Who we are?
The AFM Working Group was established in North America in September 2018 in response to the emergence of AFM as a disabling disease representing a significant public health threat. With a total of 131 group members, it encompasses a wide range of relevant specialties including neurology, pediatrics, infectious diseases, critical care medicine, surgery, and physical medicine & rehabilitation, as well as scientists with expertise in epidemiology, genetics, virology and immunology, and representatives from the patient community.

Our Mission
The mission of The AFM Working group is to develop, generate consensus, and share knowledge about the disease for the welfare of individuals diagnosed with AFM in the United States and around the world.
Our Vision
Address the knowledge gap on the current understanding of AFM, encourage and advance research endeavors, and improve the quality of life of the AFM community.
What is new?
Our monthly virtual meeting: “Are enteroviruses coming back in 2021 after COVID-19 is tapering off?”
This past Thursday, March 18th, 2021, Sang (Daniel) Woo Park from Dr. Bryan Grenfell’s group at Princeton, alongside Dr. Kevin Messacar (U Colorado), Dr. Charles Chiu (UCSF), Adriana Lopez (CDC), and Dr. Heba Mostafa (Johns Hopkins), discussed epidemiological dynamics of enterovirus D68 in the COVID-19 era in the United States, and it’s implications for acute flaccid myelitis.
To watch the full video of the Virtual Meeting please click here
Also, we invite you to review our past virtual Townhall forum of 2021, where experts discussed the new consensus criteria for the diagnosis and management of AFM outlined in the recently published Lancet Review: “Acute flaccid myelitis: cause, diagnosis, and management.”
To watch the full video of the Virtual Townhall please click here
Organized by the AFMWG and SRNA
Follow us on Twitter: @AFMWG
Objectives and Goals
Objectives
- Develop and share up to date information of the epidemiology, natural history, disease mechanisms, and clinical aspects of AFM
- Bring together an interdisciplinary community of experts with a common interest in AFM to enrich the discussions and reach consensus on the different aspects of the disease
- Provide guidance to physicians and health care providers across the globe in the diagnosis, clinical assessment, acute management, and long term care of patients affected by AFM
- Conduct collaborative research to learn about a relatively rare but disabling condition
- Raise awareness and educate the community on AFM to increase our preparedness for potential upcoming outbreaks
Goals
- Publish basic science, translational and clinical research papers that enhance understanding of AFM
- Publish consensus diagnostic criteria and clinical guidelines for acute management and rehabilitation
- Organize educational symposiums and webinars for both the healthcare and parents’ communities
- Enrollment of individuals diagnosed with AFM and families in ongoing and future research studies
- Preserve partnership and frequent communication with the Centers for disease control AFM Surveillance Team and the National Institutes of Health
- Preserve partnership and frequent communication with patient advocacy organizations such as the Siegel Rare Neuroimmune Association (SRNA) and the AFM Association.
AFM Working group sites and members
California
University of California San Francisco, Benioff Children Hospital, San Francisco
Department of Neurology, Division of Child Neurology
- Kendall Nash, M.D.
- Carla Francisco, M.D.
- Jonathan Strober, M.D.
Department of Neurological Surgery
- Line Jacques M.D.
- Nalin Gupta M.D. PhD
University of California San Francisco
Laboratory Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases
- Charles Chiu, M.D., PhD
- Benjamin Briggs, M.D., PhD
Department of Neurology
- Riley Bove, M.D., M.A.
Kaiser Permanente San Francisco Medical Center and UCSF Pediatrics
Department of Pediatrics, Infectious Disease
- Carol Glaser, M.D.
Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford, Palo Alto
Department of Neurology- Pediatric Neuromuscular Clinic
- Carolina Tesi-Rocha, M.D.
Department of Neurology- Pediatric Neuroimmunology Clinic
The Van Haren Lab – Stanford University
- Keith Van Haren, M.D.
Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
Division of Neurology
- Jay Desai, M.D.
- Nusrat Ahsan, M.D.
- Emmanuelle Tiongson, M.D.
