Councilor for the East
Ann Neumeyer, MD
As a child neurologist, I have worked most of my clinical career at Massachusetts General Hospital treating children with neurodevelopmental disabilities including autism and genetic forms of autism. After completing pediatrics training in Montreal, I moved to Boston for a neurology residency, followed by a clinical and research fellowship in neuromuscular medicine. With support from an NIH K award, I dedicated five years to lab-based research on neuromuscular diseases, while also serving as an attending child neurologist and working in an autism clinic. Since then, I’ve increased my clinical, administrative, and research responsibilities in the field of autism (ASD).
As Medical Director of the MGH Lurie Center for Autism, a multidisciplinary clinical program, I now lead a multidisciplinary group of clinicians and direct care for children and adults with neurodevelopmental disabilities. I have developed programs such as an Autism Early Identification, Phelan McDermid Syndrome (PMS), and Smith Magenis Syndrome clinics. In 2018, I was elected by peer members of the North American Autism Treatment Network and HRSA-funded Autism Intervention Research in Physical Health program (AIR-P) as the co-chairperson of the North American clinical research consortium, Autism Speaks/Autism Treatment Network national executive steering committee. In 2019, I was invited to serve on the first PMS Foundation Medical Advisory Committee. I am an Associate Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School and the MGH Lurie Family Chair in Autism.
Based on clinical observations, I have developed a clinical research expertise studying bone in children with ASD. I’ve demonstrated that even previously unrecognized systems are impacted by ASD, more specifically, that children with autism have lower bone density, that there is an increased risk of fractures in children and adults with autism. I serve as PI on clinical research studies of autism, both funded through public and private foundations and pharma. I serve as DSMB member for research studies and on grant review committees for PCORI, Autism Speaks, and the Phelan McDermid Foundation, as well as on the editorial board of the Journal of Pediatric Neurology and as an associate Editor (Neurodevelopment) of the Annals of the Child Neurology Society.
I am committed to serving our community as well, educating healthcare professionals and the public and advocating on behalf of autism. I’ve served on committees of the Massachusetts Autism Council and was appointed as a member of this council in 2015, and I still serve on this council.
Since the 1980’s when I attended my first CNS meeting in Boston, I’ve enjoyed attending the CNS meetings. More recently, I served on the CNS Awards Committee from 2017 and this past year on the Scientific Selection and Program Planning Committee. As a junior member, I received support and mentoring at the meetings. Now it is my turn to give back to the CNS, both sharing my years of experience as a clinician, leader and educator. I would be honored to serve as the Councilor for the East.
What have been your most important or rewarding experiences in your years with CNS or other professional organizations, and how have these experiences shaped your vision of the direction CNS might take under your leadership?
My years as a member of the CNS and the Autism Treatment Network/Autism Speaks-Autism Care Network (AS-ACNet) have taught me the value of collaboration and connection. I’ve had the privilege of engaging in clinical, educational, advocacy, and research experiences that were not only professionally enriching but profoundly personally engaging and fulfilling. I learned the power of collective intelligence and how partnerships can drive meaningful change in both patient outcomes and institutional practice.
The CNS meetings offer a respite and rejuvenation for me and my practice. I enjoy the reunions with former residents and colleagues, strengthening a sense of community and shared purpose. The collaborative environment encourages mentorship and very important peer support, often sparking new ideas and partnerships. From inspiring keynote addresses to informal conversations that reignite passion for the work, CNS meetings provide an essential space for connection, learning, and leadership development in child neurology.
Working with the CNS on the Awards Committee and now on the Scientific Selection and Program Planning Committee is another way that helps me to connect to my impressive peer volunteers. We collaborate to find and celebrate the successes of members with awards, and also with the amazing devotion and work of the committee members to craft the best possible meeting for us all.
Equally formative was my participation in advocacy efforts first on Beacon Hill in Boston, educating legislators on the value of behavior therapies for the first autism insurance bill, and then with AS-ACNet lobbyists on Capitol Hill, where I met with legislators to discuss policy changes affecting healthcare delivery for children with autism. More recently, and locally, we have worked to streamline and simplify autism evaluations to ease the access to care for non-English speakers and other disadvantaged populations. These experiences underscored the importance of CNS taking an active voice in shaping healthcare policy—especially in areas that influence access to neurological care. It is important that we mentor our young members to do the same, so we all understand the intersection between medicine and policy and the imperative for our organization to be not just a scientific leader but a strategic one.
In my interactions with younger colleagues, residents, and fellows, I’ve found great fulfillment in mentoring and fostering career development. I’ve always believed that investing in the next generation of child neurologists is central to our mission. These cumulative experiences have shaped my vision for CNS: a forward-thinking, inclusive, and policy-engaged organization that places emphasis on education, advocacy, innovation, mentorship, and community.
What are the most challenging issues facing child neurologists today, and how would the CNS, under your leadership, help its members meet those challenges?
Child neurologists today face a complex landscape of clinical, systemic, and personal challenges that demand our attention and collaborative action. Among the most pressing concerns is the growing shortage of child neurologists, which has led to gaps in access to timely neurologic and neurodevelopmental care, especially but not exclusively in underserved regions. Long wait times and geographic disparities place immense strain on patients and families, while simultaneously burdening us with overwhelming caseloads.
Compounding this issue are insurance-related barriers that obstruct access to essential diagnostics, treatments, and medications. As the demand for neurologic care grows, so too does the frustration of navigating coverage denials and red tape. Most of us spend too much time on prior authorizations for needed medications and procedures. We often find ourselves advocating for individual patients within insurance systems that do not prioritize neurological health, leading to diminished professional satisfaction and eroding our trust in institutional structures.
Additionally, practice-related hurdles, from administrative overload to the emotional toll of managing chronic and often devastating conditions and social situations, have contributed to increasing burnout rates among child neurologists. We spend our evenings and weekends finishing notes, if not taking calls. Many of us grapple with maintaining a sense of purpose amid growing demands, shrinking support, and limited time for meaningful patient interaction.
Under my leadership, the Child Neurology Society will prioritize addressing these interconnected challenges through sustained advocacy, strategic workforce development, and support/wellness-focused initiatives. We will want to educate our members and support them to influence policy and insurance reform, ensuring coverage for essential neurologic services and medications becomes a protected standard, not a negotiation. To increase our workforce, CNS will need to forge partnerships with other medical societies and scientific organizations and build programs to educate students about child neurology and create incentives for training in child neurology—particularly in underserved areas.
To support our current members, CNS can invest in well-being initiatives that tackle burnout head-on. We can host trainings to prevent burnout using newer technologies such as AI note taking, for example. Offering fun and inclusive activities at our meetings fosters engagement in our community. We’ll host resilience and leadership workshops, enhance peer mentoring networks, and push for institutional changes that reduce administrative burdens and protect time for clinical care and research.
The CNS is a force in our field, one that not only brings together so many at its meetings but supports its members and confronts existing obstacles to builds a more sustainable, equitable future for the profession and the children we serve. My vision for CNS is to create a welcoming home for all career stages of child neurologists, broaden our societal impact, and ensure equitable care. Through inclusive policies, advocacy, and workforce development, CNS can lead the way in shaping a diverse future for our field and the communities we serve.