The World Muscle Society (WMS) community is a supportive and welcoming one. We celebrate science and discovery, share knowledge and support one another in pursuit of scientific advances.
The WMS considers early career researchers and clinicians as typically those who are still studying/training and/or within five years of their last relevant formal training, e.g., five years after being awarded their PhD or becoming specialists in the field.
These typically include students, postdoctoral researchers, clinical trainees, research support staff, and junior allied health researchers.
This five-year limit considers career disruptions, e.g., 12 months of parental leave, making the attendee 5.5 years post PhD, they would still be considered early-career researchers (as they are 4.5 years post-PhD, excluding this disruption).
The field of neuromuscular disorders is broad, encompassing a range of conditions that impair the functioning of the muscles, either directly, being pathologies of the voluntary muscle, or indirectly, being pathologies of the peripheral nervous system or neuromuscular junctions.
For early career researchers and clinicians, knowing how to access the right support and meet the people who have the potential to influence your career can seem overwhelming.
At the WMS, as part of our commitment to advancing the science around neuromuscular disorders, we are committed to supporting early career researchers and clinicians.
Our annual Congress provides an ideal opportunity to meet other people working in the field, learn from them, discover new breakthroughs and share your own experiences.
In 2025, we will visit Vienna in Austria. On 6th and 7th October, 2025, we will also host our Pre-Congress Teaching Course, where neuromuscular specialists provide an in-depth overview of the field of neuromuscular disorders including modern approaches to patient evaluation and developments in myology. We encourage all physicians, researchers, therapists, and neuropathologists interested in learning more about neuromuscular disorders from leaders in the field to register.
To make our Congresses more accessible, we have:
All these initiatives are designed to reduce the financial burden of attending the Congress in person and are available for the 2025 Congress. Of course, we also have our full programme available remotely via our virtual platform for those unable to travel, but we can’t quite replicate the value of being in the room and making those human connections. You can find out more about our steps to make the WMS Congress more accessible for early career researchers and clinicians by visiting the Congress website.
If you would like to know more about the WMS and how we can support your career, take a look around our website. To talk to some of our existing members and make new connections in the field, consider attending one of our Myology Cafés – they take place every other month.
The WMS is here for you. We want to do all we can to support your professional advancement as you work to advance the science and care of patients with neuromuscular disorders.
https://www.enmc.org/early-career-programme/introduction/