- Leigh Ramos-Platt, M.D.
- Jonathan Douglas Santoro, M.D.
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
Clinical Microbiology and Virology Laboratory
- Jennifer Dien Bard, PhD.
Center for Brachial Plexus and Peripheral Nerve
- Mitchel Seruya M.D.
J. Craig Venter Institute, La Jolla Campus
- Richard H. Scheuermann, PhD.
University of California San Diego and Rady Children’s Hospital
Department of Neurology
- Chamindra Konersman, MD
Valley Children’s Hospital
Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine
- John Luce, DO
Colorado
Children’s Hospital Colorado, Aurora
Department of Pediatrics, Section of Infectious Diseases
- Kevin Messacar, M.D.
- Mark Abzug, M.D.
- Samuel Dominguez, M.D.
Department of Neurology, Child Neurology
- Teri Schreiner, M.D. M.P.H.
- Michele Yang, M.D.
Department Pediatrics, Neurocritical Care
- Craig Press, MD, PhD
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
- Joyce Oleszek, M.D.
Conneticut
Yale School of Medicine, New Haven
Department of Pediatrics and Neurology
- Naila Makhani, MD, MPH
District of Columbia
Children’s National Medical Center, Washington
Department of Neurology
- Elizabeth M Wells, M.D., M.H.S.
- Jessica L Carpenter, M.D.
Department of Infectious Disease
- Roberta L. DeBiasi, M.D., M.S.
- Alexandra B. Yonts, M.D.
Department of Neurosurgery- Pediatric Neurosurgery
- Robert F. Keating, MD
Georgia
Emory University/Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neurology
- Grace Gombolay M.D.
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite
Pediatric Emergency Medicine Associates, LLC
Department of Emergency Medicine
- Sujit Sharma, MD
Illinois
Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago
Dept of Pediatrics, Divisions of Critical Care and Neurology
- Sue Hong, M.D.
- Jonathan Kurz, MD
- Divakar Mithal, MD
Shirley Ryan Ability Lab, Chicago
Northwestern University. Feinberg School of Medicine
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
- Gadi Revivo, D.O.
Kansas
Children’s Mercy Kansas City
Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Pediatrics
- Kimberly Hartman, MD.
- Diana Marchese, MD.
Department of Physical and Occupational Therapy
- Megan Blaufuss, OTR/L, MS, CPAM
Kentucky
University of Louisville/ Norton Children’s Hospital
Department of Neurology, Division of Child Neurology
- Michael Sweeney, M.D.
Louisiana
Children’s Hospital of New Orleans
Department of Child Neurology & Rehabilitation Center
- Ann Tilton, MD
Maryland
Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore
Department of Neurology, Division Neuroimmunology and Neuroinfectious diseases; Transverse Myelitis Center
- Carlos A. Pardo-Villamizar M.D.
Department of Neurology-Division of Pediatric Neurology
- Matthew Elrick, M.D., PhD.
- Jessica Nance, M.D. M.S.
- Thomas Crawford, M.D.
Department of Pediatrics- Division of Pulmonology
- Jessica L. Rice, DO.
Department of Pediatrics- Division of Infectious Disease
- Aaron Milstone, M.D. M.H.S
Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine- Pediatric Intensive Care Unit
- Melania Bembea M.D., M.P.H., Ph.D.
- Rebecca Riggs, M.D.
- Caitlin O’Brien, M.D. M.P.H.
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation-Pediatric Therapy Team
- Meghan Moore, PT, DPT, NCS
- Amy Bayliss, MS, OTR/L
Department of Neurosurgery- Peripheral Nerve Surgery
- Allan J Belzberg M.D., F.R.C.S.C.
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore
The Larman Lab. Department of Pathology
- H. Benjamin Larman, Ph.D.
Department of Neurology-Division of Pediatric Neurology
- Matthew Elrick, M.D., PhD.
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Department of Epidemiology
- Priya Duggal, PhD. M.P.H
Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology
- Andrew Stanley Pekosz, PhD.
