Honoring Austin J. Sumner, MD

Published September 03, 2025

AANEM


The AANEM is deeply saddened to announce the passing of Austin J. Sumner, MD, a visionary in neuromuscular and electrodiagnostic medicine, who died Aug. 30, 2025, at the age of 87, in Burlington, Vermont. Dr. Sumner served as AANEM President in 1985 and was a member of the Board of Directors from 1979 to 1986. He contributed to numerous committees and led the ABEM as Chair in 1991. A recipient of both the Distinguished Researcher Award and the association’s highest honor—the Lifetime Achievement Award—Dr. Sumner leaves an enduring legacy in clinical neurophysiology.


Born in Hokitika, New Zealand, Dr. Sumner earned both his medical degree and a Master of Medical Science with first-class honors in Dunedin. His academic journey took him from Wellington Hospital to London’s National Hospital for Nervous Diseases at Queen Square, where he trained under Professor Roger Gilliatt. He later joined the faculty at the University of California, San Francisco, and in 1974 moved to the University of Pennsylvania to work alongside his mentor, Arthur Asbury, MD. His research during this period was pivotal—defining several important neuropathies, including neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome and Lewis-Sumner Syndrome, a chronic immune-mediated demyelinating neuropathy.

In 1988, Dr. Sumner became Chair of Neurology at LSU Health in New Orleans, a role he held for nearly 2 decades. He trained generations of neurologists, served as a steady leader through Hurricane Katrina, and remained active in research and education as the Richard M. Paddison Professor of Neurology until his retirement in 2014. He also served as Chair of the AAN Foundation Board of Trustees and President of the American Academy of Clinical Neurophysiology.

Known for his keen clinical insight, precise EDX skills, and mentorship, Dr. Sumner made an unforgettable mark on the field. Reflecting on his legacy, John D. England, MD, the current Richard M. Paddison Professor and Chair of Neurology at LSU Health Sciences Center who succeeded Dr. Sumner in that role in 2007, said, “Dr. Sumner was a brilliant and innovative academic neurologist. He trained and influenced dozens of prominent clinicians and scientists around the world. His legacy will live on in the world of neurology."

 

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