFS - 2017: Speech title - ME, metabolism and I (in English with Spanish subtitles)
• 4 May 2018, ME/CFS Canadian Collaborative Team Conference - Speech title: Australian ME/CFS Databases and Biobanks: The Down Under Experiences
• 20 February 2019, Meet the Scientists: Dr Christopher Armstrong on ME Australia

Online presence

• Scholar Google
• ResearchGate

Learn more

• 3 Feb 2017, "How Gut Bacteria Is Helping To Unpack Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Can improving a person's gut health help?" by Emma Brancatisano in The Huffington Post
• Bio21 Molecular Science & Biotechnology Institute webpage on Armstrong's work - "Gutted by bad gut bugs" by Florienne Loder
• 2016: Australian metabolomics study of women with ME/CFS (CCC)

See also

• Nitrogen hypothesis
• Diagnostic biomarker
• Donald Staines
• Henry Butt
• Neil McGregor
• Paul Gooley

See myalgic encephalomyelitis.

See chronic fatigue syndrome.

myalgic encephalomyelitis (M.E.) - A disease often marked by neurological symptoms, but fatigue is sometimes a symptom as well. Some diagnostic criteria distinguish it from chronic fatigue syndrome, while other diagnostic criteria consider it to be a synonym for chronic fatigue syndrome. A defining characteristic of ME is post-exertional malaise (PEM), or post-exertional neuroimmune exhaustion (PENE), which is a notable exacerbation of symptoms brought on by small exertions. PEM can last for days or weeks. Symptoms can include cognitive impairments, muscle pain (myalgia), trouble remaining upright (orthostatic intolerance), sleep abnormalities, and gastro-intestinal impairments, among others. An estimated 25% of those suffering from ME are housebound or bedbound. The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies ME as a neurological disease.

relating to hormones that influence the nervous system

neuroendocrine relating to hormones that influence the nervous system

microbiome The full collection of microscopic organisms (especially bacteria and fungi) which are present in a particular environment, particularly inside the human body.

serum The clear yellowish fluid that remains from blood plasma after clotting factors have been removed by clot formation. (Blood plasma is simply blood that has had its blood cells removed.)

metabolite A chemical compound produced by, or involved in, metabolism. The term is often used to refer to the degradation products of drugs in the body.

involving, related to or in the area of the kidneys

renal involving, related to or in the area of the kidneys

The clear yellowish fluid that remains from blood plasma after clotting factors have been removed by clot formation. (Blood plasma is simply blood that has had its blood cells removed.)

serum The clear yellowish fluid that remains from blood plasma after clotting factors have been removed by clot formation. (Blood plasma is simply blood that has had its blood cells removed.)

metabolomics The analysis of the chemical metabolism within cells, tissues or organisms. The term is often used to refer to the full set of metabolites found in a cell in a given environment.