Take a deep dive into metabolic diseases.

Learn from leading experts in lectures and workshop settings on how to best diagnose and manage inborn metabolic disorders.

Upcoming Course

2019 NAMA Faculty and Course Attendees, Chaska, Minnesota.

When: September 22 - 28, 2024

Where: Lanier Islands Legacy Lodge, Buford, Atlanta

About SIMD NAMA Foundations

The Society for Inherited Metabolic Disorders (SIMD) established the North American Metabolic Academy (NAMA Foundations, formerly NAMA) to provide a forum in which genetics trainees can build their knowledge base about the inborn errors of metabolism and can gain exposure to the diagnosis and management of metabolic diseases.

Course Description

The annual 6-day conference is an intense educational and social experience for attendees.

The course structure relates to various areas of biochemistry:

Day 1: Protein metabolism

Day 2: Glucose and fatty acid metabolism

Day 3: Mitochondrial metabolism, neurotransmitters and creatine synthesis

Day 4: Complex molecule metabolism

Day 5: Adult metabolic disease

Each day includes both didactic lectures (focusing more on the diseases and their diagnosis) and workshops for reviewing cases (focusing more on diagnosis and management) that integrate the information taught in the lectures. On Day 4, the cases are reviewed in a mock clinic setting. During the final session of Day 5, attendees are grouped to participate in a diagnostic challenge. Also, during the NAMA Debates on Day 3, faculty are paired into teams to debate the pros and cons of three controversial issues, one about newborn screening, one concerning diagnostic methods or approaches, and one about disease management.

The second goal at NAMA is about “networking” – attendees are urged to interact since, for most, those trainees attending the conference represent their future professional peer group. Also, attendees have an opportunity to meet around 15 experienced biochemical geneticists on the course faculty who come from a clinical and/or laboratory background and can serve as resources for information about metabolic disease and career development. There are numerous opportunities to meet and talk during the course: in the lecture setting (as questions), during workshops, at mealtimes, and during evening receptions.

Learning Objectives

  1. Review the pathophysiology and clinical presentation of the range of defects that impact intermediary metabolism with a focus on protein, carbohydrate, lipid, complex molecule, and energy metabolism.

  2. Develop a broad understanding of the diagnostic approach to the inborn errors.

  3. Acquire an approach for managing those disorders, especially those for which effective therapy exists.

Course Outline

The 2024 Agenda will be out soon! Check back to see what NAMA Foundations has in store for you this year.

To see last year’s agenda (NAMA Foundations 2023), click the button below.

The Faculty

The renowned international faculty are seasoned metabolic clinicians and/or laboratorians and all are committed teachers. The faculty also includes a neurologist with expertise around metabolic conditions. All have four-year terms at NAMA. They review and update lectures, participate as lecturers, as small-group workshop leaders, as patients or attending physicians in the Clinic, and as debaters at the NAMA Debates! They welcome questions about metabolic concerns, career plans, and (maybe) where lunch is going to be served!

In addition, Genetic Metabolic Dietitians International (GMDI) sends two representatives each year who lecture, provide nutritional assistance during certain workshops, and oversee a formula “taste-testing.”  Finally, a representative of the Society for the Study of Inborn Errors of Metabolism (SSIEM), SIMD’s counterpart in Europe, attends each year and participates in the workshops. 

FAQs

  • The Academy will provide a broad overview of inborn errors of metabolism focusing on the clinical diagnosis and treatment of these disorders. A renowned faculty will guide you through seminars on disease recognition and diagnosis, workshops to integrate understanding of normal metabolism and pathophysiology, and case-based workshops on diagnosis and management. NAMA is presented by the Society for Inherited Metabolic Disorders (SIMD).

  • The course is open to trainees in Medical Genetics and Biochemical Genetics (preference given to first-year trainees). Applicants must be nominated by their program director or an SIMD member. Nurse practitioners and physician associates working in the field of metabolism are also welcome to apply. SIMD requires that all applicants or their programs cover their expenses. Scholarships for registration fees are available. Space permitting, a limited number of course slots may be open to other specialty trainees or interested academic physicians whose professional focus includes metabolic disease Due to an increasing number of applications each year, individuals are permitted to attend NAMA 1.0 only once.

  • The next NAMA 1.0 course will be running from September 22 - September 28, 2024.

  • SIMD NAMA 1.0 will be held at the Lanier Islands Legacy Lodge in Buford, Atlanta in 2024 and 2025.

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