Edinburgh M.E. Self help Group

edmesh AGM & Open Meeting

Speaker: Dr Vance Spence, ME Research UK
Topic: Biomedical Research in ME/CFS: where are we, and where do we want to go?
Date: Saturday 3rd October 2009
Time: 2pm (doors open 1.30pm)

Venue: Lammermuir Hall, St Cuthbert’s Church,
5 Lothian Road, Edinburgh

Everyone welcome. Free talk. Refreshments.
Wheelchair access. Parking nearby.
Lifts available on request.

We had hoped that we would be able to reschedule Dr Jonathan Kerr as our speaker for the October Open Meeting after he had to cancel in May due to illness. Unfortunately, we have been unable to agree a mutually suitable date with him.

It was always our intention for our next Open Meeting to cover the latest in ME research so we are absolutely delighted to announce that Dr Vance Spence, Chairman of ME Research UK, will be coming to talk to us on Saturday 3rd October 2009.

Vance was instrumental in the founding and launching of ME Research UK. A graduate of the Universities of London and Dundee, he was a Principal Clinical Scientist responsible for vascular services and research and, in 1997, he rejoined the University of Dundee Medical School as Honorary Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Medicine, with the objective of stimulating research into the causes of ME.

ME Research UK (MERUK) funds research into Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (also known as ME/CFS). It has an international remit, and its principal aim is to commission and fund high-quality scientific (biomedical) investigation into the causes, consequences and treatment of ME/CFS. It also aims to ‘energise ME research’ by identifying potentially important areas for future biomedical research, producing high quality professional reviews and reports, presenting research at meetings and conferences, and hosting international conferences.

These projects include the gene expression studies being undertaken by Dr Jonathan Kerr at St George’s Hospital, University of London, with co-funding from the Irish ME Trust. A comprehensive list of all the research projects, including the resulting scientific papers, can be found on MERUK’s website: www.meresearch.org.uk

The meeting is on Saturday 3rd October 2009 in the Lammermuir Hall at St Cuthbert’s Church (next to St John’s Church) at the bottom of Lothian Road, at the west end of Edinburgh. Please see the map for directions.

There is parking nearby at the multi-storey car park on Castle Terrace. If you have a blue badge, there are a number of spaces nearer the hall. Otherwise you can be dropped off at the door of the church hall. There are bus stops close by at the bottom of Lothian Road. If you find it difficult to arrange transport to the venue, please contact us to arrange a lift.

We appreciate how difficult it can be for some of our members to get to meetings; we do hope you will be able to join us. If you are unable to attend but have a question you would like to put to Vance, please contact us before October 3rd and we will pass your questions on.