Australia: Dr David Fineberg, ME Research Clinic (MERC), Melbourne

Hutan

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Staff member
From hotdoc:
Dr David Fineberg is a general practitioner and PhD candidate at the University of Melbourne whose research focuses on ME/CFS and Long COVID. He is the founding clinician of the ME Research Clinic (MERC), a translational research hub dedicated to advancing the diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment of complex post-viral syndromes through an evidence-based, patient-centred model.

At MERC, Dr Fineberg’s role includes diagnosis confirmation, initiating targeted investigations, and facilitating referrals where required. A key focus is supporting patients through tailored management plans and navigating access to appropriate therapies.

The clinic also contributes to research in precision medicine by stratifying patients using cognitive, autonomic, immune, and metabolic profiling. These assessments, while not part of standard care, are offered through approved research protocols to build an integrated dataset for identifying subgroups and guiding personalised interventions.

Dr Fineberg's work aims to bridge clinical care and research, bringing scientific insight to the front line of general practice.
 
I find the copy a bit concerning, though it's possible it might not portray the work very accurately.

It reads as if targeted investigations and appropriate therapies exist for ME/CFS. Investigating subgroups might be a useful contribution if it's done rigorously enough as part of a trial, but then it says 'personalised interventions' as if these are available for ME/CFS.

In places it sounds worryingly like some of the US private clinics, which appear to operate by convincing people they'll find something that helps if only they pay for enough consultations, tests and drugs. That's probably not a fair representation, but it's how it comes across.
 
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