# Zachary London

Zachary London is an American scientist. He is the James W. Albers Collegiate Professor of Neurology at the University of Michigan and program director of the neurology residency at the University of Michigan. He specializes in neuromuscular disease and electromyography. He has been celebrated for his innovative approach to interactive educational tools, and received the American Academy of Neurology A. B. Baker Award for Lifetime Achievement in Neurology Education in 2023.

## Early life and education

London grew up in Wisconsin. He attended Brown University for undergraduate studies and went to medical school at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
After a preliminary medicine internship at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Ann Arbor, London completed his neurology residency at the University of Michigan, where he remained for a fellowship in clinical neurophysiology and electromyography.

## Career

In 2006, London joined the faculty at the University of Michigan as a neuromuscular specialist. He has published on the use of electromyography and nerve conduction studies as diagnostic tools and on pain during these studies.
He later became director of the residency program. He has published extensively on educational techniques in neurology medical education, and on the residency and fellowship process.
He is a fellow of the American Academy of Neurology and has been involved with the Graduate Education subcommittee. He is active in the American Association of Neuromuscular and Electrodiagnostic Medicine and is a mentor on the Young Leadership Council.

### Game development and education

London has focused his academic scholarship on the development of interactive educational tools. In 2007, London created a web-based tool to teach electromyography called EMG Whiz. He later developed two free mobile apps, Nerve Whiz and Neuro Localizer to teach the basics of neurological localization.
In 2015, with his colleague James Burke, London developed an educational board game called The Lesion: Charcot's Tournament. This was funded by the Jerry Isler Neuromuscular Fund.
Additional games have included:
* The Plexus
* Cranial Vault with Cory Dobson
* Foramina! with Mikaela Stiver
* Endowed Chairs: Neurology and Endowed Chairs: Pediatrics with Alison Christy
* Neurdle with Alison Christy
* Rooticle
* Dictation Errors with Jordan Newman
* Battle Thunder Worm with Malcolm London and Micah Wolkenberg
London also works to teach neurologists to develop games for neurology education and to use games for neurology education.

### Hard Taco Project

London started recording one song every month in 1993, under the name "Hard Taco Project." He creates a song for every board game he makes. Songs are available at his website, and have been on Spotify starting in 2023.
London also makes videos using puppets for parody songs, with his students and wife Lauren Schwartz London, often to educate about topics in neurology or illustrate underlying issues in the culture of medicine.

## Awards and honors

* 2008 Status Pedagogicus Award
* 2015 Teaching Innovation Prize, University of Michigan
* 2020 American Association of Neuromuscular and Electrodiagnostic Medicine Innovation Award
* 2023 American Academy of Neurology A. B. Baker Award for Lifetime Achievement in Neurologic Education

