About Us

International Myositis Society

The International Myositis Society (iMyoS) has been established in 2019. The main goal of the Society are:

  • Support the development and harmonization of diagnostic criteria & standards of care for myositis and help to implement those in all other international & national societies including, but not limited to AAN, EULAR, ACR, EAN, ERN EURO-NMD, ERN ReCONNET, MYOSITIS-NETZ, Euromyositis, CARRA, PRES JDM etc.
  • Foster the education of myositis specialists and promote inter-disciplinary curricula and fellowship programs 
  • Increase international awareness of myositis, promote funding and provide key contacts for funding bodies and other stake holders including NIH, EU-Horizon2020, ERN, ESF, FOREUM etc. 
  • Provide support for the local organizing committee of the international myositis meeting (global conference on myositis, GCOM), which takes place every two years 

The present board of directors are: Jens Schmidt (Neurologist, chair), Anneke van der Kooi (Neurologist, vice-chair), Peter Korsten (Rheumatologist, Secretary), Silke Schlüter (Patient representative, Treasurer).

International Myositis Society

Founding board members
Inaugural meeting (30 Sep 2019)

The board

Jens Schmidt

Neurologist
Chair
Rüdersdorf bei Berlin, Germany

Anneke van der Kooi

Neurologist
Vice-Chair
Amsterdam, Netherlands

Peter Korsten

Rheumatologist
Secretary
Sendenhorst, Germany

Silke Schlüter

Patient representative
Treasurer
Bad Salzuflen, Germany

Associate board members

Salman Bhai

Neurologist, Director,
Neuromuscular Center
Dallas, TX, USA

Karen Cheng

Patient representative
Basel, Switzerland

James Lilleker

Consultant Neurologist and
Honorary Senior Lecturer
Manchester, UK

Mridul Johari

Molecular Geneticist
Postdoctoral Researcher
Perth, Western Australia

Oliver Boyer

Immunologist
Rouen University Hospital
Rouen, France

Margherita Giannini

Rheumatologist
University Hospital of Strasbourg
Strasbourg, France

Didem Saygin

Rheumatologist
Rush University
Chicago, IL, USA

Teern Liewluck

Neurologist and Myopathologist
Rochester, Minnesota, USA

History of the Society

Upon multiple discussions at previous GCOM meetings, many international experts agreed that an international myositis society is needed in order to advance the field for patients as well as health care professionals. Through an open call for volunteers that was circulated in all major international networks including Euromyositis, IMACS etc., an international temporary steering committee of over 40 participants was formed. The members were all distinguished myositis experts from many countries of the world including USA, EU, Australia, China, and Japan. This steering committee met by regular telephone conferences and a face-to-face meeting at the 2019 GCOM meeting in Berlin. The steering committee decided on the founding and tax home of the society and, with the help of local and international lawyers, formed its bylaws. The inaugural meeting of the society was on 30 Sep 2019.

For more information on the history and goals of the society, please see the ePoster presentation from the 2021 International Conference on Neuromuscular Disorders (ICNMD). The presentations can also be downloaded here: please choose format video | Powerpoint with audio | pdf slides without animation | pdf abstract.