Need a reason to go to the CMTA Patient & Research Summit in San Francisco this October? Here are seven!!
1. You’ll learn how genetic testing works, and why it’s not just alphabet soup
More than 100 genes are connected to CMT, and knowing your CMT type and subtype gives you power. Carly Siskind, MS, LCGC, associate professor and Senior Genetic Counselor at Stanford, is leading a session on how genetic testing works, how to arrange it, and what results can tell you about your CMT.
2. You’ll hear where CMT research stands today and how close we are to treatments
Sunday is science day with all sessions about CMT research. Katherine Forsey, PhD, CMTA Chief Research Officer, will present the current state of research and the promise she sees in the pipeline. You’ll also hear from top CMT researchers, and the companies developing CMT therapies, as they discuss their latest findings.
3. You’ll be inspired to join a clinical trial
Get the lowdown on what it’s like to participate in a clinical trial from people with first-hand experience. You’ll leave this session with an understanding of what it’s really like to be in a clinical trial including the screening process, travel expectations, time commitment and more from the people who lived it.
4. You’ll get tools you can actually use to manage CMT
Saturday’s sessions are chock full of information on managing CMT. Get practical advice on managing pain from John Day, MD, PhD, a neuromuscular neurologist at Stanford. Sessions on physical and occupational therapy will help you stay active. You’ll put this learning into practice with short exercise workshop led by Julie Stone, a certified personal trainer who works with people with CMT.
5. You’ll hear straight talk on CMT surgery and what to consider
In one of our most popular workshops, surgeon Glenn Pfeffer, MD, Director of the Foot and Ankle Center at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, will meet with patients one-on-one to evaluate their symptoms and discuss options for treatment including surgery. If you’ve been considering surgery, come to this workshop and meet with one of the top CMT ankle/foot surgeons – no plane ticket to L.A. needed.
6. You’ll focus on the emotional side of CMT
Having CMT doesn’t just affect your body, it also can affect your mind. A workshop led by Julie Fitzgerald, PhD, and Elaine Skoulas, LMFT, will address the mental and emotional side of living with CMT and what you can do to live well.
7. You won’t be the only one in the room
Oftentimes, people with CMT have never met another person with the disease beyond family members. Is this you? Over the Summit weekend, you’ll meet and interact with hundreds of people – from kids to elders – who share your diagnosis. Learn from others’ experience living with CMT while you enjoy a beverage or meal with your new community. You’ll may arrive at the Summit a stranger, but you’ll leave as a friend.
Registration and details
The Summit runs Friday, October 9 through Sunday, October 11, 2026, in Redwood City, Calif., just 15 minutes south of San Francisco International Airport.
