Invest in ME Research International ME Conference 2026 Cambridge
20 Years of Investing in ME Research: Discover ME
Overview of event
20 Years of Investing in ME Research: Discover ME
The 18th Invest in ME Research International ME Conference 2026 - #IIMEC18 - took place
on 29th May 2026 at the Wellcome
Genome Campus near Cambridge, UK.
This was the final event in International ME Conference Week 2026 which saw a
full programme of workshops, strategic meetings, and scientific sessions.
The theme for the conference was
entitled "
20 Years of Investing in ME Research to Discover ME:
In Pursuit of the Mechanisms and Treatment Strategies for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis
".
This year the ME conference was integrated into the main research colloquium allowing researchers to be
involved over
three days of collaboration and with patient groups and patients and carers able to share their knowledge.
IIMEC18 continued an objective of bringing research and clinical expertise to bear on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME),
thus facilitating progress with this condition.
Updates on research into ME from around the world were given - as well as an update from the previous two days of
the BRMEC15 researchers' Colloquium.
IIMEC18 Presentations
A brief summary of the conference presentations is available here 
The conference videos of all of the presentations at #IIMEC18, in the sequence of being given at the conference.
are available in the links below.
Click on the images to
display the video and presenter details.
International ME Conference Week 2026 Overview
The conference day was preceded by the 15th Invest in ME Research International
Biomedical Research into ME Colloquium - a two day closed researchers' meeting with
over forty of the major institutes from around the world were represented - from Europe, North America, Africa and Australasia.
The charity also arranged the European ME Research Group Early Career Researcher network - Young EMERG - workshop
with delegates
attending from around the world.
The annual European ME Research Group meeting was modified to discuss the new DISCOVER-ME project that
was about to begin following completion of its EU Horizon grant award process.
Another meeting arranged by the charity and in which it is involved concerned a new team of researchers and clinicians forming a project proposal for funding for new infrastructure.
Gallery of IIMEC18
A few images from the conference day
Sponsorship
2026 marked the 20th anniversary of Invest in ME Research, the 15th International Biomedical Research
into ME Colloquium (BRMEC15), and the 18th International ME Conference (IIMEC18).
We were very pleased to acknowledge the support of the following
sponsors of the conference week -
Our Conference Week Sponsors
Proud to partner with organisations supporting our research objectives
20th Anniversary Appeal
Support the Fellows
These videos were free to watch. Our research is not free to fund.
Twenty years of biomedical ME research and IiMER is still a 100% volunteer-run registered charity with no salaried staff.
Please support and help publicise our 20th Anniversary Appeal to keep our researchers in the laboratory.
Every pound donated goes directly to funding our research, driving the science forward for people with ME.
Past Conferences
The Conference events have been arranged annually since 2006.
Past Conferences can be viewed via the link below