“The transition out of residency to a faculty position for academic neurology is not straightforward, and there is no single path to follow. Having just made this transition, I understand the benefit of identifying mentors and peers who have recently successfully done so. ANA is perfectly poised to provide such a resource.”
—Jennifer Orthmann-Murphy, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor of Neurology and Co-Director, Age Span Fellowship in Multiple Sclerosis/Neuroinflammatory Disorders
Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
The ANA's Junior Membership Task Force develops programs and initiatives to increase junior membership participation within the ANA and serve the needs of ANA Members and Associates. We spoke with Junior Membership Task Force Chair Jennifer Orthmann-Murphy, MD, PhD, about her research, life as an early-career academic neurologist, and the Task Force’s new initiatives. Dr. Orthmann-Murphy is Assistant Professor of Neurology and Co-Director of the Age Span Fellowship in Multiple Sclerosis/Neuroinflammatory Disorders at the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine.
Q: What is your area of focus in neurology and why?
I spend the majority of my time running a basic science laboratory that studies the dynamic role of glial cells in repair of acquired and inherited disorders of myelin. Clinically, I am fellowship trained in neuroimmunology and the care of people with multiple sclerosis. I have now established a new Undiagnosed White Matter Disorder adult neurogenetics clinic at Penn to generate a unique research cohort of genetically defined adult patients with leukodystrophy or leukoencephalopathy that will drive further basic science research into how genetic defects of glial-expressed genes may contribute to white matter disorders.
My overall goal is to identify and develop novel therapeutic targets for repair of the brain in myelin disorders.
Q: What is the purpose of the Junior Membership Task Force? Why did you take on the role of chair?
The purpose of the JMTF is to establish initiatives in the ANA that will help promote the careers of trainees and early faculty interested in academic neurology. I decided to take on the role of chair because the transition out of residency to a faculty position for academic neurology is not straightforward, and there is no single path to follow. Having just made this transition, I understand the benefit of identifying mentors and peers who have recently successfully done so. ANA is perfectly poised to provide such a resource.
Q: What is up next for the Task Force?
We are really excited to launch the Junior Members Reception at the 2019 Annual Meeting. This idea grew out of our extremely successful Happy Hour that we hosted at the 2018 Annual Meeting. We have an enthusiastic cohort of potential junior members, including graduating residents, fellows, postdocs, instructors, and early faculty, and we want junior members to get the most out of the Annual Meeting.
The Junior Member Reception is a networking event to establish a peer network that represents the future of academic neurology. Members of the JMTF will introduce ourselves, our stage of training, and our experience so far with pursuing the academic neurology track. The majority of the reception will be an informal discussion over dinner on topics such as applying for funding, applying for tenure-track positions, identifying mentors, participating in public policy/advocacy, and work-life balance. We will be joined by associate professor ANA members who have successfully navigated the early academic neurologist career. We will also highlight the sessions of the Annual Meeting that will be most useful for junior members and will welcome any ideas and suggestions for resources to develop for junior members going forward.
Q: What has been the most valuable aspect of being an ANA member and attending the Annual Meeting?
As a physician scientist studying the basic mechanisms of demyelinating disease while also taking care of people with MS, ANA is the perfect home for me. The ANA has long promoted the careers of academic neurologists who have identified the cause and/or are developing many successful treatments for these diseases. ANA is the perfect resource to identify these mentors and collaborators to continue to push the field forward.
At the 2018 Annual Meeting, I found the several panel presentations on therapeutic developments in neurological disorders both incredibly motivating and exciting. Because of this research, the clinical care of neurological disorders over the next 5–10 years is going to be completely transformed, with so many novel approaches coming to fruition. I also had a wonderful time seeing old friends and making new ones.
Q: Of all the professional associations out there, why is it important for early-career academic neurologists to get involved with the ANA?
It is so easy to meet and network with leaders in the field at the ANA Annual Meeting that there is really no reason for early-career academic neurologists not to get involved. You have the opportunity to develop lifelong friendships with peers, make connections with colleagues at other institutions, as well as chairs of multiple departments, broadening access to potential jobs, speaking opportunities and discussions that foster new scientific directions. All of these opportunities happened to me at the ANA Annual Meeting over the last several years as I transitioned from fellow to assistant professor!
Q: What research are you currently working on?
As a postdoctoral fellow at Hopkins, working with Dwight Bergles and Peter Calabresi, I developed a platform to study cortical remyelination longitudinally over the course of damage and repair in the intact brain using multiphoton imaging. In my own lab, I am studying how glial cells like astrocytes and microglia contribute to the repair process and how these findings can be leveraged to develop novel reparative therapies in acquired and inherited demyelinating disorders.
Q: What do you do in your free time? Do you have any hobbies?
My “free time” is devoted to being a mom. I have 3 kids — 11, 7, and 2 — and each one represents a stage of training (grad school, residency, and fellowship). My older two children play baseball, and it is probably fair to say I spend the majority of my time outside of work going to games or practices, and sharing the job of chasing after the 2-year-old with my husband.
Are you an early-career academic neurologist or neuroscientist attending ANA2019? Join us at the Junior Members Reception, Saturday, October 12, 2019, 5–6:30 p.m.