Newry Conference to Challenge Outdated Ideas About ME and Fibromyalgia

International experts, healthcare professionals and patients will gather in Newry on Saturday 8 November for an awareness and education event focused on replacing decades of misunderstanding around ME with compassion, evidence and scientific progress to the fore.

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ME: Challenging Misinformation - Championing Real Research will take place from 7pm to 8.30pm at The Mourne Country Hotel. The evening organised  by Hope 4 ME & Fibro Northern Ireland will provide an opportunity for attendees to hear directly from global leaders in ME research and engage in open discussion about the latest scientific developments and advocacy efforts.

The event will be opened by Councillor Geraldine Kearns, Deputy Chairperson, Newry, Mourne and Down District Council, who will  acknowledge the importance of community and scientific collaboration in improving understanding of ME.

Among the guest speakers is Dr David Tuller from the University of California, Berkeley. An investigative journalist and public health academic, Dr Tuller is known for his Trial By Error project, which has exposed flawed research and promoted integrity and respect in the study of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis. Joining via live link will be Professor Chris Ponting from the University of Edinburgh, who leads the DecodeME study, the largest genetic study of ME ever undertaken. His team's findings have provided biological evidence for the condition and renewed hope for effective testing and treatments. Hope 4 ME & Fibro NI played a key role in helping recruit participants from Northern Ireland for the DecodeME study.

Also speaking at the event will be Professor Tom Trinick, Medical Advisor to Hope 4 ME & Fibro NI and a respected consultant in metabolic and nutritional medicine. Professor Trinick has long advocated for evidence-based care and greater support for patients across Northern Ireland.

The Newry conference is part of Hope 4 ME & Fibro NI's ongoing mission to raise awareness and improve understanding among healthcare professionals. ME, Post-Covid ME and Fibromyalgia are overlapping conditions, with many patients facing misdiagnosis, disbelief and a lack of specialist care. For over a decade, the charity has campaigned for recognition of these serious, multi-system illnesses and for the biomedical research and services patients urgently need.

Founder of Hope 4 ME & Fibro NI, Joan McParland MBE, said: "For far too long, people with M.E. in Northern Ireland have been left without appropriate clinical support or specialist M.E. services. This event brings leading researchers and medical experts together to challenge outdated ideas and highlight the robust biomedical science that is transforming understanding of M.E. We hope it will inspire healthcare providers and decision-makers to recognise the urgent need for compassionate, evidence-based care here in Northern Ireland."

Tickets for the event are free and available via Eventbrite.

Hope 4 ME & Fibromyalgia NI was founded by Joan McParland MBE in 2011 and officially established as a charity in 2014. The all-volunteer, patient-driven organisation provides vital support and advocacy for people with ME, Fibromyalgia and Covid-induced ME across Northern Ireland, Ireland and the UK.