Invest in ME Research
Christmas/New Year Fund Appeal Advent Calendar


A Centre of Excellence for ME

Time to Invest in ME Research


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The charity's' proposal for a Centre of Excellence for ME was first first made in 2010, after charity representatives had sat in fruitless meetings with the NHS for several years - wasting time and effort with little progress in attempts to improve things for people with ME.

Thanks to outstanding supporters the charity has managed to fund five PhDs to perform research into ME, created interest in and awareness of ME in a major European research park, developed European and international collaborations and provide plaforms for increased opportunities for working together across countries and continents.

Of course, it would be excellent if other funding organisations could see the sense in this strategy and would contribute to the research projects that spin off from the work funded by IiMER.

The NIH agreed with the idea some years ago when attending the Colloquiums and initiated a multi-centre approach to funding.

It would be good for all people with ME if our work to develop the Centre could be supported with follow-on research being funded to further develop the strategy.

Perhaps Christmas and the New Year may bring good news



This research is one element of developing the UK/European Centre of Excellence for ME.

The Centre of Excellence for ME concept is a hub of high-quality biomedical research into ME using standard and up-to-date guidelines and protocols which allows accurate diagnosis based on relevant tests.
These would consist of examinations, clinical diagnosis, translational biomedical research, clinical trials, reliable outcome measures, bioinformatics, tissue bank(s) to allow for more research opportunities and support) and improved education and training of healthcare staff.

By using the world class facilities in the Norwich Research Park the opportunity is there for clinical trials to be carried out and a central point for medical education on ME to be established.

Norwich Research Park provides some of the best facilities in Europe and new possibilities and publicity for research into ME, and a coordinated environment where the Medical School, Clinical Trials Unit and research lab is located together.

There is a major group now performing research with international collaboration taking place - encouraged, facilitated and funded by the charity.

The head of Quadram Institute, Professor Ian Charles, has spoken twice at the Invest in ME Research International ME Conferences and described as follows -

“The development of this ... centre, together with the other expertise and facilities located at the Norwich Research Park, puts it in a very good position to lead a UK and European Centre of Excellence for biomedical research for M.E. to provide possible prevention and solutions.”
- Journal of IiME Conference Abstract 2015

As can be seen from the Quadram Institute web site [click here] ME is already firmly embedded as one of their “research targets” - facilitated by the groundwork performed already by the charity and its supporters.

The Carding group at the Quadram Institute is highlighting their research into ME – [click here] and [click here]


The charity has been able to fund the only clinical trial for ME in the UK - one of only a few occurring in the world.




With the help of the Let's Do It For ME campaign our foundation research project was funded and established and began in 2013 at University of East Anglia/Quadram Institute in Norwich Research Park. This was the first crowdfunded PhD for ME - more details are available at this link.
Further projects are underway in Norwich Research Park - more details here.

To our supporters we owe great thanks - you helped create something that was thought unachievable.

A sustainable Centre of Excellence for ME is now harnessing the benefits of a strategy of collaborative international biomedical research in modern facilities with world-class researchers.

The funds raised by the charity has allowed a research group to be firmly established in the Quadram Institute which will allow clinical trials to be carried out in a state-of-the-art setting.

Invest in ME Research has, since establishing this proposal, raised in excess of £1.5 million for biomedical research into ME and supporting activities to facilitate research and collaboration.
This has enabled new researchers to enter the field and firm collaborative links to be established between UK, European and US researchers and institutes.

The collaboration with other UK and European researchers and institutes will create greater publicity and funding opportunities.

All of this has been achieved without any government, or major research council support.

The foundations are therefore already in place to advance science and provide the promise of better treatment and possible restoration of function and lives back to a section of the community who have received very little help in the past.

We welcome all support to enable us to complete these plans.

We hope others will see the opportunity and possibilities and decide to Invest in ME Research.




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