VOLUME 29, ISSUE 3 • SEPTEMBER 2025.
40 years of MDS: A look back through the newsletter
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— Eduardo Tolosa, founding Editor of the newsletter |
Article OverviewJump to: |
Milestones in Ink: Highlights of the past and present
Katarzyna Smilowska, MD, PhD
Editor since 2023
Since its launch in 1998, Moving Along has been at the heart of the Movement Disorder Society’s communication with its members, evolving in both form and content to reflect the growth of the Society and the field. You can explore this history by checking out the very first archived issue.
From Print to Digital
The first issue of Moving Along appeared in 1998 as a mailed newsletter sent to all members. For over two decades, the print edition served as a reliable touchpoint, landing directly in the hands of clinicians and researchers worldwide. The last print issue was published in August 2019, marking the end of an era.
That same year, under the leadership of Dr. Antonio Strafella as Editor, the publication introduced its first full Editorial Board and increased its frequency to a quarterly schedule. The board’s first in-person meeting took place at the International Congress in Nice, underscoring the Society’s commitment to expanding the publication’s reach and quality.
In March 2022, Moving Along took its next leap forward, becoming a fully digital publication. This transition not only expanded access — enabling members to receive the newsletter instantly via email — but also allowed for the integration of richer multimedia and the ability to track readership metrics for the first time.
Growth and Reach
What began as a modest print run of 100 copies has grown into a publication that now reaches 10,000 readers worldwide. Since going digital, the newsletter has amassed an impressive 127,000 article views, demonstrating both the importance of the publication and the advantages of its new format.
Shifts in Content
Over the years, the focus of Moving Along has expanded from basic organizational updates to authoritative content on clinical practice, research advances, educational opportunities, and Society initiatives. The addition of diverse voices through the Editorial Board has further enriched the scope, ensuring coverage of both regional perspectives and global developments in movement disorders.
Notable Issues and Articles
The oldest headline preserved in the archives dates back to Volume 1, Issue 1 (1998), while even earlier roots trace to an ISMD newsletter from 1987, before the merger that created MDS.
In terms of readership, several articles stand out as top performers: |
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These pieces exemplify the mix of scientific rigor, clinical guidance, and community engagement that have defined Moving Along throughout its history.
Looking Forward
From a humble print newsletter to a dynamic digital platform, Moving Along continues to evolve in step with the Society and its members. Its history reflects not only milestones in publication, but also the ongoing story of a global community dedicated to advancing the field of movement disorders.
Passing of the pen: Reflections from Moving Along editors through the ages
Eduardo Tolosa, MD
Editor from 1998-1999
The founding Editor of Moving Along reminisces about the newsletter’s formation, history, and how personal touches from the MDS community have shaped the evolving character of this unique scientific publication.
Antonio Strafella, MD, PhD, FRCPC, FCAHS
Editor from 2019-2023
As a former Editor of Moving Along, I am honored to include some reflections in this special issue celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Movement Disorder Society. In the last decade, there has been a significant growth of social media influence, which has made communication through these channels a critical component of our academic and professional lives. In the past few years, Moving Along adapted quickly to this rapidly evolving landscape by keep a fast pace in informing the international MDS community.
One of the most exciting moments of my tenure was indeed the transition of Moving Along to the new digital platform, in response to the Society’s desire to stay competitive with digital communication. By implementing this format, visitors started searching and reading on mobile or tablets the new and exciting developments in the field of Movement Disorders, hence reaching a wider audience through MDS membership and beyond.
Another critical element we were able to implement during my tenure was the creation of a diversified editorial board. I shared that exciting journey with exceptional editorial board members who contributed tremendously to the success of the new digital form of Moving Along. Everything we accomplished could not have been possible without their positive energy and relentless enthusiasm. Together, we emphasized scientific contents in addition to many Society features. During that time, I came to appreciate the variety of outstanding research and exceptional clinical activities conducted worldwide by our MDS members. I realized their great enthusiasm and willingness to share their experience with others. This influenced significantly my personal vision for diversity and inclusivity, giving a voice and trying to engage researchers and health professionals in underserved regions, not only to increase interest in Movement Disorders but also to promote their work and initiatives.
As we celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Movement Disorder Society, I am convinced that the digital Moving Along will continue in the future to strive for excellence, pushing the boundaries of larger impact far beyond of the MDS membership.
Mark Stacy, MD
Editor from 2009-2018
Dr. Carlo Colosimo and I served as Co-Editors for Moving Along from 2010 to 2019. Together with Elizabeth Clausen, MDS Communications Director (and Milwaukee Brewers fan), we had a wonderful time serving in this role. It was a great challenge to follow Drs. Irene Litvan and Thomas Gasser, the departing editors. While in this role they established a format that included informing the Society of scholarly and policy meetings, providing professional notices and job postings, and distributing messages from the President and Chairs of the European and Asian-Oceanic sections. They also initiated Controversies in Movement Disorders.
