A short history of the AMC

The “Alternative Muscle Club” (AMC) was born out of the idea to give junior researchers an opportunity to present their work in a more friendly and unintimidating environment. Therefore, attendees and organizers of the meeting typically hold junior faculty, postdoctoral, postgraduate student, or research technician positions. Historically, the AMC has been associated with the European Muscle Club (EMC) - now the European Muscle Conference and the European Society for Muscle Research (ESMR).

Timeline of select AMC meetings in the United Kingdom.

The first-ever AMC meeting was held at the Department of Zoology, Oxford University, in December 1980. The two-day conference featured talks and poster presentations that represented the entire spectrum of muscle-related research: studies on whole muscle and muscle fibers, structural characterization of myofilaments, and investigations into the biochemistry of muscle proteins. Successive AMCs were held at universities and research centers across the United Kingdom, with Oxford hosting the 28th AMC meeting in 2010.

In keeping with the goals and the spirit of the European AMCs, UC San Diego is proud to host the first American Alternative Muscle Club meeting in the summer of 2013. While the location and meeting affiliation may differ, we aim to honor the same principles as the original AMC meetings: to allow junior researchers to present their work in a friendly and open environment.

Participants of the 2004 AMC at Imperial College, London Professor John Squire, Imperial College London, who served as organizer and session chair during the 2004 AMC meeting is seen on the left. Picture courtesy of Dr. Pradeep Luther.

---

Literature

For further reading about the history of the AMC, we suggest the following articles:
Academic subscription may be required

• Meeting Reports
• First Alternative Muscle Club Meeting
• The Second Alternative Muscle Club Meeting, York, December 1981
• The Fourth Alternative Muscle Club Meeting, Cambridge, January 1984
• The Fifth Alternative Muscle Club Meeting, London, December, 1984
• Alternative Muscle Club 10th Anniversary Meeting
• Alternative Muscle Club 11th anniversary meeting
• Report on the 14th Alternative Muscle Club
• History of the EMC/ESMR and the AMC
• Heading for the 20th European Muscle Meeting in Oxford in the Fall 1991
• Footsteps of the European society for muscle research (1971–2008)
• Forty years of European Society for Muscle Research