IMACS Committees
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)
- Teerin Liewluck (Vice chair)
- Dana Ascherman (Past chair)
- Simone Appenzeller
- Hector Chinoy (IMACS Coordinator; ad hoc member)
- Jeffrey Dvergsten
- David Fernandez
- Manabu Fujimoto
- David Isenberg (IMACS Coordinator; ad hoc member)
- Wael Jarjour
- Hanna Kim
- Vladimir Liarski
- Vidya Limaye
- Christian Lood
- Merrilee Needham
- Iago Pinal- Fernandez
- Bhaskar Roy
- Elena Schiopu
- Sarah Tansley
- Eleni Tiniakou
- Thomas Khoo (Fellow member)
- Joanna Parkes (Fellow member)
- 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 Julie Paik, M.D., M.H.S.
Current Meeting Planning Committee members are:
- Galina Marder (Chair)
- Kelly Rouster-Stevens (Vice chair)
- Sara Sabbagh (Vice chair)
- Julie Paik (Past chair)
- Floranne Ernste (Past chair)
- Jemima Albayda
- Sangmee Bae
- Rochelle Castillo
- Mazen Dimachkie (IMACS Coordinator; ad hoc member)
- Paula Eichenbrenner (TMA ad hoc member)
- Annet van Royen Kerkhof (JDM Working Group ad hoc member)
- Linda Kobert (TMA ad hoc member)
- Peter Korsten (iMyoS ad hoc member)
- James Minow (Cure JM ad hoc member)
- Siamak Moghadam
- Lisa Rider (IMACS Coordinator; ad hoc member)
- Sara Sabbagh
- Didem Saygin
- Kelly Rouster-Stevens
- Jessica Turnier
- Iazsmin Bauer-Ventura
- Belina Yi
- 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.
Current advisory committee members include:
- Lisa Rider
- David Isenberg
- Hector Chinoy
- Mazen Dimachkie
- Frederick Miller
- Rohit Aggarwal
- Helene Alexanderson
- Martha Arnold
- Dana Ascherman
- Paula Eichenbrenner
- Nikki Hahn
- Andrew Heaton
- Bianca Lang
- Ingrid Lundberg
- Pedro Machado
- James Minow
- David Mochel
- Chester Oddis
- Lesley Ann Saketkoo
- Jens Schmidt
- Jiri Vencovský
- Victoria Werth
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 10 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: Namita Goyal; Elie Naddaf
Past chair: Thomas Lloyd - International Classification of Diseases (ICD)
Chair: Iazsmin Bauer Ventura
Vice chair: Siamak Moghadam-Kia
Past chair: Adam Schiffenbauer - Myositis Autoantibodies
Chair: Rohit Aggarwal
Vice chairs: Sarah Tansley; Ernesto Trallero-Araguás
Past chair: Neil McHugh - Myositis Genetics (MYOGEN)
Chairs: Christopher Amos; Janine Lamb
Vice chairs: Jim Jarvis; 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 chair: Lesley Ann Saketkoo
Past chair: Susan Maillard - Telemedicine in Myositis
Chair: Latika Gupta
Vice chair: Simone Appenzeller
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)