Zachary London, MD, Receives 2025 AANEM Jun Kimura Outstanding Educator Award

Dr. London has been the neurology residency director at the University of Michigan since 2007. Though he enjoys many aspects, he says the most rewarding aspect of training the next generation is watching them evolve. “Watching learners grow into thoughtful, capable, and compassionate clinicians is a privilege I never take for granted. I especially love those moments when trainees surpass us and teach us something new or challenge the status quo,” he says.

Over nearly 2 decades, he has become a national leader in medical education, known for his pioneering use of interactive tools and game-based learning to teach clinical neurology. “My love of games predates my love of medicine,” he said. “Bringing them together was a natural way to make a challenging topic more accessible. Play is a powerful tool for learning.”

Dr. London has designed and published over 10 board and card games, including The Plexus, Rooticle, Cranial Vault, The Lesion: Charcot’s Tournament, and Foramina. His work seeks to help learners visualize and retain complex neuroanatomy through engagement and repetition. “The goal is to provide a bridge between theory and clinical reasoning,” he said.

His digital innovations include Nerve Whiz, a mobile application that teaches peripheral nervous system localization and has been downloaded on more than 200,000 devices worldwide. He also developed EMG Whiz, a web-based EMG training simulator. “Apps like Nerve Whiz are instantly available, not just to trainees or health care professionals, but to anyone curious about neuroanatomy,” Dr. London said.

As chair of AANEM’s Fellowship Committee, Dr. London helped establish the Neuromuscular Fellowship Match, which has since served as a model for other neurology subspecialties. “The Neuromuscular Match brought transparency and fairness to an opaque process,” he said, noting this change’s impact beyond just the NM medicine field.

An active AANEM member since 2007, Dr. London has served in numerous leadership roles, including chairing the ABEM Examination Committee and acting as liaison for AANEM’s Young Leadership Council. He has also been a frequent faculty speaker at AANEM annual meetings, focusing on the intersection of education and clinical practice. Dr. London’s contributions have earned him widespread recognition, including the ANA Distinguished Neurology Teacher Award and the A.B. Baker Lifetime Achievement Award in Neurologic Education.

He credits his success to mentors like his neuroanatomy professor, John Harting, MD, who taught using diverse modalities to reach every learner. “Sometimes, if you can inspire enthusiasm and curiosity about a topic—perhaps through a game or a song—the lesson becomes a launching point, rather than the end goal,” he said.

Looking ahead, Dr. London is focused on growing the Neurology Playground, a repository of free print-and-play educational tools, and mentoring early-career educators. “The ultimate goal is to develop a formal program to train medical professionals to create and publish their own educational games,” he said.

To aspiring educators, Dr. London offers this advice: “Start with what excites you and share that excitement. Genuine passion is contagious, and learners remember how you made them feel. Think of education as design. Try new things, iterate, and be willing to fail.”