Honorary Membership Award
Merello details MDS's impact on his career, the field 

Tweet

I was truly honored to receive the Honorary Membership award from the International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society (MDS). I’ve been a member of the Society for the last 35 years, and my membership number places me among the first thousand members. So, MDS has witnessed my career in movement disorders; more than a passive observer, it has been a real catalyst that helped boost my interest in the field, my education, and my development as a neurologist and clinical researcher. 

Full of role models and with an educational offer that has been logarithmically amplified during the last decade, MDS promotes scientific interaction and addresses the main problem faced by specialists in underserved areas: academic isolation. For me, as for many others, the Society has opened the doors to actively participate in its activities and developments. From serving on numerous Committees, including the International Executive Committee and task forces, to launching, as Co-Editor with Hubert Fernandez, the very first MDS webpage and then serving as Co-Founder Editor for 10 years, together with Kailash Bhatia, of Movement Disorders Clinical Practice — a true gem among the clinical journals of our specialty — my journey now continues as an elected Officer of the Society. 

This journey is just one example of many colleagues from around the world who have chosen to share their professional paths with MDS. At this stage, we need to encourage young professionals to become members of the Society and to engage as volunteers, to continue passing the baton to coming generations with the ultimate objective of increasing knowledge of movement disorders in an equitable way across the world, and thereby improving the quality of care for our patients. 

Tweet