2026 Abstract Guidelines & Poster Submission

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The submission deadline is December 31, 2025 11:59 PM ET.

Abstract Deadlines & Approvals:

ORAL PRESENTATIONS
For those submitting an abstract who would like to be considered for oral presentations at the 2026 MDA Clinical & Scientific Conference, highest priority will be given to those who submit abstracts on or before November 14, 2025. The final deadline for oral presentation consideration is December 31, 2025. All abstracts automatically qualify for the poster session. Should there be any questions regarding this policy, please contact [email protected].

POSTER SESSIONS

For those submitting an abstract only as a poster submission at the 2026 MDA Clinical & Scientific Conference, abstracts must be submitted on or before December 31, 2025.

Poster Session Options

Options to present in person, virtually or both

In-Person – posters will be viewable in the conference exhibit hall on the evening of Sunday, March 8 through the evening of Tuesday, March 10. Dedicated poster session times will be as follows*:

Sunday, March 8, 2026
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM ET

Monday, March 9, 2026
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM ET

Tuesday, March 10, 2026
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM ET

*All times are subject to change.

Virtual Posters– will be viewable on the virtual platform beginning Sunday, March 8, 2026.  After the conference concludes, posters will be viewable to all attendees for a 6-month period, until September 2026.

Abstract Approvals

All abstracts submitted within the designated categories will be accepted for presentation in our combined in-person and virtual poster hall, open from Sunday, March 8, 2026, to Tuesday, March 10, 2026. If you plan to present your posters in-person, we strongly encourage you to register for the conference by December 31, 2025, to take advantage of early bird registration pricing.

Oral Presentation Approvals

The review process for abstracts submitted for oral presentations will start during the week of November 17, 2025. Submitters will begin receiving acceptance notifications for their abstracts for ORAL presentations from approximately December 1, 2025, to December 15, 2025. Once you receive a notification confirming the selection of your abstract for an oral presentation, we strongly advise registering for the in-person conference before the early bird registration deadline of December 31, 2025.

Abstracts selected for oral presentation submitted between November 1 and December 31, 2025 will be notified no later than January 9, 2026.

Abstract Submission Guidelines

The first author and submitter of the abstract (if applicable) will receive all correspondence from MDA regarding the abstract submission(s). Abstract titles must be no more than 150 characters including spaces. Abstract body should not exceed 300 words (approx. 2500 characters including spaces).

Authors may submit abstracts on the following categories in neuromuscular disease (NMD) research and care:

• Pre-Clinical Research
• Translational Research
• Clinical Trials
• Clinical Management
• Other

2026 Late-Breaking Abstract Guidelines

High-profile projects may be considered for oral presentations through MDA’s Late-Breaking Abstract Portal, open from January 9, 2026 – February 6, 2026. Submissions after this deadline will not be accepted- no exceptions.

Late-breaking abstracts must meet the following criteria:

• They must not have been presented, accepted for presentation, or published at any other scientific meeting or in a journal at the time of submission.
• They must include data that became available only after the December 31, 2025 general abstract submission deadline.

A limited number of oral presentation slots will be reserved for high-impact late-breaking abstracts.

2026 Abstract Print Guidelines

In-Person Poster Guidelines:

• Posters must not exceed 36″ wide x 48″ high (portrait orientation).
• Presenters are responsible for printing and bringing their poster to their assigned location onsite. MDA has teamed up with FedEx Office on-site at the Hilton Orlando if you would like to have your poster printed and waiting upon your arrival, please complete this form.
• In-person poster presenters are also encouraged to upload a PDF version of their poster to the virtual platform. Details regarding the upload process, file specifications, and deadlines will be shared closer to the conference.

Virtual Poster Guidelines:

• The final submission should be a one-page PDF of your data.
• Each submission must include the first name, last name, and email address of the author best suited to answer questions.
• You may include a QR codes on your poster to direct viewers to a downloadable version.
• Details on submission deadlines, PDF requirements, and the upload process will be shared soon.

2026 MDA Embargo Policy

To ensure the integrity and proper dissemination of research presented at the 2026 MDA Clinical & Scientific Conference, the following embargo policies apply:

General Embargo Policy

While authors may announce that their poster has been selected for inclusion in the conference program, data and results from the final poster presentation may not be shared in any form (print, broadcast, online publication, media release, or conference presentation) prior to its official presentation on Sunday, March 8, 2026, at 6:00 PM ET. Authors retain the copyright to their abstract and poster.

Press Releases & Curtain Raisers

• Sponsors, institutions, or authors may issue curtain raisers (general announcements that a presentation will occur) ahead of the meeting. These may include the title, author(s), and presentation time but must not disclose study results or data.
• All press releases that include study data or outcomes must adhere to the official embargo date and time.

Abstract Withdrawal Deadline

• Requests to withdraw an abstract must be submitted at least 1 (one) week before the online abstract library goes live.

Author and Typo Corrections Deadline

• Requests to correct author details or minor typographical errors must be submitted at least 3 (three) weeks before the abstract library goes live. Approximately February 23, 2026. *

Encores (Repeat Presentations)

• Encores are permitted if:
  • (i) copyright requirements from the initial conference are respected; and
  • (ii) prior presentations are fully disclosed.

Oral Presentations – Embargo Policy

To preserve the integrity of data presented at the 2026 MDA Clinical & Scientific Conference, the following embargo policy applies specifically to oral presentations:

• Embargo Timing– Data and outcomes from oral presentations may not be shared publicly (including in press releases, media interviews, social media, blogs, or other communications) prior to the start time of the oral presentation as listed in the official program.
• Permitted Pre-Meeting Promotion– Authors and their organizations may announce that the oral presentation has been accepted and scheduled. These announcements can include the presentation title, author name(s), session name, date, time, and location. However, no study results, data points, or conclusions may be disclosed prior to the presentation.
• Press Releases– Press releases containing data from oral presentations must be embargoed until the official presentation start time. Curtain raisers (announcements without results) are permitted in advance.
• Media Briefings– If a presentation is selected for a conference-organized media briefing, the embargo for that content will align with the timing of the briefing, unless otherwise specified.
• Social media and Public Posts– Authors, sponsors, and media may post about oral presentation content only after the presentation has begun. Pre-presentation posts should be limited to promotional details without scientific results.
• Encores– Oral encores are allowed under the same conditions as posters: prior presentations must be disclosed, and any copyright requirements from the initial presentation must be respected.

Promoting Accepted Presentations

Once an abstract is accepted, authors and their organizations are encouraged to promote it using the title, author name(s), and scheduled presentation time. We encourage tagging @MDA on social media. Presentation details will also appear in the interactive program on the MDA website.

 

Session Access and Recordings

Presentations at the in-person conference will be live-streamed, recorded, and accessible on demand to registered participants for up to one year after the event. All recordings are owned by MDA and are not permitted to be shared or republished.

 

Questions?

Please see our Abstract Submissions FAQ

For additional inquiries about the abstract submission process or poster session guidelines, please contact: [email protected]

*Note: Dates and policies are subject to change.