MONTREAL, April 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ - International experts will participate in the first-ever Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) Canadian Collaborative Team Conference on May 3–5, 2018 at CHU Sainte-Justine.  The conference will bring together 250 researchers and healthcare professionals from various disciplines to develop an international research agenda for this debilitating disease, for which there is no known cause or effective treatment.

"I am extremely encouraged by the interest shown by leading researchers and clinicians, who recognize the importance of establishing research priorities that will advance our understanding of ME/CFS and identify new strategies for treating patients," says Dr. Alain Moreau, Head, Viscogliosi Laboratory in Molecular Genetics of Musculoskeletal Diseases, CHU Sainte-Justine Research Center and Scientific Chair of the Conference.  

The conference will focus on:

• Methods to properly diagnose patients with ME/CFS;
• The role of biomarkers in diagnosing ME/CFS;
• Benefits of establishing a biobank to advance research;
• Ways to improve clinical care for ME/CFS patients; and
• How to initiate, support, sustain and advance research on ME/CFS.

"There is an urgent need to get to the bottom of this devastating disease. To do this, we need many people looking at it from different perspectives and sharing as many ideas as possible so that we are better able to understand ME/CFS at the molecular level," explains Dr. Ronald Davis, Professor, Biochemistry and Genetics and Director, Stanford Genome Technology Center.

Speakers include Dr. Jonas Bergquist, Professor, Uppsala University; Dr. Alison C. Bested, Clinical Director, Institute for Neuro-Immune Medicine at Nova Southeastern University; Dr. Peter Rowe, Director, Children's Center Chronic Fatigue Clinic, Johns Hopkins University; Dr. Eleonor Stein, Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of Calgary; and Dr. Derya Unutmaz, Professor, The Jackson Laboratory.

The conference is made possible through the support of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and other partners.

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
While severe chronic fatigue is one well-known symptom, ME/CFS affects a person's cognitive and physical abilities and primarily strikes the neurological, endocrine and immune systems. A 2015 Statistics Canada unpublished Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) reports that just over 560,000 patients were diagnosed with ME/CFS, an increase of 37.6% from 2014.  In Quebec, tens of thousands of individuals are affected. ME/CFS is recognized by the World Health Organization.

To view the program, click here.

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SOURCE Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) Canadian Collaborative Team Conference