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Invest in ME Biomedical Research Colloquium 2017 #BRMEC7

Jo Best

Senior Member
Messages
1,032
Have TV and newspapers been alerted to this event and its significance?
I'm sure they have over the years, but mainstream media in UK is guided by the Science Media Centre which doesn't favour biomedical research. Last year, journalist Conrad Bower published a report on the conference The Canary:
https://www.thecanary.co/2016/06/08/people-mecfs-long-told-head-scientists-disagree/
There was an interview with a BBC reporter yesterday, so it will be interesting to see if it's aired/published.
 

Jo Best

Senior Member
Messages
1,032
Source: https://www.facebook.com/groups/5804522506/permalink/10154692704102507/

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Deepwater

Senior Member
Messages
208
I'm sure they have over the years, but mainstream media in UK is guided by the Science Media Centre which doesn't favour biomedical research. Last year, journalist Conrad Bower published a report on the conference The Canary:
https://www.thecanary.co/2016/06/08/people-mecfs-long-told-head-scientists-disagree/
There was an interview with a BBC reporter yesterday, so it will be interesting to see if it's aired/published.

I'm very well aware of the role of the Smoke & Mirrors Centre, but we are surely going to have to try to counter that by making our own contact with the media direct. I do hope the BBC reporter will think outside the Beeb's usual box.
 

Jo Best

Senior Member
Messages
1,032
I'm very well aware of the role of the Smoke & Mirrors Centre, but we are surely going to have to try to counter that by making our own contact with the media direct. I do hope the BBC reporter will think outside the Beeb's usual box.
(Smoke and Mirrors Centre :lol:) Yes and even if the reporter is on side, the next hurdle is whether their piece will pass editorial approval and be aired/published. We can but try I guess. I thought the January 2017 regional BBC TV coverage was good: http://www.investinme.org/IIME-Newslet-1701-02.shtml
 

Jo Best

Senior Member
Messages
1,032
Yes, probably, lol. If no one else has posted this already, I can post these in order over there.
Thanks you saved me a job as I was going to pick up this morning on the Twitter feed #IIMEC12 where I left off last night reposting tweets on the conference thread.
 

Jo Best

Senior Member
Messages
1,032
Invest in ME Research newsletter June 2017:
http://investinme.org/newsletter.shtml#2017

With four days and evenings of events the charity has now facilitated another set of meetings which have broadened and bolstered the foundations of international biomedical research into ME which have been laid for the last twelve years.

The two day Colloquium, now in its seventh year, has researchers from the main centres around the world discussing, sharing, innovating, collaborating on research into this disease which will help all patients and their families around the world.

The Colloquiums are unique and we are confident that this model is the correct one for continuing to make rapid progress in order to find the cause(s) of ME.

The atmosphere this year was especially good and we already know of potential collaborations in research which are forming or have formed.

We are working on a report from the Colloquium which we hope to make available for all.

BBC Colloquium Interview Arranged by IiMER

IiMER were responsible for facilitating interviews by the BBC for an upcoming radio programme about ME.

After being contacted by the BBC journalist for a programme which seemed to be already in an advanced stage of preparation we attempted to provide more substance by using the scientific knowledge present at our Colloquim.

IiMER prepared these interviews by selecting a good cross section of scientists, rearchers, clinicians and a parent of severely affected children with ME. And so interviews were conducted, at very short notice, during lunch on day 2 of the Colloquium - and more interviews followed the next day with Nigel Speight and David Tuller at our Conference, at our invitation to t he reporter.
 

Jo Best

Senior Member
Messages
1,032
Dr Nahle presents data and ME/CFS models at the Invest in ME Colloquium in London
June 26, 2017: http://solvecfs.org/dr-nahle-presen...els-at-the-invest-in-me-colloquium-in-london/

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On the left next to Dr. Zaher Nahle is SMCI Ramsay grantee Dr. Isabel Barao http://solvecfs.org/ramsay-research...n-mecfs-using-the-bioenergetics-health-index/

The 7th Biomedical Research for ME Colloquium (BRMEC7) and Conference took place May 30-June 2, organized in London by Invest in ME-Research, a UK-based charity. These were thoughtful and provocative events that attracted participants from all over the world. We salute the extraordinary work of the organizers, Pia Simpson and Richard Simpson, who provided an excellent experience in a gracious and professional manner, alongside the founder and chair of Invest in ME, Kathleen McCall.

