The American Neurogastroenterology and Motility Society is an organization that was established in 1980 dedicated to the study of neurogastroenterology and gastrointestinal motility and functional GI disorders.
To be the multidisciplinary society leading the field of neurogastroenterology by fostering excellence in research, education, training, and patient care.
Neurogastroenterology encompasses the study of brain, gut, and their interactions with relevance to the understanding and management of GI motility and functional GI disorders.
The ANMS condemns any cases of racism, injustice and inequality. As a scientific and medical society, the ANMS leadership would like to emphasize the importance of fostering justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. We must dedicate ourselves to removing barriers that exclude historically marginalized persons from participation in our community. As a multidisciplinary society leading the field of neurogastroenterology and motility we are better when fostering collaborations and supporting each other inclusive of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion and disability.
It is both a privilege and honor for me to assume the role of President of the American Neurogastroenterology and Motility Society and to continue to work with an exceptional group of staff, councilors and officers. This is an unprecedented time in our history for both our society and as the new President of the American Neurogastroenterology and Motility Society, I am honored to serve in this esteemed position. It is a great privilege to be among the best minds committed to working to advance the field of Neurogastroenterology and Motility through promoting collaboration, supporting education, and advancing research within our community through ANMS. Since 1980, ANMS continues to be the premier organization that has led the field and played a vital role in fostering the understanding, and development of effective treatments, and improving the quality of life for our patients affected by disorders of gut-brain interaction and motility.
Despite facing tremendous challenges during the global pandemic, ANMS led the way through many innovative initiatives such as monthly webinars and online symposiums to keep our members up to date and engaged during that exceedingly difficult time. Today, ANMS continues to be a leader in all these areas and proudly provides major support to the many outstanding junior investigators who are doing innovative research in motility disorders; physicians and allied health professionals caring for these patients, and the patients afflicted with motility disorders. As we have all witnessed over the last 40 years, ANMS continues to address the most pressing issues facing our society and continues to evolve into a new and dominant academic society focused on integral collaboration by developing deep ties to our gastroenterology community. The true strength of ANMS has always been our outstanding members and their inherent desire to promote the mission and vision of our society.
There are many individuals that I would like to personally thank on behalf of ANMS. First, I would like to give sincere appreciation to our immediate past president, John Pandolfino who served for 3 years as president and stewarded our society through the COVID pandemic and who will now serve as our ANMS Institute Director. I would also like to give a very special thanks to Beverley Greenwood-Van Meerveld who served as Immediate Past President and the ANMS Institute Director. We also have an outstanding group of ANMS councilors that faithfully served an extra year as council members during the pandemic including Jose Garza, Baharak Moshiree, and Linda Nguyen. Their contributions over the last 3 years have been truly amazing and led to innovative developments for ANMS in education, research, and clinical care. Though her presence will be greatly missed, I am pleased to announce that Baharak Moshiree will transition from her role as counselor and continue her work as an ex-officio member focusing on our Clinical Training Program and curriculum development with our global sister societies. I would also like to give a special thanks to Jason Baker who pioneered our hands-on training program for allied health and instrumental in organizing the Pearls of Wisdom Webinar Series where the presenters are allied health providers. Please extend a warm welcome to our outstanding new ANMS councilors Nitin Ahuja, Brian Gulbransen, Rachel Rosen. Andrea Shin, and Elyse Thakur, and I would also like to congratulate Adil Bharucha on his election as the new President-Elect for ANMS. I look forward to working with these outstanding individuals over the next two years in my role as president. A final and very special thanks and sincere appreciation to Lori Ennis, our Executive Director for ANMS, who has whole-heartily supported ANMS 24/7/365 for over 2 decades since 2003!
Although ANMS has made significant strides over the decades, we continue to make sure our society is always ready to meet the next challenges that may come. To ensure this, my goals over the next two years as president will be to continue our core mission of promoting excellence in education, research, and clinical practice focused on disorders of gut-brain interaction and motility. As such, during my 2-year tenure, I plan to prioritize several goals and objectives:
Education and Training: Will continue to work to enhance educational opportunities for healthcare professionals including physicians, researchers, and allied health practitioners. This will involve optimizing our ANMS conferences, workshops, and webinars to disseminate the latest research findings and clinical advancements in the field.
Research and Innovation: Continue dedication to supporting research initiatives that deepen our understanding of disorders of gut-brain interaction and motility. By promoting interdisciplinary collaboration and encouraging funding opportunities, ANMS can continue to be the leader in the field to drive innovation and the development of new diagnostic tools and therapeutic approaches for motility disorders.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Will continue to promote inclusion and diversity across both our ANMS society and community. ANMS will be fully committed to an inclusive society representing many different backgrounds, cultures, and viewpoints. This will include training and mentoring new role models for our underrepresented minorities. In addition, ANMS will continue to address the significant healthcare disparities in patients suffering from neurogastroenterology and motility disorders.
International Collaboration: Continue to recognize that neurogastroenterology and motility disorders are global health concerns. ANMS will actively seek collaborations with international societies and organizations, foster cross-cultural exchanges, and share knowledge that can be used globally.
Patient Advocacy and Support: Strive to improve the lives of our patients affected by neurogastroenterology and motility disorders as part of ANMS’s core mission. Will work to strengthen public awareness and continue to support patient support groups to ensure our patients receive the care, understanding, and resources they need.
I am excited about the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead for ANMS. Together, with the support and participation of everyone, I am confident that we can make significant strides. We will look for opportunities to discuss critical issues relevant to our society and our mission. Together we will build new relationships while strengthening our existing relationships. I would like to encourage all members of the ANMS to join in this effort. I look forward to working with all of you in the coming years to achieve our shared goals for ANMS.
With Best Regards,
G. Nicholas Verne, MD
Professor & Chair, Department of Medicine
Senior Associate Dean, College of Medicine
University of Tennessee Health Science Center