Kennedy-Krieger Institute, Baltimore
Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine and Center for Spinal Cord Injury
- Cristina Sadowsky, M.D
- Janet Dean, MS, RN, CRRN, CRNP
- Suzanne Rybczynski, M.D.
- Michelle Melicosta, M.D. M.P.H
- Kaitlin Hagen, MOT, OTR/L
- Courtney Porter PT, DPT
- Kristen Chao MS, CCC-SLP, CBIS
- Margaret Tunney, PsyD
University of Maryland, Baltimore
Department of Microbiology and Immunology
Jackson Lab
- William Jackson, PhD.
Sinai Hospital Baltimore
Department of Pediatric Neurology
- Peggy Lazerow, M.D.
National Institutes of Health, Bethesda
- Eliza Gordon-Lipkin, M.D.
Massachusetts
Boston Children’s Hospital
Department of Neurology, Pediatric Neuro-Immunology, Pediatric MS and Related Disorders Clinic
- Leslie Benson, M.D.
- Molly Wilson-Murphy, MD
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery- Hand and upper extremity surgery, Brachial plexus and peripheral nerve surgery
- Andrea Bauer M.D.
- Donald Bae M.D.
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery- Lower Extremity Surgery
- Colyn Watkins, M.D.
Minnesota
The Mayo Clinic, Rochester
Mayo’s Neuroimmunology Research Laboratory
- Eoin P. Flanagan, M.B., B.Ch
- Jan-Mendelt Tillema, MD
New York
Columbia University Irving Medical Center, NYC
Department of Neurology
- Kiran T. Thakur, M.D.
- Wendy Vargas, M.D.
Department of Pediatrics, Infectious Diseases
- Jason E. Zucker, M.D.
Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons
Department of Microbiology and Immunology
- Vincent Racaniello, PhD.
- Amy Rosenfeld, PhD.
Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health
Center for Infection and Immunity
- Mishra Nischay, PhD.
Infectious Disease Epidemiology
- Stephen S. Morse, Ph.D., FAAM, F.A.C.E
Weil Cornell School of Medicine, NYC
Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Neurology
- Jacqueline Gofshteyn, M.D.
The Mt. Sinai Hospital, NYC
Department of Neurology
- Anusha Yeshokumar, M.D.
- Allison Navis, M.D.
North Carolina
The University of North Carolina at Chapell Hill
Department of Pediatrics
- Matthew R. Vogt, M.D., Ph.D.
Ohio
The Ohio State University
Department of Neurology
- Setty M. Magaña, M.D., Ph.D.
Department of Surgery
- Amy M. Moore, MD
Pennsylvania
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Department of Neurology. Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroinflammatory Disorders Clinic
- Sarah Hopkins M.D., M.S.P.H.
Department of Neurology. Neuromuscular disease
- Sabrina Yum M.D.
Division of Infectious Diseases
- Erlinda (Chulie) R. Ulloa M.D. MSc
Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine
- Matthew P. Kirschen MD, PhD
Division of Rehabilitation Medicine
- Elana Katz M.D.
- Dawn Deike, M.D
- Ashley Binkowski MS, OTR/L, CKTP
Division of Orthopaedic Surgery- Brachial Plexus Program
- Apurva Shah, M.D. M.B.A.
Shriners Hospitals for Children
Department of Orthopaedic surgery
- Dan A. Zlotolow, M.D.
- Scott Kozin, M.D.
UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh
Division of Pediatric Critical Care-Brain Care Institute
- Dennis Simon, M.D.
Department of Pediatrics, Child Neurology
- Kavita Thakkar, MD
Department of Pediatrics, Infectious Disease
- Megan Culler Freeman MD, PhD
South Carolina
Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston
Department of Pediatrics, Child Neurology
- Sonal Bhatia, MBBS, M.D.
Tennessee
Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville
Department of Pediatrics, Child Neurology
- N gocHanh H. Vu, M.D.
Department of Pediatrics-The Crowe Lab
- Matthew R. Vogt, M.D., Ph.D.