Continuing these contributions was not a difficult decision! We will always be grateful to the colleagues who provided commentary when we begged for “Controversy.” These pairs included: |
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We did add new pieces: Where are they now?, My Generation, and finally a lead article on a timely topic. We were fortunate to interview Oleh Hornykiewicz, Roger Duvoisin, and John Steele. The My Generation column balanced mentor and mentee and featured Santiago Perez-Lloret/Olivier Rascol, Alfonso Fasano/Gunther Deuschl, Maria Stamelou/Kailash Bhatia and Melissa Armstrong/Anthony Lang. The history pieces captured perspectives from people who made fundamental contributions to Movement Disorders – before it was an academic discipline! My generation provided a glimpse into the interactions of mentor and student and how that influenced both.
My favorite issue was the tribute to Muhammad Ali, who died in 2016. This issue featured remembrances from people who knew him well: his physicians at Emory Medical Center: Mahlon DeLong, Stewart Factor, and Michael Okun; and the past and present directors of the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center in Phoenix, Arizona: Abraham Leiberman, Mark Stacy, and Holly Shill. These personal reflections helped us all during a time of mourning. We also wrote of the passing of colleagues we lost too soon: Moussa Traore, William Weiner, and Eldad Melammed.
Being a part of the Movement Disorders Society has greatly enriched my life. My friendship with Carlo and Liz forged out of the fun we had – usually on tight deadlines – will be something I will always treasure. I also remember that from the outset it was a goal to use the newsletter to promote community and friendships. My advice to the new editorial team is to keep driving the publication to drive the Society.
Carlo Colosimo, MD, FEAN
Editor from 2009-2018
My long experience as a Moving Along co-editor (2009-2018) has been stimulating for several reasons. The first one is probably to have met Mark Stacy, my co-editor, whom I did not know previously, but of whom I started to appreciate not only his scientific capability, but also his kindness and sense of humour. A memorable moment was when I first met Mark in person, when he was traveling in Italy with his wife, and they come to dinner in our flat. We still need to make a return visit to South Carolina! Funny caricatures of both of us, made by one of my patients, a professional cartoonist, appeared in Issue 2, 2012.
Our work was strongly facilitated by the MDS staff, and I would like to remember here Elizabeth Clausen for her continuous supports during that decade.
Our vision, was to continue on the solid footsteps of our predecessors, so having an educative and informative magazine, but also enjoyable to read; at the same time, we were willing to introduce new features. We continued the tradition of keeping in the newsletter controversies or viewpoints of a good scientific level. This aim was not easy to accomplish, as suspected, since writing a good article for Moving Along may represent a lot of work, which does not appear too much rewarding, since it will not be indexed and will not appear in Medline. I was initially reluctant to ask for papers to some of the widely-known leaders of the society, but strangely enough, an enthusiastic and prompt response come from these key figures in the field, several of them former MDS presidents, than from less known colleagues. Somehow this reinforces the idea already in me, that some of the leading figures in the field of Movement Disorders really deserve their role, because of the unselfish dedication not only to education and research, but also to the continuous growth of the Society, even if in this case was simply to write a short piece for the newsletter which will never appear on their CV.
An interesting feature of our newsletter was also related to the interviews conducted with some notable members of the Society, in a series entitled Where Are They Now? I remember with particular pleasure my interview with Oleh Hornykiewicz, which I can probably consider my favourite article from that series. Apart from his well-known scientific stature (most of us would agree that he should have deserved the Nobel prize for his seminal discoveries on brain biochemistry), I appreciated his kindness and affability as a person. He later became more than an acquaintance, and I still think meeting him was a great chance the newsletter editorship eventually gave me. I am also fond of the article on John Steele (Issue 3, 2010). Dr. Steele described progressive supranuclear palsy with Professors Richardson and Olszewski in Toronto during his neurology residency, moved to Oceania in 1972, and has lived on Guam and studied the ALS/Parkinsonism–dementia complex for almost the rest of his life. I could fully appreciate in the interview his continued quest to excellence in clinical research, coupled with a strong interest in travelling and understanding other, distant cultures.
On the other hand, I still regret not having interviewed other scholars (for lack of time or necessity to go to the press in a short time) who would have deserved the same treatment; in some cases, it was too late when I realized this, and it comes immediately to my mind the late Eldad Melamed, an extremely bright clinician-scientist and a really wise man. At about the same time, we had the idea to also invite some bright young members of the society to be interviewed (the so-called rising stars) in a series of articles entitled My Generation; we undoubtedly made the right choice in choosing the interviewees, since several of them are now prominent figures in the field of movement disorders and inside MDS.
It was later decided to feature in the newsletter something related to the lighter side of our readers, asking the MDS members to send us pictures related to their hobbies, such as the use of bikes and motorbikes, their musical activities, and their travels for vacation. Initially, this was a little bit of a challenge, but eventually we managed to receive a bunch of nice pictures (e.g., see issues 3 - 2010 and issue 1 – 2011), which personally I enjoyed a good deal; this allowed all of us to better understand the true personality of people that you normally meet only in congress and meetings. I suppose that new feature of Moving Along was eventually appreciated to most of the readers, even if many of them were initially recalcitrant (or maybe simply shy) to show memories of their personal, intimate life.
Finally, what advice would I offer to future editors of the newsletter? The best suggestion I have is to always try to put yourself in the readers’ shoes and try to figure out what they would like to see, considering that they will probably read the newsletter at home in the evening, or during the weekend, not considering it a study tool to be used during their professional activity. Therefore, they need to be entertained a little bit!
Read more Moving Along: