Text of Agenda for November MRC CFS/ME Workshop and AfME response
Posted by meagenda on November 12, 2009
Text of Agenda for MRC CFS/ME Expert Group Research Workshop 19-20 November 2009 and Action for M.E.’s Facebook response
Shortlink: http://wp.me/p5foE-2mD
Below is the text of the Agenda for the November MRC Workshop. I have posted links for this Agenda and other information provided by the MRC, yesterday, on the Facebook Walls of Action for M.E. and the ME Association. At the time of writing, neither organisation has published a copy of the Agenda, itself, on its main website.
Since flagging up the Agenda on Action for M.E.’s Facebook site, and some ensuing comments by users of the site, the following has been added by the moderators:
http://www.facebook.com/actionforme
“Sir Peter has asked Professor Holgate to ensure during the course of the two-day event that particular consideration be given to the XMRV findings and current efforts to replicate them by other researchers.”
“Action for M.E. MRC CFS/ME research workshop Sir Peter Spencer, CEO, Action for M.E. and other M.E. charity representatives will attend a multi-disciplinary workshop for researchers, organised by the Medical Research Council (MRC), 19-20 November.”
“The meeting, chaired by Professor Stephen Holgate, MRC Professor of Immunopharmacology from Southampton University, aims to encourage new research into M.E./CFS, harnessing the latest technologies and scientific thinking to develop a proper understanding of the underlying disease mechanisms.
Papers circulated include information about XMRV, the retrovirus identified in 68 out of 101 CFS patients by researchers at the Whittemore Peterson Institute in Reno, USA. Although the sample is small, the results have led to calls for greater investigation into the biology of M.E.
Sir Peter has asked Professor Holgate to ensure during the course of the two-day event that particular consideration be given to these findings and current efforts to replicate them by other researchers.
Anyone who wishes to contact Sir Peter about the workshop may do so by e-mailing consultations@afme.org.uk
“Scientists participating in the MRC workshop are already due to hear short presentations on phenotyping and epidemiology, autonomic dysfunction, fatigue, sleep, pain, neuroimaging, new technologies, immune dysregulation, infection and virology.
There will be an opportunity for group discussion before delegates split up into workshops.
These will consider:
- capitalising on current issues and UK scientific strengths
- new technologies and technological platforms
- national resources eg. patient cohorts
- partnership models
- research prioritisation
- other issues.Professor Holgate will then summarise the workshop’s discussions, which will indicate a way forward for future work.”
Text of Agenda for MRC CFS/ME Research Workshop 19-20 November 2009
Note: I am advised by Ms Parker, MRC Corporate Governance and Policy, that “We are still in discussion with colleagues regarding the participants list and will respond to this part of your request in due course.” I will post the list of participants when the MRC has fulfilled this part of the FOI request for information.
Also note that the timings, as set out in the document for the afternoon session of Day One, are squiffy. I have reproduced as supplied by the MRC in the PDF.
AGENDA in PDF format here: http://wp.me/p5foE-2mj
——————————
[MRC Logo] Medical Research Council
MRC CFS/ME Research Workshop
To be held on Thursday 19th & Friday 20th November
Location: Hethrop Park Resort (Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire OX7 5UF)
Agenda – Thursday 19th November
13:00 Registration; Lunch
Tea & Coffee
____________________________________________
13:30 Welcome and Introduction by Professor Stephen Holgate
Aims of the Workshop
____________________________________________
Short Presentations:
Topic Speaker
13:45 CFS/ME phenotyping & epidemiology Dr Esther Crawley
14:00 Autonomic dysfunction Professor Julia Newton
14:45 Fatigue tbc
14:15 Sleep Professor Jim Horne
14:30 Pain Professor Maria Fitzgerald
____________________________________________
15:00 Tea & Coffee
____________________________________________
15:30 Neuropsychology Professor Gijs Bleijenberg
15:45 Neuroimaging Professor Phil Cowen*
[*Ed: Philip Cowen is Professor of Psychopharmacology and MRC Clinical Scientist at the University of Oxford. His research and clinical interests are in the biochemistry and treatment of mood disorders, and particularly the pharmacological management of resistant depression.]
16:00 New Technologies Professor Chris Ponting
16:15 Immune dysregulation/Infection Professor Tony Pinching
16:00 Virology Professor Paul Moss
____________________________________________
16:45 Tea & Coffee
____________________________________________
17:00-18:00 Group discussion
____________________________________________
19:00 Dinner
____________________________________________
Agenda – Friday 20th November
09:00 Introduction – brief for morning session – Professor Stephen Holgate
09:15 Working group discussions
‘What would you like to see the field respond to?’
Areas for consideration:
. capitalising on current issues and UK scientific strengths
. new technologies and technological platforms
. national resources e.g. patient cohorts
. partnership models
. other issues
______________________________________
10:45 Tea & Coffee
____________________________________________
11:00 Whole group discussion
11:45 Summing up and next steps – Professor Stephen Holgate
12:00 Close
____________________________________________
AGENDA in PDF format here: http://wp.me/p5foE-2mj
Link Back
Agenda: MRC CFS/ME Research Workshop 19-20 November 2009 and additional information provided by the MRC under FOIA:
WordPress Shortlink: http://wp.me/p5foE-2mj
The Agenda and Minutes of the meeting on 15 December can be downloaded here or opened in PDF format here:
PDF: Minutes CFS/ME Expert Group Meeting 15 December 2008
The list of members can be opened in PDF format here:
PDF: CFS/ME Expert group membership
Term of Reference can be opened in PDF format here:
PDF: Finalised Terms of Reference for CFS/ME expert group
or go to MRC site for full article and files:
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis
( http://www.mrc.ac.uk/Ourresearch/ResearchFocus/CFSME/index.htm )
