IMACS Scientific Committee:

This committee reviews proposals of research studies that would involve the participation of IMACS members, as well as IMACS surveys and publications involving IMACS/its members prior to their submission (including for appropriate authorship). This committee will also suggest future scientific directions and new studies for IMACS to embark upon. The current chair of the IMACS Scientific Committee is Adam Schiffenbauer, M.D.

All members of IMACS are eligible to join one or more scientific interest groups, and its members may serve unlimited terms. Groups will often hold 2-4 teleconference calls per year, or communicate by email among members, and meet annually.

Current Scientific Committee members are:

• Adam Schiffenbauer (Chair)
• Vladimir Liarski (Vice chair)
• James Andrew
• Simone Appenzeller
• Jeffrey Dvergsten
• David Fernandez
• Manabu Fujimoto
• Wael Jarjour
• Hanna Kim
• Thomas Khoo
• Vidya Limaye
• Christian Lood
• Merrilee Needham
• Iago Pinal- Fernandez
• Bhaskar Roy
• Sarah Tansley
• Eleni Tiniakou
• Candie Jammal (Fellow member)
   

IMACS Meeting Planning Committee:

IMACS holds annual meetings to update the group on new developments and allow for regular exchange of information. Workshops and other more in-depth sessions are occasionally organized to address specific topics. Although not all IMACS members attend these meetings, there is often further discussion of meeting topics by all interested IMACS members, and for some meetings, the possibility of remote virtual participation. IMACS members may access the slide presentations for each of the meetings on the members-only section of the website by logging in.

The IMACS Meeting Planning Committee plans and organize the annual IMACS meetings and will also suggest proposals for other meetings, such as presentations at the American College of Rheumatology Myositis Study Group. The current chair of the IMACS Meeting Planning Committee is Galina Marder M.D.

Current Meeting Planning Committee members are:

• Galina Marder (Chair)
• Kelly Rouster-Stevens (Vice chair)
• Sara Sabbagh (Vice chair)
• Julie Paik (Past chair, MIHRA representative)
• Floranne Ernste (Past chair)
• Jemima Albayda
• Sangmee Bae
• Rochelle Castillo
• Lauren Covert
• Mazen Dimachkie (IMACS Coordinator, ad hoc member)
• Paula Eichenbrenner (TMA, ad hoc member)
• Mehmet Erkan (PReS JDM WP representative, ad hoc member)
• Prateek Gandiga (MCTC representative, ad hoc member)
• Shiri Keret (MCTC representative, ad hoc member)
• Bianca Lang (ad hoc member)
• James Minow (Cure JM, ad hoc member)
• Rebecca Nicolai (PReS JDM WP representative, ad hoc member)
• Lisa Rider (IMACS Coordinator, ad hoc member)
• Didem Saygin
• Lesley Ann Saketkoo (MIHRA representative, ad hoc member)
• Jessica Turnier
• Anneke van der kooi (iMyos representative, ad hoc member)
• Jiri Vencovsky (MYONET representative, ad hoc member)
• Iazsmin Bauer-Ventura
• Belina Yi (also CARRA representative)
• Jessica Simpson (Fellow member)
• Ana Valle (Fellow member)

IMACS Advisory Committee:

A committee of past and current IMACS coordinators, committee leaders, and selected other individuals with a historically active role in IMACS has been formed as an advisory committee to the IMACS Coordinators. The goals of this committee are to provide oversight of IMACS activities and to plan for the future of IMACS. The group meets 2-4 times annually.

IMACS Scientific Interest Groups:

IMACS Scientific Interest Groups are small focus groups centered around a topic of interest for myositis researchers, in some cases seeking to develop consensus in controversial areas or to develop new guidelines, and in other cases, seeking to perform new research projects. All members of IMACS are eligible to join one or more scientific interest groups, and its members may serve unlimited terms. Groups will often hold 2-4 teleconference calls per year, or communicate by email among members, and meet annually.

IMACS currently has 11 scientific interest groups:

• Calcinosis in Juvenile and Adult Dermatomyositis 
  Chairs: Christian Lood, Lesley Ann Saketkoo
  Vice chairs: Antonia Valenzuela, Dawn Wahezi
  Past chair: Lorinda Chung
• Data Sharing 
  Chair: Christopher Mecoli
  Vice chair: Didem Saygin
  Past chair: Lisa Rider
• Extension of SHARE Consensus Management of JDM 
  Chair: Liza McCann
  Vice chair: Adam Huber
  Past chair: Susan Kim
• Inclusion Body Myositis 
  Chair: Bhaskar Roy
  Vice chairs: Alexis Lizarraga, Elie Naddaf
  Past chair: Thomas Lloyd
• International Classification of Diseases (ICD) 
  Chair: Iazsmin Bauer Ventura
  Vice chair: Siamak Moghadam-Kia
  Past chair: Adam Schiffenbauer
• Interstitial Lung Diseases (ILD)
  Chair: Galina Marder
  Vice chairs: Sangmee Bae, Sonye Danoff
  Past chair: Frederick Miller
• Myositis Autoantibodies 
  Chair: Sarah Tansley
  Vice chair: Ernesto Trallero-Araguás
  Past chair: Rohit Aggarwal
• Myositis Genetics (MYOGEN) 
  Chairs: Jim Jarvis, Janine Lamb
  Vice chairs: Christopher Amos, Lisa Rider
  Past chair: Frederick Miller
• Outcome Assessment 
  Chairs: Pedro Machado, Victoria Werth
  Vice chairs: Rohit Aggarwal, Kaveh Ardalan
  Past chairs: David Isenberg, Lisa Rider, Frederick Miller
• Rehabilitation and Exercise
  Chair: Helene Alexanderson
  Vice chairs: Lesley Ann Saketkoo, Nicole Voet
  Past chair: Susan Maillard
• Telemedicine in Myositis
  Chair: Latika Gupta
  Vice chairs: Simone Appenzeller, Johannes Knitza
  Past chair: Lisa Christopher-Stine

IMACS Mentorship Program:

The Mentorship Program is designed to connect IMACS Members around the globe to provide opportunities to teach, learn, and collaborate. Members who are within 10 years of training completion are paired with a more experienced mentor for 1:1 mentorship, in which they meet several times annually for up to 2 years. The program also has occasional group meetings, virtually and in person.

• Latika Gupta (Head of program)