International Coordinating Council | THE BONE AND JOINT DECADE

Anthony D Woolf
Chair

Professor Anthony Woolf is Professor of Rheumatology, Institute of Health Care Research, Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry, Universities of Exeter and Plymouth and Consultant Rheumatologist at the Royal Cornwall Hospital, Truro, UK. He is Visiting Professor in Musculoskeletal Science, Faculty of Medicine, Lund Universty, Sweden, and a member of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Evidence Based Healthcare in Musculoskeletal Disorders, Lund University Hospital, Sweden. He qualified from the London Hospital Medical College, and trained in rheumatology at Hammersmith Hospital, Guy’s Hospital, Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases and Bristol Royal Infirmary.

His special interests are in the burden of musculoskeletal conditions, the management of musculoskeletal conditions, medical education and osteoporosis on which he has written widely. He is involved in various initiatives to raise awareness of the impact of musculoskeletal conditions and priority for education, prevention, treatment and research at a national, European and global level. He is a founder member of the Bone and Joint Decade and Chair of the International Coordinating Council. He has been and President of the European Board of Rheumatology and of the Section of Rheumatology of the UEMS and Chair of the National Osteoporosis Society, UK. He is Editor-in-Chief of Best Practice and Research Clinical Rheumatology. He leads the Bone and Joint Monitor Project, a global health needs assessment that provides the evidence base for the Decade; edited the WHO Report on the Burden of Musculoskeletal conditions at the Start of the New Millennium; and coordinated the European Bone and Joint Health Strategies project. He is co-lead of the Musculoskeletal Expert Group currently revising the Global Burden of Disease and co-chair of the WHO Musculoskeletal Topic Advisory Group that is revising ICD 10. He is leading the European Musculoskeletal Surveillance and Information Network - a new initiative supported by the European Community to promote a comprehensive strategy to minimise the impact of musculoskeletal conditions across Europe. He is coordinating the development of EULAR recommendations for the management of osteoporosis associated with inflammatory musculoskeletal conditions.

Karsten E.Dreinhöfer

Karsten Dreinhöfer is a professor in orthopaedics and traumatology, and specialized in rehabilitation, social medicine, physical therapy, emergency medicine, osteology (DVO), chiropractic therapy and health economy (ebs).

After studying in Hannover and Boston (USA), he completed his specialist training in Trauma Surgery at Hannover Medical School, the Department of Orthopaedics in Lund (Sweden) and the Department of Orthopaedics, Ulm University.

Starting in 1997, he served on the European Board of Johnson & Johnson Orthopaedics for 2 years. In 2001 he became Deputy Head of the Department of Orthopaedics, Ulm University.

In 2009 he has been appointed as head of the Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology at Medical Park Humboldtmühle Berlin. He was also appointed to the Chair of musculoskeletal prevention, rehabilitation and health services research at the Center for Musculoskeletal Surgery in cooperation with the Center for Sports Science and Sports Medicine, Berlin (CSSB) at Charité University of Medicine and the Humboldt University.

He is a member of the Executive Board of the Professional Association of Specialists in Orthopaedic and Traumatology (BVOU) and the Board of the European Federation of National Associations of Orthopaedics and Traumatology (EFORT). He is president-elect of the Annual Conference of the BVOU in 2011 and EFORT in 2012.

Karsten Dreinhöfer has served as Director of Development for the Bone and Joint Decade International since 1999, and as secretary of the German network of the Bone and Joint Decade since 2000. He is a member of the WHO Global Burden of Disease Project “Musculoskeletal Conditions”, the BJD Road Safety Committee and the BJD Musculoskeletal Educational Task Force

Karsten Dreinhöfer is founding member and treasurer of the Fragility Fracture Network (FFN). In addition, he is the chairman of the “Invest in Your Bone Campaign Germany” of the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) and Speaker of the National Initiative Against Osteoporosis (NIO).

His main scientific interests are in the areas of health service research, clinical epidemiology, health economy and rehabilitation research.

