The National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF) elected Kenneth G. Saag, M.D., MSc, as President of its Board of Trustees during its annual meeting, the Interdisciplinary Symposium on Osteoporosis, that was held in Miami from May 12-15. Dr. Saag brings his scientific leadership and specialized background to the role of President, which will greatly benefit the organization as it works to reduce the two million broken bones that occur each year due to osteoporosis.
Dr. Saag is the Jane Knight Lowe Professor of Medicine, Division of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, and Vice Chair, Department of Medicine at the Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) School of Medicine. He is also the Director of the NIAMS-funded UAB Center of Research Translation (CoRT), the founding Director of the AHRQ-funded UAB Deep South Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Center for Education and Research on Therapeutics (CERTs) and the UAB Center for Outcomes and Effectiveness Research (COERE), at the UAB School of Medicine, where he is Professor of Epidemiology, at the UAB School of Public Health. In addition, he is the director of the Agency for Healthcare, Research and Quality (AHRQ) and NIH supported training grants in Health Services, Patient Centered Outcomes, and Translational Research.
As President of NOF, Dr. Saag will serve as the primary spokesperson for the Foundation on medical and scientific matters. He chairs the Scientific Advisory Council and monitors the scientific integrity of the Foundation’s statements to ensure appropriate scientific input. As President, Dr. Saag will also serve as Co-Chair of the National Bone Health Alliance, a public-private partnership co-founded by NOF.
“I am deeply honored to take on this important responsibility at a critical cross-roads in the field of osteoporosis care,” said Dr. Saag. “While we have made great progress in the past 25 years, there is much new work to do given many of the current challenges, particularly the recent national decline in testing and treatment.”
Dr. Saag is a practicing rheumatologist, epidemiologist, and outcomes researcher with over 20 years of experience in conducting patient-oriented, clinical trial, and comparative effectiveness research in musculoskeletal disorders. Â He is the only rheumatologist on the NOF Board of Trustees. He is experienced in designing and conducting clinical trials of therapeutics of osteoporosis and in population-based investigations, working with large databases, and quality indicator development. He is a member of the American College of Rheumatology Board of Directors. He has served on the FDA Arthritis Advisory Committee and co-chaired the American Medical Association (AMA) Physician Consortium for Performance Improvement on Osteoporosis. He is on the editorial board of Rheumatology and Therapy, and serves as Associate Editor of Therapeutic Advances in Musculoskeletal Diseases.
Dr. Saag is a member of the NIH Neurologic, Aging and Musculoskeletal Epidemiology Study Section (NAMES) and has previously chaired the Arthritis Foundation Clinical, Therapeutics and Outcomes Study Section. He has served on several IOM Committees and National Committees to develop both arthritis and osteoporosis guidelines, and the Musculoskeletal Workgroup of the Cochrane Collaboration.
Recently Dr. Saag published the first edition of the clinical handbook Diagnosis and Management of Osteoporosis. He has published over 270 peer-reviewed manuscripts; has also authored more than 100 reviews, editorials, and book chapters. He is a member of the American Association of Physicians (AAP). Much of his career has focused on innovative clinical research and clinical care, and physician education in osteoporosis.
About the National Osteoporosis FoundationÂ
Established in 1984, the National Osteoporosis Foundation is the nation’s leading health organization dedicated to preventing osteoporosis and broken bones, promoting strong bones for life and reducing human suffering through programs of awareness, education, advocacy and research. For more information on the National Osteoporosis Foundation, visit www.bonehealthandosteoporosis.org.