Four Nations Mark International ME Awareness Day
At the behest of ME Research UK, the four home nations united to mark International ME Awareness Day 2025 with the Northern Ireland Assembly’s Parliament Buildings, Belfast City Hall, BT Tower, London, Gateshead Millennium Bridge, Cardiff Castle, Edinburgh, and Aberdeen Council’s HQ illuminated in blue in honour of those affected by ME and to raise awareness of the disease.
In addition, ME Research UK’s home city – Perth – likewise marked the occasion, and to recognise the 25th anniversary of the foundation of the Perth-based charity, Provost Xander McDade and Perth and Kinross Council held a Civic Reception on 12th May at the Civic Hall, Perth.
ME Awareness Week
During ME Awareness Week, we raised awareness about the debilitating nature of ME/CFS, but also about the research being conducted to tackle the symptoms associated with the disease.
ME Research UK at Stormont
Robbie Butler MLA opened a highly successful meeting at the Northern Ireland Parliament Buildings organised by Hope4ME & Fibromyalgia NI – a charity run by patients and family volunteers for people with ME, Fibromyalgia, and Covid-induced ME. The meeting was attended by MLAs, political representatives, healthcare workers, academics, & educators, and was addressed by the Minister of Health, Mike Nisbett.
Articles
- A US-based research team has investigated the physiological similarities between individuals with ME/CFS and those with long COVID using invasive cardiopulmonary exercise testing. The findings reveal that both groups exhibited a comparable pattern of physiological limitations during exercise. This is not surprising given that many people with long COVID meet diagnostic criteria for ME/CFS, including experiencing post-exertional malaise (PEM) – the hallmark feature of ME/CFS.
- Joanne Hunt – a researcher at Uppsala Universitet in Sweden and a “person with severe ME/CFS” – has written an article highlighting how the lack of attention given to inequalities between different groups of people with ME/CFS – different ethnic groups, for example – leads to the experiences, viewpoints and interests of those who are in the majority group being treated as universal.
- A new study from researchers in Japan has looked at static and kinetic disequilibrium (instability when upright or when walking) in people with ME/CFS, and investigated the potential therapeutic benefit of a non-invasive treatment called repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation.
Other topics explored in May included new estimates of ME/CFS prevalence in the UK, reduced sphingolipid metabolism and immune cell hyperresponsiveness.
Founders’ Science Writing Award
This competition aims to give early career researchers the opportunity to develop skills in communicating science in a way that is accessible and engaging to the public. The second annual competition was launched in May, with this year’s theme being “ME/CFS 2025 – Research Challenges and Opportunities”.
Blue Sunday – Thank you
Thanks to everyone who took part in Anna Redshaw’s “Blue Sunday” Tea Party for M.E on 18 May, and to everyone who donated to, or fundraised on behalf of, ME Research UK. Additionally, huge thanks to Isaac for organising and hosting “Blue Sunday – Tea Party for ME – The Concert”. All donations will go towards biomedical research into ME/CFS.
Give as You Live
Did you know, when you sign up to Give as you Live, the retailers with whom you shop will make a donation to us for every purchase you make? It’s completely free, and the funds help us to inform, invest and influence. Sign up to support ME Research UK today.
London Marathon 2026
Do you know someone waiting to hear if they’ve been successful in the ballot for the 2026 TCS London Marathon? Do you want to shorten the odds to them participating? ME Research UK has one guaranteed place in the run, so please ask them to email us with their name and email address and we will let them know when our application process opens.
Big Give Christmas Challenge
Last year over £60,000 was raised for research via the December 2025 Big Give Christmas Challenge. ME Research UK has applied once more to participate, and the first step is to ask supporters to become Pledgers. No Pledge money will be collected until after the Big Give Christmas Challenge ends, and the maximum amount asked will never be above the sum pledged. The minimum pledge is £100, but we will be sharing more details soon.
Help us make the breakthrough
We know that, as a subscriber to our newsletter and someone who is interested in our work, you join us in the belief that only robust scientific research is the key to understanding ME/CFS.
Donations from our valued supporters are vital if we are to continue our work to inform, influence and invest in ME/CFS research globally.
