2026 Global Myositis Patient Conference

September 24–27, 2026
Hyatt Regency St. Louis at the Arch
315 Chestnut Street, St. Louis, MO 63102, US

Engaging and exciting content will unfold over three-plus days while we celebrate our worldwide myositis community. Join us at MyoCon to uncover the latest scientific findings and collect tips for living well with myositis.

Daily Conference Schedule

Breakout Sessions

Sessions by Form of Myositis

Keynote Speakers

Our Distinguished Speakers

Daily Conference Schedule

Preliminary education schedule coming soon!

In August, download TMA’s MyoCon app for the latest details, including special events, social activities, and speaker bios.

Times are listed in local time (US Central)

Thursday, September 24

A separate ticket is required for any excursion. Visit our off-site excursion page

  • 1:00-5:00 PM: Excursion to Busch Stadium, Home of the St. Louis Cardinals
  • 1:30-2:30 PM: Excursion to The Economy Museum at the St. Louis Federal Reserve
  • 3:00-4:00 PM: Exercise Offering
  • 4:00-6:30 PM: Early Registration Pick-up
  • 5:00-6:00 PM: Getting Acquainted Sessions
  • Invitation-only Appreciation Event for TMA Donors

Friday, September 25

  • 8:00 AM-4:30 PM Registration Open
  • 8:00 AM-11:45 AM: Excursion to Washington University in St. Louis, Jeffrey T. Fort Neuroscience Research Building (Fort Labs)
  • 9:30-10:30 AM: First-Time Attendee Welcome
  • 9:30-10:30 AM: Exercise Offering
  • 11:00 AM-12:00 PM: Back to Basics Breakout Sessions by Diagnosis
  • 12:00 AM-2:30 PM: Lunch on Your Own
  • 12:30 PM: Exhibits Open (detailed schedule and exhibitor list)
  • 2:30-4:00 PM: Ask the Experts Panels by Diagnosis
    • Mini town halls for each form of myositis with TMA Medical Advisors and invited experts. Learn about the latest research underway across the globe, and what brings our distinguished panelists hope in their work.
  • 4:30-6:00 PM: Opening General Session
  • 6:00-7:00 PM: Heartland Harmony Conference Welcome Reception (followed by Dinner on Your Own)
  • 7:30-9:00 PM: Pajama Jam Trivia Night

Saturday, September 26

  • 8:00-9:30 AM: Breakfast Provided
  • 8:00 AM: Exhibits Open (detailed schedule and exhibitor list)
  • 9:30-10:30 AM: Breakout Sessions
  • 11:00 AM-12:00 PM: Breakout Sessions
  • 12:00-1:15 PM: Lunch Provided (Networking by Geographical Area)
  • 1:30-2:30 PM: Breakout Sessions
  • 3:00-4:00 PM: Breakout Sessions
  • 6:00 PM: Heroes in the Fight Awards Ceremony and Dinner Gala (separate ticket required)

Sunday, September 27

  • 8:00-9:30 AM: Breakfast Provided
  • 8:30 AM: Exhibits Open (detailed schedule and exhibitor list)
  • 8:30-9:30 AM: Breakout Sessions
  • 9:45-11:00 AM: Closing General Session
  • 11:00 AM: Conference Adjourns

Breakout Sessions

Concurrent sessions offer attendees many options to gather in smaller groups to learn about the latest science and living well with myositis. Highlights include:

  • Ask the Expert by Diagnosis
  • Back to Basics by Diagnosis
  • Before You Dial 911: The 411 on Myositis in the ER
  • Emergency Preparedness
  • Finding Strength through Faith
  • Flares, Sun Safety, and Preventive Measures
  • Hints & Hacks: Making Your Life Work for You
  • Latest Research and Clinical Trials in IBM
  • Latest Research and Clinical Trials in Other Forms of Myositis
  • Mental Health
  • Myositis Medications and Management
  • Skin Health and Dermatomyositis Symptoms
  • Understanding Dysphagia

Sessions by Form of Myositis

Some sessions are organized by diagnosis and delivered to support you specifically. On the morning of Friday, September 25, attendees will gather for comprehensive overviews and clinical insights into different forms of myositis. 

