Welcome to your December newsletter from the World Muscle Society

Our 30^th anniversary year has been a real milestone in the Society’s history and I am looking forward to what the 30 coming years will bring, of course beyond Victor’s 100th, 110th and 120th birthdays.

The new Executive Board will meet early in the new year to review the work we have done and the work we want to do. We will continue to focus on increasing access to networks for those working as researchers and clinicians in the field of neuromuscular disorders all over the world. We need to reshape and re-design the existing committees and potentially initiate new ones, so if you have any ideas you would like the Board to consider, or if there is a committee you would like to be part of, feel free to have a look at the existing committee on the website and to let us know.

As WMS members, you have exclusive access to both the WMS 2025 photo library and the educational content from the Congress. To find the photo library, please visit your profile on the WMS website. To access the educational content from WMS 2025, you can continue to use the Congress virtual platform until 13 January, after which, you will be able to find it in the Education and Development Opportunities section of the WMS website. 

I also need to inform you about a change coming in the new year. The WMS Executive Board and Elsevier have been in discussions for several years regarding the printed journals for WMS members and how the logistics of printing and delivery impact the Society's sustainability and financial objectives.
 

With this in mind, we have agreed that Elsevier will stop printing copies of the journals from 1 January 2026. Whilst recognising that some of our valued members prefer to receive a hard copy of the journal, the overall majority of our members now receive a digital version. It is no longer viable for Elsevier to produce printed copies and deliver worldwide. We will be contacting the members directly affected by this change.

We appreciate this may not be welcome news, especially for those like me, who can’t travel without an edition of Neuromuscular Disorders in their backpack, but please be assured that this decision was not taken lightly. We hope you will understand it was taken in the best interests of the Society and of our global responsibilities. I think it’s good advice to keep all your printed copies. In 75 years they will be collectors items and could generate substantial revenues for your team!

I look forward to working with you in 2026 and beyond. I wish a pleasant festive season for those who celebrate and more importantly, I wish all of you a 2026 vintage that surpasses your craziest expectations.

Kindest regards,