- James E. Crowe, Jr. M.D.
Department of Medicine, Infectious Diseases
- Suman R. Das, Ph.D.
Texas
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas
Department of Neurology and Neurotherapeutics & Pediatrics
- Benjamin Greenberg, M.D.
Department of Plastic Surgery-Pediatric Hand, Peripheral Nerve, and Microvascular Surgery
- Jonathan Cheng, M.D., F.A.C.S.
Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas, Austin
Department of Pediatric Infectious Diseases
- Sarmistha B. Hauger, M.D.
- Donald K. Murphey, M.D.
- Marisol Fernandez, M.D
- Rachel Quick, R.N.
Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston
Department of Neurology
- Timothy E. Lotze, MD
- Nikita Shukla, M.D.
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
- Gabrielle Nguyen, M.D.
- Suzanne Woodbury, M.D.
Department of Radiology
- Stephen F Kralik, M.D.
UT Health McGovern Medical School, Houston
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
- Glendaliz Bosques, MD.
Washington
Seattle Children’s Hospital
Department of Pediatric Neurology
- Catherine Otten M.D.
- Payal Patel, M.D.
Wisconsin
Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
Department of Pediatric Neurology
- Raquel Farias-Moeller, M.D.
- Matthew M. Harmelink M.D.
- Lileth J. Mondok, M.D.
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
- Karin Goodfriend, M.D. M.P.T
Argentina
Hospital de Niños “Ricardo Gutiérrez,” Buenos Aires
Department of Infectious Diseases
- Carolina M. Carballo, MD
- Eduardo L. Lopez, MD
Canada
The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), Toronto
Department of Neurology, Child Neurology
- Eluen Ann Yeh MA, MD
Department of Neurology, Neuromuscular disorders
- Jiri Vajsar, MD
- Hernan Gonorazky, MD
Department of Pediatrics, Infectious Diseases
- Ari Bitnun, MD
Department of Plastic surgery
- Kristen Davidge, MD
India
Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health, Bangalore, Karnataka
Division of Pediatric Neurology
- Vykuntaraju K. Gowda, DM
Japan
Fukuoka Children’s Hospital, Fukuoka
Department of Pediatric Neurology
- Pin Fee Chong, MD
- Ryutaro Kira, MD PhD
The Netherlands
Erasmus MC University Medical Center Rotterdam
Medical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases
- G.J. (George) Sips, MD PhD
University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen
Department of Neurology
- Jelte Helfferich, MD
Senegal
Institut Pasteur de Dakar, Dakar
Département de Virologie
- Amary Fall, PhD
United Kingdom
Evelina London Children’s Hospital, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Trust, London
Children’s Neuroscience Center
- Ming Lim, MD PhD
Patient Advocacy
Siegel Rare Neuroimmune Association
- Chitra Krishnan, MHS
- Gabrielle deFiebre, MPH
Acute Flaccid Myelitis Association
- Rachel Scott
Argentina
Hospital de Niños “Ricardo Gutiérrez,” Buenos Aires
Department of Infectious Diseases
- Carolina M. Carballo, MD
- Eduardo L. Lopez, MD
Canada
The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), Toronto
Department of Neurology, Child Neurology
- Eluen Ann Yeh MA, MD
Department of Neurology, Neuromuscular disorders
- Jiri Vajsar, MD
- Hernan Gonorazky, MD
Department of Pediatrics, Infectious Diseases
- Ari Bitnun, MD
Department of Plastic surgery
- Kristen Davidge, MD
India
Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health, Bangalore, Karnataka
Division of Pediatric Neurology
- Vykuntaraju K. Gowda, DM
Japan
Fukuoka Children’s Hospital, Fukuoka
Department of Pediatric Neurology
- Pin Fee Chong, MD
- Ryutaro Kira, MD PhD
The Netherlands
Erasmus MC University Medical Center Rotterdam
Medical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases
- G.J. (George) Sips, MD PhD
University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen
Department of Neurology
- Jelte Helfferich, MD
Senegal
Institut Pasteur de Dakar, Dakar
Département de Virologie
- Amary Fall, PhD
United Kingdom
Evelina London Children’s Hospital, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Trust, London
Children’s Neuroscience Center
- Ming Lim, MD PhD
Patient Advocacy
Siegel Rare Neuroimmune Association
- Chitra Krishnan, MHS
- Gabrielle deFiebre, MPH
Acute Flaccid Myelitis Association
- Rachel Scott
This includes Neurologists, Child Neurologists, Infectious Diseases, Emergency Medicine, Radiology and Neurocritical Care members and their institutions.

