Journal of IiMER May 2025 Young EMERG The European ME Research Group early career researcher network, formed in 2023, brings together the new wave of researchers to form a European support base that can facilitate collaboration with early career investigators in other continents. The group is linked to the European ME Research Group (EMERG) The Young EMERG 2025 Symposium for Promoting the Advancement of Research Knowledge in ME (SPARK ME) is another a unique gathering tailored for young and early career researchers, and medical students, passionate about advancing research in ME and post-viral illnesses. Organised by Young EMERG and Invest in ME Research, YE SPARK ME aims to facilitate collaboration, knowledge exchange, and networking among early career researchers in the field of ME. At SPARK ME, early career researchers have the opportunity to showcase their work through oral and poster presentations. The event offers a safe space for early career researchers to discuss challenges and gain valuable insights into pursuing ME research. Through engaging talks, participants will be equipped with knowledge of postdoctoral research funding opportunities, career development and ME/CFS study design and much more! For this year’s event the different nationalities and career stages of those attending the workshop consist of 25% of attendees being UK-based, 45% are based in other European countries, and around 20% are US-based. Then there are a few people from other countries, such as Australia and South Africa. Around half of them are PhD students, the rest are post-docs, other academic researchers, undergraduate students, and some other various job descriptions. The attendees represent a wide range of research fields, primarily within the biological sciences, including electrophysiology, immunology, neuroscience, genetics, metabolomics, and metagenomics. Additionally, participants from the medical sciences, such as medicine, cardiology, and public health, and from computational and data sciences, including biomarker mining, bioinformatics, and statistics, contributed to the vibrant interdisciplinary atmosphere. The event even attracts PIs – although not always with the approval of the younger researchers! “The most helpful aspect of the conference was] … giving perspectives from other fields and learning how they connect to my own” Young EMERG published a well-received paper last year – Advancing Research and Treatment: An Overview of Clinical Trials in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) and Future Perspectives - https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/13/2/325 Invest in ME Research Page 4 of 43
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