## Select publications

* Di Luca DG, Lazar SM, Gupta P, Lukban MCS, Crowson C, Albert DVF, Moeller, JJ, Fernandez A, Southerland AM, London Z. How to Peer Review a Neurology Education Manuscript. Neurology: Education. 2023 Dec;2(4) doi: 10.1212/NE9.0000000000200099. Epub 2023 Nov 6.
* Davalos L, Watanabe M, Gallagher GW, Grewal A, Fudym Y, Reynolds EL, Callaghan BC, Banarjee M, London ZN. Diagnostic characteristics of nerve conduction study parameters for vasculitic neuropathy. Muscle Nerve. 2023 Jan;67(1):45-51. doi: 10.1002/mus.27753. Epub 2022 Nov 23. PMID 36367146; PMCID: PMC10100037.
* Becker B, London ZN. Assessment of clinical skills in electrodiagnostic medicine. Muscle Nerve. 2022 Dec;66(6):647-649. doi: 10.1002/mus.27733. Epub 2022 Oct 19. PMID 36213950.
* London ZN, Gable KL, Govindarajan R, Guidon AC, Gwathmey KG, Hehir MK, Imperioli M, Laughlin RS, Price RS, Sakamuri S, Sokol J, Baer M. The neuromuscular fellowship portal and match. Muscle Nerve. 2022 Jun;65(6):640-645. doi: 10.1002/mus.27525. Epub 2022 Mar 9. PMID 35213933; PMCID: PMC9314681.doi:10.1016/j.pediatrneurol.2016.10.017
* London ZN, Mahajan A, Cahill C, Khan J, Schuyler EA, Price RS. The Neurology Fellowship Application Conundrum: Finding Common Ground. Neurology. 2022 May 31;98(22):929-937. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000200717. Epub 2022 Apr 20. PMID 35444052.doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0133002
* Davalos L, Nowacek DG, London ZN. Distal symmetric polyneuropathy phenotype in patients with sensory neuronopathy at the time of electrodiagnosis. Muscle Nerve. 2022 Apr;65(4):456-459. doi: 10.1002/mus.27488. Epub 2022 Jan 20. PMID 34994975.
* Siegler JE, Boreskie PE, Strowd R, Rook R, Goss A, Al-Mufti F, Rossow B, Miller A, Chamberlain A, London Z, Hurley J, Geocadin R, Richie M, Isaacson R, Rybinnik I, Chan TM. Neurology podcast utilization during the COVID-19 pandemic. Neurol Sci. 2021 Nov;42(11):4437-4445. doi: 10.1007/s10072-021-05549-9. Epub 2021 Aug 12. PMID 34383158; PMCID: PMC8357627.
* Schaefer SM, London Z, Ferrara JM, McCoyd MA, Cronin C, Pharr EP, Price R, Rigby HB, Vota S, Cincotta M, Slade MD, Moeller JJ. Multi-Residency Implementation of an Online Movement Disorders Curriculum Based on Real Patient Videos. Tremor Other Hyperkinet Mov (N Y). 2021 Sep 22;11:38. doi: 10.5334/tohm.654. PMID 34621598; PMCID: PMC8462470.
* Lavette LE, Miller A, Rook B, London Z, Cook C, Merkler AE, Santini V, Ruff IM, Kraakevik J, Smith D, Anderson WE, Johnson SL, Yan PZ, Sweeney J, Chamberlain A, Rogers-Baggett B, Isaacson R, Strowd RE. Education Research: NeuroBytes: A New Rapid, High-Yield e-Learning Platform for Continuing Professional Development in Neurology. Neurology. 2021 Aug 24;97(8):393-400. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000012133. Epub 2021 Apr 30. PMID 33931531.
* Mahajan A, Davalos L, Schneider L, Bailey M, Khan J, London Z. The impact of student debt on neurological practice. J Neurol Sci. 2021 Aug 15;427:117536. doi: 10.1016/j.jns.2021.117536. Epub 2021 Jun 12. PMID 34139451.
* Mahajan A, London Z, Southerland AM, Khan J, Schuyler EA; and the Graduate Education Subcommittee and Education Committee of the American Academy of Neurology. Immigrant Neurologists in the United States: The Path of Most Resistance. Neurology. 2021 Feb 22;96(8):378-385. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000011196. PMID 33199436.
* Becker CJ, McDermott M, London ZN. Declining use of neurological eponyms in cases where a non-eponymous alternative exists. Clin Neurol Neurosurg. 2021 Jan;200:106367. doi: 10.1016/j.clineuro.2020.106367. Epub 2020 Nov 10. PMID 33271406.
* London ZN. A Structured Approach to the Diagnosis of Peripheral Nervous System Disorders. Continuum (Minneap Minn). 2020 Oct;26(5):1130-1160. doi: 10.1212/CON.0000000000000922. PMID 33002996.
* Dupuis JE, Li J, Callaghan BC, Reynolds EL, London ZN. Bilateral nerve conduction studies in the evaluation of distal symmetric polyneuropathy. Muscle Nerve. 2019 Sep;60(3):305-307. doi: 10.1002/mus.26616. Epub 2019 Jul 2. PMID 31228276.
* London ZN, Nowacek DG. Does cerebrospinal fluid analysis have a meaningful role in the diagnosis of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy? Muscle Nerve. 2019 Aug;60(2):111-113. doi: 10.1002/mus.26513. Epub 2019 May 20. PMID 31090075.
* London ZN, Greenwood R. Neurology workforce deficits: Is allopathic medical student recruitment the answer? Neurology. 2019 Apr 23;92(17):786-787. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000007356. Epub 2019 Mar 29. PMID 30926685.
* London ZN, Khan J, Cahill C, Schuyler E, Wold J, Southerland AM. 2017 Program Director Survey: Feedback from your adult neurology residency leadership. Neurology. 2018 Oct 9;91(15):e1448-e1454. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000006315. Epub 2018 Sep 7. PMID 30194246.
* McDermott M, Gelb DJ, Wilson K, Pawloski M, Burke JF, Shelgikar AV, London ZN. Sex Differences in Academic Rank and Publication Rate at Top-Ranked US Neurology Programs. JAMA Neurol. 2018 Aug 1;75(8):956-961. doi: 10.1001/jamaneurol.2018.0275. PMID 29610899; PMCID: PMC6142929.
* Wong VSS, Strowd RE 3rd, Aragón-García R, Moon YP, Ford B, Haut SR, Kass JS, London ZN, Mays M, Milligan TA, Price RS, Reynolds PS, Selwa LM, Spencer DC, Elkind MSV. Mentored peer review of standardized manuscripts as a teaching tool for residents: a pilot randomized controlled multi-center study. Res Integr Peer Rev. 2017 Jun 5;2:6. doi: 10.1186/s41073-017-0032-0. PMID 29451555; PMCID: PMC5803578.
* London ZN, Gallagher GW, Ebright MJ. A Self-Study Curriculum in Electromyography and Nerve Conduction Studies for Residents and Fellows. MedEdPORTAL. 2017 May 10;13:10581. doi: 10.15766/mep_2374-8265.10581. PMID 30800783; PMCID: PMC6338186.
* London ZN. Safety and pain in electrodiagnostic studies. Muscle Nerve. 2017 Feb;55(2):149-159. doi: 10.1002/mus.25421. Epub 2016 Nov 10. PMID 27680535.
* London ZN, Khan J. Is it time already to revise the Neurology Milestones? Neurology. 2015 Jun 2;84(22):2206-7. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000001650. Epub 2015 May 1. PMID 25934849.
* Verson J, Haig AJ, Sandella D, Yamakawa KS, London Z, Tomkins-Lane C. Patient perception of pain versus observed pain behavior during a standardized electrodiagnostic test. Muscle Nerve. 2015 Feb;51(2):185-91. doi: 10.1002/mus.24308. Epub 2014 Dec 16. PMID 24895249; PMCID: PMC4254897.
* London ZN, Burke JF, Hazan R, Hastings MM, Callaghan BC. Electromyography-related pain: muscle selection is the key modifiable study characteristic. Muscle Nerve. 2014 Apr;49(4):570-4. doi: 10.1002/mus.23974. Epub 2014 Jan 25. PMID 23893537.
* London ZN, Hazan R, Burke JF, Callaghan BC. Altering electromyography studies: importance of the electromyographer's perception of patient pain. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2014 Jan;95(1):39-42. doi: 10.1016/j.apmr.2013.08.003. Epub 2013 Aug 22. PMID 23973444.
* London Z, Albers JW. Toxic neuropathies associated with pharmaceutic and industrial agents. Neurol Clin. 2007 Feb;25(1):257-76. doi: 10.1016/j.ncl.2006.10.001. PMID 17324727.