1
Colorado
Children’s Hospital Colorado, Aurora
Department of Pediatrics, Section of Infectious Diseases
- Kevin Messacar, M.D.
- Mark Abzug, M.D.
- Samuel Dominguez, M.D.
Department of Neurology, Child Neurology
- Teri Schreiner, M.D. M.P.H.
- Michele Yang, M.D.
Department Pediatrics, Neurocritical Care
- Craig Press, MD, PhD
Conneticut
Yale School of Medicine, New Haven
Department of Pediatrics and Neurology
- Naila Makhani, MD, MPH
- Payal Patel, M.D.
District of Columbia
Children’s National Medical Center, Washington
Department of Neurology
- Elizabeth M Wells, M.D., M.H.S.
- Jessica L Carpenter, M.D.
Department of Infectious Disease
- Roberta L. DeBiasi, M.D., M.S.
Georgia
Emory University/Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neurology
- Grace Gombolay M.D.
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite
Pediatric Emergency Medicine Associates, LLC
Department of Emergency Medicine
- Sujit Sharma, MD
Illinois
Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago
Dept of Pediatrics, Divisions of Critical Care and Neurology
- Sue Hong, M.D.
- Jonathan Kurz, MD
- Divakar Mithal, MD
Kansas
Children’s Mercy Kansas City
Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Pediatrics
- Kimberly Hartman, MD.
- Diana Marchese, MD.
Department of Physical and Occupational Therapy
- Megan Blaufuss, OTR/L, MS, CPAM
Kentucky
University of Louisville/ Norton Children’s Hospital
Department of Neurology, Division of Child Neurology
- Michael Sweeney, M.D.
Louisiana
Children’s Hospital of New Orleans
Department of Child Neurology & Rehabilitation Center
- Ann Tilton, MD
Maryland
Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore
Department of Neurology, Division Neuroimmunology and Neuroinfectious diseases; Transverse Myelitis Center
- Carlos A. Pardo-Villamizar M.D.
Department of Neurology-Division of Pediatric Neurology
- Matthew Elrick, M.D., PhD.
- Jessica Nance, M.D. M.S.
- Thomas Crawford, M.D.
Department of Pediatrics- Division of Pulmonology
- Jessica L. Rice, DO.
Department of Pediatrics- Division of Infectious Disease
- Aaron Milstone, M.D. M.H.S
Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine- Pediatric Intensive Care Unit
- Melania Bembea M.D., M.P.H., Ph.D.
- Rebecca Riggs, M.D.
- Caitlin O’Brien, M.D. M.P.H.
Sinai Hospital Baltimore
Department of Pediatric Neurology
- Peggy Lazerow, M.D.
Massachusetts
Boston Children’s Hospital
Department of Neurology, Pediatric Neuro-Immunology, Pediatric MS and Related Disorders Clinic
- Leslie Benson, M.D.
- Molly Wilson-Murphy, MD
Minnesota
The Mayo Clinic, Rochester
Mayo’s Neuroimmunology Research Laboratory
- Eoin P. Flanagan, M.B., B.Ch
- Jan-Mendelt Tillema, MD
New York
Columbia University Irving Medical Center, NYC
Department of Neurology
- Kiran T. Thakur, M.D.
- Wendy Vargas, M.D.
Department of Pediatrics, Infectious Diseases
- Jason E. Zucker, M.D.
Weil Cornell School of Medicine, NYC
Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Neurology
- Jacqueline Gofshteyn, M.D.
