Our Journey

Dr. Benatar's interest in myasthenia gravis dates back to his days as a PhD student in Oxford, United Kingdom. Dr. Benatar earned his PhD working in the laboratory of the late Professor John Newsom-Davis - or JND, as his students and colleagues affectionately referred to him. Dr. Benatar was inspired by the passion with which JND worked to improve our understanding of MG and to develop treatments for patients with myasthenia and related neuromuscular disorders, as well as by the humanity with which JND cared for myasthenia patients in his clinic. After Dr. Benatar completed his neurology residency in Boston he moved to Emory University in Atlanta where he established a subspecialty clinic devoted to the care of patients with myasthenia and began thinking about ways in which research might lead to improved treatments for patients with myasthenia gravis. He has participated in several multi-center clinical trials and studies - some that have been completed (Eculizumab and a GWAS study), and some that are still ongoing (MGTX and methotrexate). He also developed the EPITOME trial, designed to investigate the optimal prednisone dosing strategy for treating patients with ocular myasthenia. Dr. Benatar is an active member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America (MGFA). Together with Dr. Donald Sanders of Duke University, he co-organized two international meetings to optimize strategies for improving clinical trial design and conduct with a view towards more efficient development of safe and effective treatments for patients with myasthenia gravis. He is currently participating in an MGFA-funded undertaking to develop consensus guidelines for the treatment of myasthenia gravis.