Abstracts submission guidelines

Eligibility and submission process:

• The presenting author must be registered to attend WMS 2026. Only the presenting author can submit an abstract;
• The presenter must be listed as an author on the submitted abstract;
• If you are attending the Congress as a representative of a Patient Advocacy Group, you must be the scientific representative to submit and present an abstract. Non-scientific representatives will not be able to attend the scientific sessions of the Congress;
• Abstracts must be written in English;
• The title must be a maximum of 150 characters, in sentence case. If the disease name you are referring to starts with a capital letter, please write it as it should be written (e.g., Becker muscular dystrophy);
• The abstract must not exceed 2,000 characters (including spaces, excluding title and author details);
• A maximum of 20 co-authors is allowed. If more contributors were involved, list them as a study group in the last co-author slot, and acknowledge them on the poster or during the presentation;
• You must provide the first name, last name, organisation, and country for the presenter and all co-authors. Incomplete co-author details will be removed;
• References, graphical files, tables, figures, keywords, and subheadings (e.g., background, methods) are not allowed and will be removed by the Programme Committee;
• You will need to provide a short presenter biography. This should be a brief paragraph outlining your work, professional background, and any other relevant details for readers;
• If you make an error during your submission, you can update the file and re-upload the corrected version up until the abstract submission deadline. We will review the most recently submitted file from your unique link; and
• Before the submission deadline, please revisit your link and make sure your abstract(s) are submitted and not in drafts.
• If your study data is not available at the time of submitting your abstract, please indicate in the abstract submission text when data will be available.

Additional submission guidelines for all pharmaceutical and related industries abstracts:

As part of the abstract submission process, you will need to answer additional questions to ensure compliance:

• Is the submitting and presenting author’s primary role in a pharmaceutical or related industry?
• Is this abstract submitted on behalf of, by, or in collaboration with a pharmaceutical or related industry?

The Programme Committee reserves the right to reject abstracts if multiple submissions report on the same clinical trial. To assist in evaluation, you will also be required to answer:

• Does this abstract discuss clinical trial results?
• To your knowledge, are any other abstracts being submitted with data from the same clinical trial?
• If multiple abstracts report on the same trial, please justify why this abstract should be prioritised or why multiple abstracts should be considered. (Limit: 300 words)

Presentation format:

• If selected for a poster, the abstract will be displayed on the virtual platform, the Congress app, and e-poster boards at the venue;
• If the presenter is attending WMS 2026 in person, the poster will also be displayed on a traditional poster board at the venue or as a virtual poster;
• If the presenter is attending WMS 2026 virtually, you will need to submit a digital poster. This also applies if the presenter originally registered to attend in person and changed to a virtual registration;
• If a virtual presenter later switches to in-person attendance, the Programme Committee will decide whether the presentation format can be changed to a traditional poster.

Conflict of interest and submission requirements:

• Abstract submitters do not need to sign a conflict-of-interest form;
• If your abstract is selected for a short oral presentation, the presenter must include a conflict-of-interest slide at the start of their presentation; and
• It is the presenting author’s responsibility to disclose any conflicts of interest on their poster/presentation slides and to notify the organisers of any changes before the Congress;

Submission process:

• There is no fee to submit an abstract;
• Submit your abstract using the personalised link in your registration confirmation email. Do not use another person’s confirmation link, as this will overwrite their submission. If you have accidentally deleted your confirmation email and need us to re-send your link, please email [email protected];
• Abstracts from sponsoring, exhibiting, or pharmaceutical and related industries must be submitted using a registration ticket from their allocated ticket allowance;
• Abstracts cannot be submitted by fax, hard copy, or email; and
• There is no limit to the number of abstracts an individual can submit. Please be aware that the programme committee may reject abstracts for presentations if multiple abstracts describe reports from the same clinical trial.

When you submit your abstract, we will ask you what kind of submission it is. You will be able to choose between: clinical trial, case report (single case), case report (≤5 cases), preclinical/translational research, clinical research, allied health care/research, or none of the above.

In all instances, you will be asked whether the abstract is submitted on behalf of, by, or in collaboration with an industry company.

For all submission types, you will be asked: 

1. If applicable, name of the supporting pharmaceutical company, the trial name and the drug name.
2. Will this work be presented at another conference prior to the WMS Congress?

If you are submitting a clinical trial abstract, you will additionally be asked: Does this abstract discuss clinical trial results?

Due to space restrictions for the WMS 2026 Congress as well as delegate feedback, if you submit a case presentation that is just descriptive text of the case, the likely outcome will be a virtual poster. If it is a scientific analysis of the case, it is more likely to be considered for selection for an in-person poster/oral presentation.

Review and acceptance process:

• Our team of abstract reviewers will review every submitted abstract. We will notify you of the outcome by end May 2026;
• If your abstract is not accepted, you will be contacted promptly. You may still attend the Congress or request a full cancellation;
• It is the author's responsibility to ensure the abstract is free from errors in spelling, grammar, and scientific accuracy. Accepted abstracts will be published as submitted; and
• The Programme Committee may shorten titles for publication and remove acknowledgements or incorrect formatting.

Fellowships and eligibility:

• WMS members must submit an abstract to be eligible to apply for a travel fellowship. If you wish to apply, you must be a WMS member at the time of abstract submission and hold an in-person registration ticket;
• Refer to the dates page for fellowship deadlines and payment details. Fellowship payments are processed after the Congress;
• Find out more about WMS travel fellowships on the fellowships page of the Congress website.

Changes and withdrawals:

• If you need to withdraw your abstract, contact [email protected] for guidance.