Remembering Jun Kimura
Published March 06, 2022
Membership
AANEM Past President and electrodiagnostic pioneer Jun Kimura, MD, passed away on Thursday, March 3, 2022, at the age of 87. “Everyone that knew Jun would say he was a kind man that was always interested in teaching. He will be greatly missed,” said AANEM Executive Director, Shirlyn Adkins, JD.
Dr. Kimura received a Bachelor of Technology degree in 1957 and MD in 1961 from Kyoto University in Japan. He moved to the United States as a Fulbright scholar in 1962 for residency training in neurology and fellowship in electrophysiology at the University of Iowa. He taught at the University of Manitoba in Canada, University of Iowa in the USA, Kyoto University in Japan, and Tiantan Hospital in China.
Throughout his career, Dr. Kimura published over 700 articles, books, and chapters. He continuously made significant contributions in the areas of blink reflex and far-field motor and sensory action potentials, as well as the development of numerous innovative electrodiagnostic techniques. His bestselling book “Electrodiagnosis in Diseases of Nerve and Muscle: Principles and Practice” is highly regarded in the field.
Dr. Kimura was an active member of the AANEM. He served on the Board as Secretary/Treasurer from 1981-1984, became President in 1985, and participated on the AANEM Board from 1978-1987. He was also the editor of Muscle & Nerve for 10 years (1988-1998). He continued to act as editor of the journal after he relocated from Iowa to Japan. He joked that the AANEM Board did not think Japan was any farther away than the Midwest.
Dr. Kimura served on many AANEM committees and as an ABEM oral examiner. Educating the next generation was an important part of Dr. Kimura’s legacy. He spoke often at the AANEM meetings, including UltraEMG.
A video of Dr. Kimura reflecting on his AANEM presidency can be seen here.
His dedication to the association and the field of electrodiagnostic medicine earned him the AANEM Lifetime Achievement Award in 1998 and Distinguished Researcher in 1995. The Jun Kimura Outstanding Lectureship was created in his honor in 2019.
In addition to being President of the AANEM, Dr. Kimura served as President of the International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology (IFCN) and the World Federation of Neurology (WFN). He’s also received honorary awards from many societies across the world.
"Dr. Kimura is truly a legend in both neurology and electrodiagnostic medicine and his impact on our disciplines cannot be overstated. His selfless and tireless teaching improved the quality of medical care across the globe. He was both a great person and truly good person that touched so many lives. I know I speak for many when I say that we will deeply miss our dear friend and mentor," said Dr. Jeff Strakowski.