Leadership in neurology: A social network analysis

Editor's NoteTraditionally, most career development articles, such as those in the NeuroGenesis feature in this journal, are aimed at junior faculty members who are just starting out in the field. Of course, career development is not a process that stops once one has been promoted beyond the junior ranks, but is rather a continual effort to refine the characteristics of one's academic position until it approximates more and more closely one's ideal job description, even at the most senior levels. This research article by Amar Dhand and colleagues analyzes the origins of occupants of two positions that represent in their own distinct ways the pinnacle of American neurology – the presidencies of the American Academy of Neurology and the American Neurological Association – and should be of interest to readers at all stages of their careers. – NeuroGenesis Editor.ObjectiveTwo important leadership posts in American neurology are the presidents of the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) and the American Neurological Association (ANA). In this article, we use social network analysis, based on graph theory, to map the professional ties of presidents of the AAN and ANA since 1948. We examin