The Mt. Sinai Hospital, NYC
Department of Neurology
- Anusha Yeshokumar, M.D.
- Allison Navis, M.D.
Pennsylvania
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Department of Neurology. Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroinflammatory Disorders Clinic
- Sarah Hopkins M.D., M.S.P.H.
Department of Neurology. Neuromuscular disease
- Sabrina Yum M.D.
Division of Infectious Diseases
- Erlinda (Chulie) R. Ulloa M.D. MSc
Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine
- Matthew P. Kirschen MD, PhD
UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh
Division of Pediatric Critical Care-Brain Care Institute
- Dennis Simon, M.D.
Department of Pediatrics, Child Neurology
- Kavita Thakkar, MD
Department of Pediatrics, Infectious Disease
- Megan Culler Freeman MD, PhD
South Carolina
Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston
Department of Pediatrics, Child Neurology
- Sonal Bhatia, MBBS, M.D.
Tennessee
Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville
Department of Pediatrics, Child Neurology
- N gocHanh H. Vu, M.D.
Texas
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas
Department of Neurology and Neurotherapeutics & Pediatrics
- Benjamin Greenberg, M.D.
Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas, Austin
Department of Pediatric Infectious Diseases
- Sarmistha B. Hauger, M.D.
- Donald K. Murphey, M.D.
- Marisol Fernandez, M.D
- Rachel Quick, R.N.
Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston
Department of Neurology
- Timothy E. Lotze, MD
- Nikita Shukla, M.D.
Department of Radiology
- Stephen F Kralik, M.D.
Washington
Seattle Children’s Hospital
Department of Pediatric Neurology
- Catherine Otten M.D
Wisconsin
Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
Department of Pediatric Neurology
- Raquel Farias-Moeller, M.D.
- Matthew M. Harmelink M.D.
- Lileth J. Mondok, M.D.
Canada
The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), Toronto
Department of Neurology, Child Neurology
- Eluen Ann Yeh MA, MD
Department of Neurology, Neuromuscular disorders
- Jiri Vajsar, MD
- Hernan Gonorazky, MD
Department of Pediatrics, Infectious Diseases
- Ari Bitnun, MD
This includes Neurosurgery, Orthopaedic and Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery members and their institutions.

California
University of California San Francisco, Benioff Children Hospital, San Francisco
Department of Neurological Surgery
- Line Jacques M.D.
- Nalin Gupta M.D. PhD
Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
Center for Brachial Plexus and Peripheral Nerve
- Mitchel Seruya M.D.
District of Columbia
Children’s National Medical Center, Washington
Department of Neurosurgery- Pediatric Neurosurgery
- Robert F. Keating, MD
Maryland
Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore
Department of Neurosurgery- Peripheral Nerve Surgery
- Allan J Belzberg M.D., F.R.C.S.C.
Massachusetts
Boston Children’s Hospital
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery- Hand and upper extremity surgery, Brachial plexus and peripheral nerve surgery
- Andrea Bauer M.D.
- Donald Bae M.D.
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery- Lower Extremity Surgery
- Colyn Watkins, M.D.
Ohio
The Ohio State University
Department of Surgery
- Amy M. Moore, MD
Pennsylvania
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Division of Orthopaedic Surgery- Brachial Plexus Program
- Apurva Shah, M.D. M.B.A.
Shriners Hospitals for Children
Department of Orthopaedic surgery
- Dan A. Zlotolow, M.D.
- Scott Kozin, M.D.
Texas
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas
Department of Plastic Surgery-Pediatric Hand, Peripheral Nerve, and Microvascular Surgery
- Jonathan Cheng, M.D., F.A.C.S.
Canada
The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), Toronto
Department of Plastic surgery
- Kristen Davidge, MD
This includes Physical medicine and Rehabilitation teams and their institutions.

California
Valley Children’s Hospital
Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine
- John Luce, DO
Colorado
Children’s Hospital Colorado, Aurora
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
- Joyce Oleszek, M.D.
