American Association for Anatomy

The American Association for Anatomy is an international scientific society of biomedical researchers and educators committed to advancing anatomical science through research, education, and professional development. Headquartered in Rockville, Maryland, the association was established in 1888 in Washington, D.C., as the Association of American Anatomists to promote the "advancement of anatomical science." It was renamed in 1908 as the American Association of Anatomists, before adopting its current name in 2019 to reflect the evolving scope of anatomical science and its interdisciplinary reach.
In addition to teaching, AAA members conduct research in a broad range of fields, including imaging, cell biology, genetics, molecular development, endocrinology, histology, neuroscience, forensics, microscopy, and physical anthropology.

WWW anatomy.org 𝕏 AnatomyOrg YT aaanatomists

History

The Association of American Anatomists was founded in 1888 with the primary objective of advancing the study and teaching of anatomy in the United States. The AAA was organized during a meeting at Georgetown University on the evening of September 17, 1888. These founding officers were elected:

President, Dr. Joseph Leidy, of Philadelphia
Vice Presidents, Dr. Frank Baker, of Washington and Dr. F. D. Weisse of New York
Secretary and Treasurer, Dr. A. H. P. Leuf, of Philadelphia
Executive Committee Member, Dr. Harrison Allen, of Philadelphia
Executive Committee Member, Dr. Burt G. Wilder, of Ithaca
Executive Committee Member, Dr. A. C. Bernays, of St. Louis

Initially, the organization served as a professional forum for anatomists to exchange research findings and foster scientific collaboration in an era when anatomical science was rapidly evolving alongside advances in medicine and biology.
In 1901, the first issue of the Proceedings of the American Association of Anatomists was published in the American Journal of Anatomy.
In 1908, Florence R. Sabin became the first woman officer. She was subsequently elected as the first female President in 1924.
In 1917, membership reached over 300 members.
In 1937, the AAA hosted its first meeting outside of the United States, in Toronto, Canada.
In 1986, membership surpassed 5,000.
In 1996, the AAA annual meeting was held as part of the larger Experimental Biology conference for the first time.
In 2019, the association officially changed its name from the American Association of Anatomists to the American Association for Anatomy. This change was made to better represent the diversity of scientific fields within its membership and to reflect the broader scope of anatomical sciences promoted by the association in the 21st century.
The association publishes several peer-reviewed journals including The Anatomical Record, Anatomical Sciences Education, and Developmental Dynamics. Additionally, the association organizes scientific meetings and educational symposia, funding research and travel grants, and promoting equity and inclusion within the anatomical sciences. The AAA has supported the development of subspecialty organizations such as the American Association of Clinical Anatomists (AACA).

