Press and Media
View the latest AANEM Achievement Award winners, the American Neuromuscular Foundation (ANF) Abstract Award winners, and the latest AANEM news articles on News Express.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: When will be content of abstracts be viewable, as opposed to just the titles?
A: The abstract content will be available at the annual meeting during the Poster Hall hours. We do not provide abstract presenter information or slides ahead of time. All available information can be found in the AANEM Abstract Guide online when it becomes available.
Q: How do I reach out to abstract or session presenters for an interview?
A: We do not offer member contact information. To connect with abstract or session presenters, review the AANEM Annual Meeting Program when available. Find the topics of interest and connect with the presenter after their lecture or during their abstract poster session time. Currently there is no interview option for virtual attendees.
Q: When can I share information?
A: The embargo on the abstracts themselves is lifted when they have been published in Muscle & Nerve and online in the AANEM Abstract Guide. However, the additional information beyond what is in the abstract itself is still embargoed.
AANEM requires information that goes beyond that which is contained within the abstract, e.g., the release of data not included in the abstract, discussion of the abstract done as part of a scientific presentation, etc. to be embargoed until the start of the annual meeting. Please see the Abstract Embargo Policy.
Q: Will the Abstract Award Reception feature the best posters?
A: The Abstract Award Reception is a social hour in honor of the abstract award winners where all authors, including award winners, will be available to discuss research.
Q: Original research is ONLY presented as posters, correct?
A: Yes - the research is presented in the Poster Hall via abstract posters.
Honoring Austin J. Sumner, MD
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.
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."