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New Horizons: International Conference on ME/CFS Biomedical Research
The ‘New Horizons’ conference on ME/CFS biomedical research — co-sponsored jointly by
ME Research UK and the Irish ME Trust was held at the Edinburgh Conference Centre, part
of the leafy, disability-friendly campus of Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh on 25th May
2007. The audience of 130 included researchers from around the world, healthcare
professionals, representatives from local support groups, and delegates from most of the
larger ME/CFS charities in the UK. Read Hosted and organised by ME Research UK, and co
-sponsored by the Irish ME Trust the New Horizons International Conference on ME/CFS
Biomedical Research took place on Friday 25th May 2007, at the Edinburgh Conference
Centre, a purpose-built and disability-friendly venue in an attractive campus setting at
Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh.
This event was the first International Conference on ME/CFS biomedical research ever to be
held in the UK. Many of the 130 attendees were biomedical researchers, some funded by ME
Research UK, but there were also representatives from a variety of healthcare professions,
and delegates from local ME/CFS support groups in the UK, Norway, Canada and Egypt. In
addition, there were representatives from most ME charities, including Invest in ME and the
25% ME Group. The aim of the day was to bring together researchers working towards
understanding the biomedical basis of ME/CFS, and to raise awareness of the need for
biomedical investigation of the illness. The full day’s programme consisted of invited keynote
lectures and shorter research presentations from scientists from Scotland, England, USA,
Canada, Belgium, Spain and Japan. order a copy of our 2-DVD set of the presentations
The conference was opened by Alex Fergusson MSP, Presiding Officer (Speaker) of the
Scottish Parliament, and former Chair of the Cross-Party Group on ME at the Parliament.
Alex spoke of his own family’s experience of ME/CFS, stressing the need for research to
move beyond psychosocial aspects and towards the elucidation of the pathophysiology of
the physical illness.
Dr Vance Spence of ME Research UK chaired all the sessions, and his first task was to
acknowledge the support given by various groups, most notably the 25% ME Group which
supports bedbound and housebound people with the illness, and which had contributed
financially towards speakers' travel costs; Invest in ME, the energetic organisation which
had worked in conference partnership with ME Research UK during 2007.
Ross Coomber and the Friends of Matthew Stone who gave stalwart support, including the
conference banner; the News International Charity Fund which gave a donation towards the
production of the conference DVD; and to the anonymous benefactor for a substantial
donation towards the conference costs.
The first keynote lecture was by Dr Jonathan Kerr, the Sir Joseph Hotung Senior Lecturer
in Inflammation and Honorary Consultant in Microbiology in the Department of Cellular and
Molecular Medicine, St George’s University of London. His interest in the illness began during
a study of parvovirus B19 infection, which showed that a percentage of infected cases
developed ME/CFS persisting for several years, and he is now principal investigator of a
research group on gene expression in ME/CFS, which could lead to a diagnostic test…….
What follows is an extract from an article found on the internet. To read the entire report it can be found at ME
research uk website and then just follow the links. If you do not have internet access let us know and we will
forward a copy.
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