No.	Name	Term start	Term end	Notable contributions
1	Joseph Leidy	1888	1889	Founding president; established initial organizational goals.
2	Harrison Allen	1891	1894
3	Thomas Dwight	1894	1895
4	Frank Baker	1895	1897
5	Burt Green Wilder	1898	1899
6	George S. Huntington	1899	1903	Editorial board of the American Journal of Anatomy, and the Anatomical Record
7	Charles S. Minot	1903	1905	Editorial board of the American Journal of Anatomy, and the Anatomical Record
8	Franklin P. Mall	1905	1908	Establishment of the American Journal of Anatomy, and the Anatomical Record.
9	James P. McMurrich	1908	1909	Editorial board of the American Journal of Anatomy
10	George A. Piersol	1909	1911	Editorial board of the American Journal of Anatomy
11	Ross G. Harrison	1911	1913
12	Gotthelf C. Huber	1913	1915	Editorial board of the American Journal of Anatomy, and the Anatomical Record
13	Henry H. Donaldson	1915	1917	Editorial board of the American Journal of Anatomy
14	Robert R. Bensley	1917	1920
15	C. F. W. McLure	1920	1921
16	Clarence M. Jackson	1921	1924
17	Florence R. Sabin	1924	1926
18	George L. Streeter	1926	1928
19	Charles R. Stockard	1928	1930
20	Herbert M. Evans	1930	1932
21	George E. Coghill	1932	1934
22	Warren Harmon Lewis	1934	1936
23	Frederic T. Lewis	1936	1938
24	S. Walter Ranson	1938	1940
25	Philip E. Smith	1940	1942
26	Edgar Allen	1942	1943
27	J. Parsons Schaeffer*	1943	1946
28	George W. Corner	1946	1948
29	George W. Bartelmez	1948	1950
30	Sam L. Clark	1950	1952
31	Leslie B. Arey	1952	1954
32	Samuel R. Detwiler	1954	1956
33	Edward A. Boyden	1956	1957
34	Barry J. Anson	1957	1958
35	Davenport Hooker	1958	1959
36	Normand Louis Hoerr**	1959	1960
37	H. Stanley Bennett**	1959	1960
38	Edward W. Dempsey	1960	1961
39	Harold Cummins	1961	1962
40	Charles P. Leblond	1962	1963
41	Horace W. Magoun	1963	1964
42	Charles Mayo Goss	1964	1965
43	Don Wayne Fawcett	1965	1966
44	Donald Duncan	1966	1967
45	Karl E. Mason	1967	1968
46	Richard J. Blandau	1968	1969
47	Roland H. Alden	1969	1970
48	Raymond Carl Truex	1970	1971
49	David Bodian	1971	1972
50	William U. Gardner	1972	1973
51	John W. Everett	1973	1974
52	Russel T. Woodburne	1974	1975
53	John C. Finerty	1975	1976
54	Carmine D. Clemente	1976	1977
55	Newton B. Everett	1977	1978
56	Berta V. Scharrer	1978	1979
57	Daniel C. Pease	1979	1980
58	Sanford L. Palay	1980	1981
59	Elizabeth D. Hay	1981	1982
60	John E. Pauly	1982	1983	Edited book on history and membership of AAA
61	Allen C. Enders	1983	1984
62	A. Kent Christensen	1984	1985
63	John V. Basmajian	1985	1986
64	Douglas E. Kelly	1986	1987
65	Henry J. Ralston, III	1987	1988
66	Roger R. Markwald	1988	1989
67	Jerome Sutin	1989	1990
68	Karen R. Hitchcock	1990	1991
69	Wiliam P. Jollie	1991	1992
70	Alan Peters	1992	1993
71	Donald A. Fischman	1993	1994
72	Charles E. Slonecker	1994	1995
73	Michael D. Gershon	1995	1996
74	Gary C. Schoenwolf	1996	1997
75	Bruce M. Carlson	1997	1999
76	Robert D. Yates	1999	2001
77	John F. Fallon	2001	2003
78	Robert S. McCuskey	2003	2005
79	Kathy Svoboda	2005	2007
80	David Burr	2007	2009
81	Kathryn Jones	2009	2011
82	Jeffrey T. Laitman	2011	2013
83	Lynn Opperman	2013	2015
84	Kimberly Topp	2015	2017
85	Phil Brauer	2017	2019	Lead name change to American Association for Anatomy
86	Rick Sumner	2019	2021
87	Valerie DeLeon	2021	2023
88	Martine Dunnwald	2023	2025
89	Anne Burrows	2025	2027
90	Ralph Marcucio	2027	2029

Governance and structure

The American Association for Anatomy operates as a non-profit organization incorporated in the United States, with its headquarters located in Rockville, Maryland. The association is governed in accordance with its official bylaws, which define its structure, operational procedures, and the responsibilities of its leadership bodies.
The principal governing body of the AAA is its Board of Directors, which is responsible for establishing strategic direction and overseeing the organization's overall operations and fiduciary responsibilities. The Board includes elected officers such as the President, President-Elect, and Past President, as well as other members-at-large who represent various sectors of the anatomical sciences community. Supporting the Board’s functions is the Executive Committee, which includes the key officers and provides leadership on administrative and policy matters between full Board meetings.

Publications

The American Association for Anatomy publishes three major peer-reviewed journals: Anatomical Sciences Education, The Anatomical Record, and Developmental Dynamics. These journals are published in partnership with Wiley.
Anatomical Sciences Education, founded in 2008, is an international journal dedicated to the promotion of excellence in teaching and learning in the anatomical sciences. It publishes original research, reviews, and commentaries on educational methods, curriculum development, assessment strategies, and professional development for educators. It operates under a hybrid open access model, offering authors the option to make their articles freely available. It had a Journal Impact Factor of 5.2 in 2023.
The Anatomical Record, founded in 1906, is one of the oldest continuously published journals in the field of anatomy. It focuses on experimental and comparative studies that explore structure-function relationships in cells, tissues, and organisms. The journal encompasses a wide range of topics, including evolutionary biology, functional morphology, and imaging. It had a Journal Impact Factor of 1.8 in 2023.
Developmental Dynamics, originally launched as The Journal of Anatomy and Embryology in 1901, publishes research in developmental biology with a particular emphasis on molecular, cellular, and genetic mechanisms underlying embryonic and postnatal development. The journal also features work that intersects with regenerative medicine and stem cell biology. It provides authors the option for open access publishing. It had a Journal Impact Factor of 2 in 2023.

Awards and recognition

The American Association for Anatomy administers a wide-ranging awards and recognition program designed to honor excellence across all stages of anatomical science careers. The association recognizes contributions in research, education, mentoring, service, and efforts to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion within the field.
One of the most prestigious honors conferred by AAA is the title of Fellow of the American Association for Anatomy. This designation is awarded to members who have demonstrated distinguished contributions to the anatomical sciences and outstanding service to the association. Fellowship recognizes sustained excellence in areas such as scientific research, education, leadership, and professional service.