15th Invest in ME Research International Biomedical Research into ME Colloquium 2026
Conference Awarded CPD Accreditation by Royal Colleges of the UK
BRMEC15 Awarded CPD Accreditation
The 15th International Biomedical Research into ME Colloquium takes place at the Wellcome Genome Campus, UK,
on 27 - 29 May
- #BRMEC15.
We are pleased to announce that this event has been awarded CPD accreditation of 14 points by the Federation of the
Royal Colleges of Physicians for the days 1 and 2 of the colloquium (the third day is also the #IIMEC18 conference day which has a separate CPD
arrangement).
The BRMEC* Colloquiums are closed symposiums in which researchers can speak candidly, share unpublished data in confidence, and develop collaborations. Running since 2011, the series originally brought established ME researchers together with colleagues from allied disciplines to broaden the research base, improve funding prospects, and raise awareness of biomedical work in the field.
A culmination of much of this effort was the initiation of the European ME Research Group (EMERG) in London in 2015 - a network that now coordinates biomedical collaboration and funding across Europe. Over the years the colloquiums have grown considerably in both numbers and ambition, with innovation, trust and openness at their core.
This year, invitations have again been extended to researchers worldwide. Invest in ME Research is subsidising attendance for numerous delegates, including early-career researchers (ECRs), and making the Young EMERG SPARK ME workshop free of charge. Reducing financial barriers ensures promising scientists can participate, present their work, and forge connections with established experts - vital for sustaining momentum and encouraging cross-disciplinary thinking.
Beyond EMERG, the charity is funding researchers from countries across the European ME Alliance, deepening cooperation and improving the research landscape in those nations. For a small charity, these events demand considerable time and resources - yet they have consistently generated projects, initiatives, and collaborations well beyond IiMER's immediate remit.
ME, and more recently long Covid, impose a significant burden on healthcare, yet research capacity remains constrained by limited funding. The BRMEC* Colloquium makes the most of existing expertise to advance understanding and foster collaboration. Given the symptomatic overlap between ME and long Covid, the aetiology of both conditions features prominently in the BRMEC15 agenda. The knowledge accumulated by ME researchers and clinicians over decades offers an invaluable lens for understanding long Covid - and vice versa.
‘20 Years of Investing in ME Research to Discover ME: In Pursuit of the Mechanisms and Treatment Strategies for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis'
The colloquium places systems biology at its centre - an approach offering valuable insights into the underlying mechanisms of ME and long Covid, and informing future therapeutic strategies. Sessions are led by EMERG experts and span the full breadth of ME research:
BRMEC15 brings together leading researchers and clinicians to share the latest advances in biomedical research - all in the pursuit of improving life for people living with ME.
Continuing Professional Development
From the Royal College of Physicians web site FAQ
CPD is any learning outside of undergraduate education or postgraduate training that helps you maintain and improve your performance. It covers the development of your knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviours across all areas of your professional practice. It includes both formal and informal learning activities and can be clinical (specialty related) or non-clinical (such as management, leadership or communication skills etc.).
CPD activities should maintain and improve a doctor’s: a) Quality of care given to patients and the public b) Standards of their teams and the services in which they work.
CPD helps doctors to update what they have learnt at medical school and during postgraduate training to reflect changes in practice, changes in the needs of patients and the service, and changes in society’s expectations of the way doctors work.
Doctors need a minimum number of CPD credits per year.
The international conference provides 6 points. The colloquium provides 14 points.