The events covered a range of topics in ME/CFS translation and basic research. Scientists updated colleagues on their work and sought advice and collaboration in a collegial, yet rigorous, environment. Patient groups and advocacy organizations from many countries were also present and they too participated through questions and comments that enriched the discussion and provided perspectives throughout.

The scientific topics included:

  • biochemical pathways;
  • neuroendocrine signaling;
  • gene expression profiling;
  • system biology;
  • MicroRNAs;
  • gut microbiome;
  • discussions of clinical trials;
  • the severely ill ME/CFS;
  • disease spectrum analysis;
  • clinical diagnostic criteria;
  • biobanking;
  • immunological and virological studies;
  • immune-brain communication;
  • neuroimaging;
  • mitochondrial dysfunction;
  • B cell function in ME/CFS;
  • biochemical pathways;
  • neuroendocrine signaling;
  • gene expression profiling;
  • system biology;
  • MicroRNAs;
  • gut microbiome;
  • Metabolic studies in ME/CFS patients.
Speakers at the Colloquium and conference included leading figures and ME/CFS researchers from the United States. Around fifty scientists and observers took part in the Colloquium and more than 100 participants attended the conference. The Colloquium was kicked off by Dr. Ian Gibson a scientist and policy maker. Then Dr. Vicky Whittemore from the NIH and Dr. Elizabeth Unger from the CDC presented, touching on the NIH and CDC plans to bolster research in ME/CFS. Also speaking were Dr. Maureen Hanson, Dr. Ron Davis, Dr. Mady Hornig, Dr. James Baraniuk, Professor Nancy Klimas and Dr. Zaher Nahle. Additionally, a large cohort of European participants and investigators from Australia and New Zealand presented. These included Dr. Olli Polo, Dr. Olav Mella, Dr. Angela Vincent, and Dr. Jo Cambridge (with PhD student Fane Mensah), Dr. Jonas Bergquist, Dr. Jonas Blomberg, Dr. Carmen Scheibenbogen, Dr. Don Staines.

Details on the colloquium and the conference.

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Invest in ME Research founder Richard Simpson (center right) with SMCI Ramsay awardee Dr. Carmen Scheibenbogen (center left) and her research team with Dr Nahle. http://solvecfs.org/ramsay-research-team-4-identifying-autoimmune-signatures-in-mecfs/





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Dr. Nahle with SMCI Ramsay Awardee
Fane Mensah
http://solvecfs.org/ramsay-research...ical-alteration-with-rituximab-based-therapy/

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Invest in ME conference organizer Richard Simpson and leading patient advocate from Norway, Kjersti Krisner, with Dr Nahle

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Dr. Nahle with Dr. Ron Davis of Stanford University and Open Medicine Foundation

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Dr. Nahle with ME/CFS leading expert Dr. Nancy Klimas of Nova Southeastern University

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Dr. Maureen Hanson, Professor and SMCI RAC member (http://solvecfs.org/research-advisory-council/) in conversation with Dr. Nahle and SMCI President Carol Head

At the Colloquium, participants were asked to keep scientific information confidential; such measures facilitate unrestricted interaction among scientists. It creates a safe environment for sharing, as well as criticizing, raw and preliminary data that may or may not be finalized, or even validated. During the Colloquium, a range of key ME/CFS topics were discussed. They were divided into eight sessions over a period of two days. These sessions included immunology, neuroimaging, metabolomics, microbiome, clinical trials, and biomarkers. Dr Nahle, SMCI’s Chief Scientific Officer, presented new metabolomics data from SMCI’s Directed Research Program (http://solvecfs.org/new-research-pr...h-smcis-targeted-initiative-research-program/)

This event was a great success and keeps the momentum moving forward towards solving ME/CFS.

Article at: http://solvecfs.org/dr-nahle-presen...els-at-the-invest-in-me-colloquium-in-london/