Statement from the team after the CMRC 2018 Conference
Three members of the CureME Team presented at the UK CFS/ME Research Collaborative Conference in Bristol last week. It was an excellent event, with many important presentations given.
We were delighted that our presentations were well-received, and that researchers in the field were keen to hear about our participant networks and biorepository infrastructure, in particular the UK ME/CFS Biobank (ME/CFS), as well as some further detail on our current research. As ever, we owe a debt of gratitude to our 650 participants, without whom none of this would be possible.
We strongly support high-quality research into ME/CFS, that is based on specific case definitions as a way to advance understanding of this complex clinical condition. We continue to encourage further applications for samples and data from the UKMEB, as we continue to grow and work with other biobanks, with a view to meeting the wider demands of the UK and international research community.
We are also encouraged by reports that UK funding agencies are now discussing increasing support for research into the disease. We look forward to an inclusive process that will be involve both those in ME/CFS research and health care, and people with ME/CFS, in the most open and transparent way.
It has always been our vision that research in ME/CFS should focus on strictly-defined cases, to avoid bias and ensure the robustness of any conclusions generated. We hope that future research will follow this approach, in common with the strategy adopted by the NIH (USA) in their recent major funding of Centres of Excellence in the United States, so that collaborative research and cross-comparison of data are possible on a global level.
