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 programsÂ
- 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.Â
- Provide support for the local organizing committee of the international myositis meeting (global conference on myositis, GCOM), which takes place every two yearsÂ
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).
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
Teerin Liewluck
Neurologist and Myopathologist
Mayo Clinic
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.
International Myositis Society