  • Back to Basics: Antisynthetase Syndrome
  • Back to Basics: Dermatomyositis
  • Back to Basics: Inclusion Body Myositis
  • Back to Basics: Immune-Mediated Necrotizing Myopathy (NM, NAM)
  • Back to Basics: Polymyositis and Overlap Myositis

Wherever you are in your myositis journey, TMA has a medical advisor who can answer your most pressing questions. On Friday afternoon, MyoCon faculty panels will feature the world’s best experts in rheumatology, neurology, pulmonology, physiatry, and related specialties.

  • Ask the Experts: Antisynthetase Syndrome (ASyS) and/or Myositis-Associated Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD)
  • Ask the Experts: Dermatomyositis (DM)
  • Ask the Experts: Immune-Mediated Necrotizing Myopathy (IMNM, NM, NAM)
  • Ask the Experts: Inclusion Body Myositis (IBM)
  • Ask the Experts: Polymyositis (PM) & Overlap Myositis (OM)

Opening and Closing Keynote Speaker information coming soon!

Our Distinguished Speakers

More than 50 speakers will enlighten and entertain TMA attendees this year, with experts and fellow myositis patients addressing the hottest topics. Presenters include:

*Invited

  • *Yves, Allenbach, MD, Professor in Internal Medicine and Clinical Immunology at Sorbonne University
  • Rich DeAugustinis, Senior Advisor, Frontline; Vice Chair, TMA Board of Directors
  • *Mazen Dimachkie, MD, Professor, Neurology, Executive Vice Chairman, Department of Neurology, SOM-Kansas City, Associate Director, Associate Director of the Institute for Neurological Discoveries, SOM-Kansas City, Neurology, Clinical Director, Director, Neuromuscular Division, SOM-Kansas City, Neurology
  • Paula J. Eichenbrenner, MBA, CAE, Executive Director, TMA
  • Richard (Chip) Galloway, Jr., Staff Accountant, Cantey, Tiller, Pierce & Green, LLP (Ret.); Treasurer, TMA Board of Directors
  • *Christopher Graham, PhD, Professor of Clinical Psychology, Research Clinical Psychologist, University of Strathclyde
  • Julio Huapaya, MD, Internist, Staff Clinician, Critical Care Medicine and Pulmonary Branch, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), National Institutes of Health (NIH)
  • Stephanie Hunn,Clinical Trial Manager at Washington University in St. Louis
  • Christian Lood, PhD, Associate Professor, Division of Rheumatology, UW Medicine
  • Georgia A. Malandraki, PhD, CCC-SLP, BCS-S, Speech-language pathologist, Head of the Department of Speech and Hearing Science, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
  • Tahseen Mozaffar, MD, Professor of Neurology, Pathology, and Laboratory Medicine and Orthopaedic Surgery, University of California, Irvine; TMA Medical Advisory Board member and Liaison to TMA’s Board of Directors
  • Elie Naddaf, MD, Associate Professor of Neurology, Mayo Clinic; TMA Medical Advisory Board member
  • Julie Paik, MD, MHS, Associate Professor of Rheumatology, Johns Hopkins University; Co-director of the Johns Hopkins Myositis Center; Director of Clinical Trials, Johns Hopkins Myositis Center; Vice Chair, TMA Medical Advisory Board
  • Stefanie Remson MSN, APRN, FNP-BC, Owner and Founder at RheumatoidArthritisCoach.com
  • *Adam I. Schiffenbauer, MD, Deputy Director, Environmental Autoimmunity Group, Office of Clinical Research, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health; TMA Medical Advisory Board member and Vice Chair of the Research Grants Committee
  • Nataliya Slater, MD, Research Fellow at Murdoch University and the Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Research
  • *Jennifer Swisher, PA-C, Assistant Professor; Clinical Faculty; Crean College of Health and Behavioral Sciences, Chapman University
  • David Volk, Co-leader of TMA Missouri & Illinois
  • *Conrad “Chris” Weihl, MD, Professor of Neurology and Head of the Neuromuscular Section at Washington University School of Medicine
  • Victoria Werth, MD, Professor of Dermatology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and Veterans Administration Medical Center; TMA Medical Advisory Board member
Suggest a Topic or Presenter!
We’d love to know your ideas for presentations and myositis influencers to include in a future MyoCon program. Contact myocon@myositis.org with your suggestions.