Malaga, Spain - April 15, 2016 - The IOF President's Award was presented today to eight leading regional osteoporosis experts and advocates in recognition of their contributions to IOF and their extraordinary work in the field. The presentations took place at a special ceremony during the World Congress on Osteoporosis, Osteoarthritis and Musculoskeletal Diseases, currently being held in Malaga, Spain until April 17, 2016.
The following individuals were recognized for their outstanding contributions:
Asia - Dr Ambrish Mithal, Chairman and Head of Endocrinology and Diabetes division at Medanta, the Medicity, Gurgaon, Delhi NCR; IOF Board of Governance Member; IOF Committee of Scientific Advisors Member; Chairperson, Bone and Joint Decade, India and immediate past President, Endocrine Society of India (2009-2010). Founder, past President and currently Chief Advisor to the Indian Society Bone and Mineral Research (ISBMR). He chairs the Nutrition Working Group of the Committee of Scientific Advisors, International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF).
Latin America - Prof. Patricia Clark , Head Clinical Epidemiology Unit, Hospital Infantil de Mexico; Professor Master and PhD programs Clinical Epidemiology Faculty of Medicine, National University of Mexico; IOF Committee of Scientific Advisors Member; Epidemiology/Quality of Life Working Group Member and Sarcopenia; FRAX advocate in Latin America; Editorial Board member Osteoporosis International.
Middle East & Africa - Prof. Leith Zakraoui, Head of the Department of Rheumatology at Hôpital Mongi Slim, La Marsa, Tunisia and Professor at the University of Tunis School of Medicine; IOF Board of Governance member; Regional Advisory Council Member; Scientific Committee Member and Speaker IOF Regionals Middle East & Africa; President of the Tunisian Osteoporosis Prevention Society (TOPS); President of the Tunisian League Against Rheumatism, and General Secretary of the African League of Associations of Rheumatologists (AFLAR).
North America - Dr Famida Jiwa, President and CEO of Osteoporosis Canada, Chair of the Patient Societies Subcommittee; Vice-Chair Committee of National Societies; Speaker and Chair IOF Worldwide Conference of Osteoporosis Patient Societies.
Oceania - Paul Mitchell, Managing Director of Synthesis Medical NZ Limited, an Adjunct Senior Lecturer at the University of Notre Dame Australia and a member of the ANZ Hip Fracture Registry Steering Group; Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Osteoporosis New Zealand; Co-Author 2012 IOF World Osteoporosis Day report Capture the Fracture; Co-opted Member Fracture Working Group; Capture the Fracture Steering Committee Member; Speaker IOF Regionals Asia Pacific.
Eastern Europe - Prof. Andrea Ildikó Gáspárik, Senior lecturer at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Târgu Mures, Romania; President of the Association for the Prevention of Osteoporosis in Romania (ASPOR); Speaker IOF Worldwide Conference of Osteoporosis Patient Societies; Organizer IOF Osteoporosis Diagnosis Course, with Densitometry Certification.
Southern Europe - Prof. Jorge B. Cannata Andia, Service of Bone and Mineral Metabolism, Istitute Reina Sofia of Investigation, Oviedo, Spain, President of the European Union Medical Specialities (UEMS) Renal Section and Board, Chair of the Committee of Education or the European Renal Association and European Dialysis and Transplantation (ERS-EDTA).
Western Europe - Prof. Thierry Thomas, Head of Rheumatology Department,University Hospital of St-Etienne, France, CNS Representative of the French Group de Recherche et d'Information sur les Ostéoporoses (GRIO), IOF EU Consultation Panel Member; Capture the Fracture Steering Committee Member.
IOF President, Professor John A. Kanis presented the awards to the eight recipients, commending them all for their contributions: "I am delighted to present these awards to each of these leading osteoporosis experts. Within their respective regions and through their global participation in IOF programmes and projects, they have made considerable contributions towards awareness of musculoskeletal diseases and improved patient care."
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About the World Congress on Osteoporosis, Osteoarthritis & Musculoskeletal Diseases (WCO-IOF-ESCEO 2016)
Held jointly by IOF and ESCEO, the Congress is taking place in Malaga, Spain from April 14-17,2016. It is the world's largest annual forum for the presentation of clinical research and new advances in the prevention and management of bone, muscle and joint disorders, including sarcopenia and frailty. The next Congress will be held in Florence, Italy from March 23-26, 2017. For complete information visit http://www.wco-iof-esceo.org #OsteoCongress
About IOF
The International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) is the world's largest nongovernmental organization dedicated to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis and related musculoskeletal diseases. IOF members, including committees of scientific researchers, leading companies, as well as more than 234 patient, medical and research societies in 99 locations, work together to make bone, joint and muscle health a worldwide heath care priority. http://www.iofbonehealth.org / http://www.facebook.com/iofbonehealth / https://twitter.com/iofbonehealth
About ESCEO
The European Society for Clinical and Economic Aspects of Osteoporosis and Osteoarthritis (ESCEO) is a non-profit organization, dedicated to a close interaction between clinical scientists dealing with rheumatic disorders, pharmaceutical industry developing new compounds in this field, regulators responsible for the registration of such drugs and health policy makers, to integrate the management of osteoporosis and osteoarthritis within the comprehensive perspective of health resources utilization. The objective of ESCEO is to provide practitioners with the latest clinical and economic information, allowing them to organize their daily practice, in an evidence-based medicine perspective, with a cost-conscious perception. http://www.esceo.org