United Kingdom: ME Research Collaborative (MERC) [was CMRC] news

Sounds probably positive. Although, I'd wrongly thought that five years ago when the CMRC was first set up.

Jonathan Edwards said:
I am wondering if she has taken up a position as head of research and development or clinical trials? Or even Dean?
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Wouldn't they want to see how things pan out first? They can't be oblivious to the concerns about her work. Promoting her to a position like that at this point seems a needless risk.
 
Bristol must be so embarrassed by her already. Surely they can't have promoted her? :P

I'm cautiously optimistic. But could/would they get involved with NICE? If they have significant clout and truly want to promote biomedical approaches, they can start by asking for a warning against GET in the current guideline and for a total removal of the same from the future guideline. It's a barrier if they don't want funding to continue to be swallowed up by cheap and easy biopsychosocial studies.
 
MEMarge said:
Here are minutes from a meeting in F 2018eb

https://www.actionforme.org.uk/uploads/images/2018/03/cmrc-draft-minutes-060218.pdf
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While I'm delighted to see Crawley out, and being replaced by Ponting, I believe for a true biomedical approach to be set up, there are still numerous obstacles to be overcome (like for example the worrying study led by Mark Edwards)

Ex from the minutes:
GM stated that BACME has a conference on 14-15 March and there will be a vote at the conference about joining forces with the CMRC for a joint conference. Should this be positive, discussion would be needed with the CMRC membership.
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GM: Gabrielle Murphy*
Edit: cross post with MeMarge
 
Simon M said:
Do you have a list of UK researchers? Neil Harrison is a new CMRC board member.
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The people who need to be brought in, having previously been told to get stuffed, are the Biobank and CureME at LSHTM. They have by far the best people in the field in the UK. Eleanor Riley has moved but there are other good people for the team to mix with there and they know exactly what they are doing. The biggest mistake from CMRC was to try to duplicate what the Biobank had already achieved.
 
MEMarge said:
So, Chris Ponting will be deputy Chair from April
  • According to @MEMarge 's link to MEA, CP is Carmine Pariante. My bold below.
    CPP is Chris Ponting

    "DRAFT Minutes of UK CFS/ME Research Collaborative Executive Board Meeting 6 February 2018

    Present:

    Stephen Holgate (SH) Esther Crawley (EC) Charles Shepherd (CS) Gabrielle Murphy (GM)

    Joined via phone:

    Chris Ponting (CPP)

    Sonya Chowdhury (SC)
    Ana Atunes-Martin (AAM) Mark Jones - (MJ)
    Opal Webster-Philips (OWP)

    Glen Plant (GP)

    In attendance for part of the discussion:

    Ed Sykes (ES) Craig Bullock (CB) Colin Smith (CS)

    Mark Edwards (ME)

    Carmine Pariante (CP) Neha Issar-Brown (NIB)

    Patrick Chinnery (PC)

    Apologies:

    Paul Little (PL)
    Mike Dalrymple (MD) Lars Erwig (LE)

    Claire Kidgell (CK)

    James Brodie (JB) Jo Elson (JE) "





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MEMarge said:
I think Neil Harrison gave a talk at IiME a few year ago, but his latest study in Sussex has raised some doubts re his aims.

https://www.bsms.ac.uk/about/contact-us/staff/dr-neil-harrison.aspx
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The CMRC minutes often feel really evasive to me. The rest of what I've seen today looks good, but reading the minutes always makes me think 'why are you telling us what you're doing?'

eg:

SH and a few others have had contact with an individual who is meeting with a high-level research funder decision-maker and there is alignment in the narrative being put forward.
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What narrative? To what individual?

Are those minutes getting Ponting and Pariante mixed up [as @Nellie just pointed out]?

Quite big difference there!

eg:

"A new Deputy is required and, at SH’s invite, CP agreed to take on the role from April."

Carmine Pariante (CP) Chris Ponting (CPP)

"GM stated that BACME has a conference on 14-15 March and there will be a vote at the conference about joining forces with the CMRC for a joint conference. Should this be positive, discussion would be needed with the CMRC membership."

I don't see much to be gained from the CMRC joining with BACME - unless BACME wanted to offer some grovelling apologies.
 
Language is a bit vague. From AfME's article
Prof Chris Ponting (Section Head, Biomedical Genomics, Chair of Medical Bioinformatics MRC/University of Edinburgh) has been elected by the Board to replace Prof Crawley. New members Joanna Elson (Newcastle University), Colin Smith (Brighton University), Neil Harrison (Sussex University) and Patrick Chinnery (Oxford University) have joined the Board.
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So Chris Ponting is replacing Crawley while the others are joining the board. Suggests that he is vice-chair but doesn't explicitly say so.
 
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