Michele Giunta and Manar Aoun, Marie Curie fellows at Mitochondrial Research Group (UK) and FINCB (Italy), have organised a dissemination event addressed to students of the secondary school “I.S.I.S.S. ‘CANTONI‘” for presenting Marie Curie fellows opportunities, introducing the EU FP7 MEET project and underlying the importance of fundraising activities in the scientific field.

Michele, a young Italian researcher based on Newcastle Upon Tyne University (UK), and Manar, a Lebanese reasearcher who worked at Fondazione IRCCS Carlo Besta in Milan during her MEET project’s training period, organised this event in order to share experiences, opportunities and knowledge around mitochondrial diseases.

Dr Juliane Mueller and Beccie Brennan, also from the IGM at Newcastle University, will presented at the event.

The event, which will be held in Treviglio (Italy) on April 9th, is included in the MEETers’ activities funded by European Commission in order to spread information about mitochondrial diseases and novel treatment avenues.

Conference leaflet is available here.

Dr Jeremy Parr will be giving a talk in the Cafe Scientifique series on his research.

Date/Time: 21 March 2016, 19:00 – 21:00

Venue: DC Cafe, Dance City, Temple Street, NE1 4BR

Dr Jeremy Parr is a Clinical Senior Lecture with the University and an Honorary consultant with both the NUTH and NTW NHS foundation trusts. Jeremy’s research focuses on Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). He currently  leads the Autism Spectrum Database-UK containing over 1500 families interested in participating and accessing ASD research. He also leads a programme of research to help support adults with Autism Spectrum Conditions.  This talk will focus on his ‘Blue Room’ project using a virtual reality environment to help reduce anxiety in people with autism.

Café Scientifique talks are a series of free events for thinkers which aim to generate discussion and debate. No need to register just come along.

A show of hands from the Institute of Genetic Medicine today, to raise awareness of the international Rare Disease Day and the importance of rare disease research.

The image was shared via Twitter and email with the larger community today.

1 in 17 people in the EU is affected by a rare condition. That’s 3.5 million people in the UK alone! Although individually rare, together the rare conditions affect more people than cancer and AIDS combined. Let’s all unite to make the rare disease voice heard!

Brain Awareness Week is taking place on the 14.03.16 -20.03.16 and there are a number of events taking place.

• Wednesday 16 March – SciBar “The Perfect Storm – Mitochondria in Parkinson’s Disease”

• Thursday 17 March – The Science of 3D

• Monday 21 March – Café Culture North East – ‘Virtual Reality: Alleviating anxieties in autism’ Dr Jeremy Parr, Institute of Neuroscience, explores new scientific discoveries which are helping children with autism to overcome the fears by creating a virtual world where they can safely and gently try new experiences which then help to overcome anxieties and phobias.  http://www.cafeculturenortheast.org.uk/events_2016.html

Kidney Research UK funded patient information day for cystinuria at will be taking place at the Freeman Hospital on the 5th March2016. Dr John Sayer from the IGM is taking part in the event. For more information, email John at john.sayer@ncl.ac.uk