The Jackson Laboratory has just released a new launch page on their website about ME/CFS, with the hope of increasing awareness about the disease. The page includes links to recent feature articles, including one from February 2019 that highlights the JAX CRC that’s being led by Derya Unutmaz, MD, and a Q&A with Courtney Gunter from earlier this month about the importance of science communication, especially with ME/CFS. There are also new videos that offer more information from the perspectives of the physician, the researcher, the caregivers, and the patient, as well as calls to action for donations to support ME/CFS research.

Check out the ME/CFS section of JAX’s website here. 

On Thursday April 4 and Friday April 5, 2019, NIH will be hosting the Accelerating Research on ME/CFS meeting in Bethesda, MD. The two-day meeting, which has the goal of driving the ME/CFS research field forward by identifying gaps and opportunities through presentations of newer research, will be webcast and made publicly available. Experts as well as newcomers in the ME/CFS field will be presenting their research, and there will also be several panel discussions. From Jackson Labs, Derya Unutmaz, MD, will present on the link between the microbiome and immune system, and Julia Oh, PhD, will also discuss the importance of the microbiome in ME/CFS. Dr. Lucinda Bateman of Bateman Horne Center (BHC), will talk about orthostatic intolerance as part of a clinician panel. There will also be a group discussion Q&A moderated by Terri Wilder of #MEAction.

The day before the conference, on April 3, 2019, NIH will also host a workshop for young/early career ME/CFS investigators, called Thinking the Future. Attendees will learn key networking and grant writing skills, listen to a panel of non-profit funders, and give presentations on their own ME/CFS research ideas. Attendees will also have the opportunity to participate in a poster session at the first day of the Accelerating Research on ME/CFS meeting on April 4th.

To register for the Accelerating Research on ME/CFS meeting, click here. 
To learn more about the Thinking the Future workshop, click here. 

A new perspective spotlight article has just been posted on the Jackson Laboratory website about Courtney Gunter, the JAX ME/CFS Collaborative Research Center’s Program Manager. Courtney was interviewed to learn more about her role at the Center, including how she became interested in ME/CFS research, why the JAXMECFS blog was started, and what it’s like to run it. The interview also covers what her thoughts are on the current state of the ME/CFS field, and which blog posts were her favorite to write.

To check out the article on JAX’s website, click here. 

Dr. Lucinda Bateman of Bateman Horne Center has recently helped create free online Continuing Medical Education (CME) programs about ME/CFS for medical providers, and they’re now available. These projects were the result of collaborations with the CDC and Medscape, and with the Michigan State Medical Society web page and PANDORA, a group of patient advocates. BHC is dedicated to improving education about ME/CFS for medical providers, which is critical for both patients and for research initiatives, and these CMEs are just one effort they’re focusing on to increase the number of informed providers.

Click here to visit BHC’s medical provider page, where the CME links are available.