Devon I. Rubin, MD, Receives AANEM's 2024 Innovation Award

Dr. Rubin is a neurologist, EDX physician, professor of neurology, and educator at Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida. He received an undergraduate degree from Washington University in St. Louis, a medical degree from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, and his neurology and clinical neurophysiology (CNP) training at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. With a specialization in clinical electromyography and NMDs, Dr. Rubin has served as the director of the Mayo Clinic Florida EMG laboratory for 18 years and is the executive vice chair of the Department of Neurology at Mayo Clinic in Florida.

Beyond practicing EDX medicine and NM neurology, Dr. Rubin is deeply passionate about education in clinical electromyography. He notes the importance of helping others improve their knowledge and skills to impact patient care. “Through education, if we can make others better clinicians and make more timely and accurate diagnoses, it ultimately helps improve the health and lives of others. Being able to have some positive impact in helping others learn has always been important to me,” he says. 

That passion brought Dr. Rubin to serve as the program director for the Mayo Clinic Clinical Neurophysiology Fellowship since 2007 and to develop numerous educational products to teach interpretation of EDX studies, including the EMG Waveform Trainer, EMG Recruitment Trainer, EMG Waveform Tester, Learn EMG, Real EMG cases, Muscle Localization in Electromyography, and NCS Trainer.

In addition to his educational contributions, Dr. Rubin has participated in several professional organizations, serving on boards and committees such as numerous AANEM committees and the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology CNP Examination committee. He has also conducted clinical research focused on optimizing techniques, methods, and interpretation of NCSs and needle EMG. He has published over 80 articles and 30 book chapters related to various aspects of clinical electromyography and directed many courses dedicated to CNP institutionally and at national and international conferences. Dr. Rubin is recognized for his educational contributions and has received multiple awards for distinction in education within the Mayo Clinic and through national organizations. 

Although his projects demand time and require the ability to learn new technologies, Dr. Rubin finds satisfaction from people utilizing the programs and learning from materials he has developed. “That makes all the time and effort worthwhile and gives me the mental push to continue to develop more.” He says he stays inspired by his wife, who gives him perspective, feedback, and the support needed to complete his goals and Dr. Jasper Daube, who taught him, “the importance of dedication and commitment to a task and to pay attention to details.”

Looking ahead, Dr. Rubin remains committed to innovation, with plans to update several existing digital products and to develop new educational tools, including a new digital NCS testing product. He emphasizes the importance of being surrounded by good and passionate people, and not to be afraid to fail and have fun while pursuing your goals.

Dr. Rubin says he is humbled to be recognized for the innovations he has helped develop. “There are so many deserving, creative, innovative minds in the organization, and I greatly appreciate the acknowledgment. To know that others find these educational programs valuable and effective gives me great personal and professional satisfaction. I hope that what I do will inspire others to be innovative, think ‘outside the box,’ and have fun working on new ideas and developing new educational products to further advance education for everyone.”