Illinois
Shirley Ryan Ability Lab, Chicago
Northwestern University. Feinberg School of Medicine
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
- Gadi Revivo, D.O.
Kansas
Children’s Mercy Kansas City
Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Pediatrics
- Kimberly Hartman, MD.
- Diana Marchese, MD.
Department of Physical and Occupational Therapy
- Megan Blaufuss, OTR/L, MS, CPAM
Maryland
Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation-Pediatric Therapy Team
- Meghan Moore, PT, DPT, NCS
- Amy Bayliss, MS, OTR/L
Kennedy-Krieger Institute, Baltimore
Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine and Center for Spinal Cord Injury
- Cristina Sadowsky, M.D
- Janet Dean, MS, RN, CRRN, CRNP
- Suzanne Rybczynski, M.D.
- Michelle Melicosta, M.D. M.P.H
- Kaitlin Hagen, MOT, OTR/L
- Courtney Porter PT, DPT
- Kristen Chao MS, CCC-SLP, CBIS
- Margaret Tunney, PsyD
Pennsylvania
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Division of Rehabilitation Medicine
- Elana Katz M.D.
- Dawn Deike, M.D
- Ashley Binkowski MS, OTR/L, CKTP
Texas
Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
- Gabrielle Nguyen, M.D.
- Suzanne Woodbury, M.D.
UT Health McGovern Medical School, Houston
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
- Glendaliz Bosques, MD.
Wisconsin
Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
- Karin Goodfriend, M.D. M.P.T
This includes basic science and translational Research Labs and their institutions.

California
University of California San Francisco
Laboratory Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases
- Charles Chiu, M.D., PhD
- Benjamin Briggs, M.D., PhD
Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
Clinical Microbiology and Virology Laboratory
- Jennifer Dien Bard, PhD.
J. Craig Venter Institute, La Jolla Campus
- Richard H. Scheuermann, PhD.
Maryland
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore
The Larman Lab. Department of Pathology
- H. Benjamin Larman, Ph.D.
Department of Neurology-Division of Pediatric Neurology
- Matthew Elrick, M.D., PhD.
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Department of Epidemiology
- Priya Duggal, PhD. M.P.H
Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology
- Andrew Stanley Pekosz, PhD.
University of Maryland, Baltimore
Department of Microbiology and Immunology
Jackson Lab
- William Jackson, PhD.
Massachusetts
Boston Children’s Hospital
Department of Neurology, Pediatric Neuro-Immunology, Pediatric MS and Related Disorders Clinic
- Leslie Benson, M.D.
- Molly Wilson-Murphy, MD
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery- Hand and upper extremity surgery, Brachial plexus and peripheral nerve surgery
- Andrea Bauer M.D.
- Donald Bae M.D.
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery- Lower Extremity Surgery
- Colyn Watkins, M.D.
Minnesota
The Mayo Clinic, Rochester
Mayo’s Neuroimmunology Research Laboratory
- Eoin P. Flanagan, M.B., B.Ch
- Jan-Mendelt Tillema, MD
New York
Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons
Department of Microbiology and Immunology
- Vincent Racaniello, PhD.
- Amy Rosenfeld, PhD.
Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health
Center for Infection and Immunity
- Mishra Nischay, PhD.
Infectious Disease Epidemiology
- Stephen S. Morse, Ph.D., FAAM, F.A.C.E
Pennsylvania
UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh
Department of Pediatrics, Infectious Disease
- Megan Culler Freeman MD, PhD
Tennessee
Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville.
Department of Pediatrics-The Crowe Lab
- Matthew R. Vogt, M.D., Ph.D.
- James E. Crowe, Jr. M.D.
Department of Medicine, Infectious Diseases
- Suman R. Das, Ph.D.
The Netherlands
Erasmus MC University Medical Center Rotterdam
Medical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases
- G.J. (George) Sips, MD PhD
Acknowledgements
The AFM working group is grateful for the support provided by the Siegel Rare Neuroimmune Association (SRNA), the AFM Association, and the Bart McLean Fund for Neuroimmunology Research.