J. Mieke Hazes

Dr Hazes did her medical training at the Leiden University Medical School followed by her specialist training in internal medicine and rheumatology at the Leiden University Medical Center. Her scientific training was in (clinical) epidemiology in Leiden, Rotterdam and the epidemiology summer course in Boston. She completed her PhD thesis on oral contraceptives and RA in januari 1990. After being a visiting epidemiologist at the Arthritis Research Council- Epidemiology Unit of professor Alan Silman in Manchester, UK, she was successively appointed as assistant and associate professor at the department of rheumatology of the Leiden University Medical Center, first as the head of the specialist rheumatology clinic in Noordwijk, later as the head of the outpatient department and deputy head of the department of rheumatololgy of the Leiden University Medical Center. In 2000 she was appointed as professor of rheumatology and head of a newly to start department of rheumatology of the Erasmus university Medical Center in Rotterdam.
Her research interests are clinical epidemiology of the rheumatic diseases in particular (early) diagnosis and prognosis of RA, comprehensive treatment and quality of life research in RA, pregnancy in RA.
Since 2000 she is a member of the international steering committee of the Bone and Joint Decade in which she is involved in the task force on monitoring musculoskeletal conditions. . She is an advisor in many national an international committees concerning research and management of the rheumatic diseases in particular (early) rheumatoid arthritis. She is a member of the Council of Medical Sciences of the Dutch Academy of Sciences, and member of the Dutch National Health Council sitting on several subcommittees.
Under her supervision 15 theses were completed and 11 are in progress.
More than 160 peer reviewed articles and 40 book chapters have been published.

Deborah Kopansky-Giles

Dr. Deborah Kopansky-Giles, DC, FCCS(C), FICC (Hon), MSc. is a Professor at the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College (CMCC), Graduate Education and Research, and is on staff at the St. Michael’s Hospital, Department of Family and Community Medicine, (DFCM). In collaboration with CMCC, St. Michael’s Hospital and the University of Toronto (U of T), Dr. Kopansky-Giles’ current research priorities include the development and evaluation of integrative models of health care delivery and new models of health professional education. An award winning researcher, she has received numerous grants for her health service delivery research and her musculoskeletal interprofessional education-based research and modelling from research agencies, governments and academic institutions. Dr. Kopansky-Giles graduated from the University of Western Ontario with a Bachelor of Physical and Health Education in 1978 and received a Doctor of Chiropractic in 1982 from the CMCC. She attained her Fellowship in Chiropractic Clinical Sciences in 1993 and was named a Honourary member of the Fellow of the International College of Chiropractors in 2002. Deborah achieved her Masters in Science in 2010 from the University of Bournemouth. Deborah has numerous peer-reviewed publications and speaks frequently at national and international scientific conferences. She is on the editorial board of the Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association and is a reviewer for the Journal of Interprofessional Care, the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics and Biomed Central. She has been on the organizing committees for numerous conferences including, as Conference Co-Chair, the World Federation of Chiropractic (WFC) 10th Biennial Congress in Montreal (2009) and, as a member of the Health Services Committee for the XVI International AIDS Conference in Toronto in 2006 and the BJD World Network Meeting, Vietnam 2012.

Debra R. Lappin

Debra Lappin is recognized across government, academic and non-profit sectors as a public servant and leading strategist in public health and science policy. She consults on innovative public-private partnerships and other alliances to drive translation research and public health promotion and prevention. Calling upon her experiences as former national chair of the Arthritis Foundation, she is a recognized national spokesperson on public engagement in the nation’s public health and scientific enterprise.

Debra’s practice focuses on the increasingly influential role of non-profit patient organizations as partners with government in research, development and prevention, where she orchestrates coalitions, global consortia, and other strategic alliances among academic research institutions, voluntary health agencies, government and industry. Areas for focus for such collaborative efforts span the range from the leading causes of disability, Arthritis and Alzheimer’s Disease, to rare diseases, such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Most recently, she has orchestrated science policy campaigns on issues of open access and genetic non-discrimination. Drawing upon her understanding of health agency trends, law, ethics, and practical business challenges, she advises on the development of a broad range of emerging, complex tools to enable translation, such as disease registries, large integrated databases, bio-specimen repositories and cross-institution affiliations to share data.

Debra serves or has served as an advisor to the leading agencies in public health, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health, and has participated on a number of committees at the National Academy of Sciences, including the Committee on the Organizational Structure of the NIH which led to a number of directions incorporated in the 2006 NIH Reform Act. She is President of the Council for American Medical Innovation, a member of the Board of Research!America, and is an adjunct professor at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center.

Ghassan Maalouf

Ghassan Maalouf is Professor of Clinical Orthopaedic Surgeon at the Bellevue Medical Center www.bmchcs.com and the Chairman of the Musculoskeletal Disease Program. He is also the Medical Director of the Bellevue Medical Center- Lebanon. He is the founder of the Lebanese Osteoporosis Prevention Society (LOPS) and he is currently the life honorary President. He is also the founder of the Pan Arab Osteoporosis Society (PAOS) and actually President of its Scientific Committee.
He is a member of the International Committee for the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Department of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (PRM), he is the Representative of Lebanon at the European Foundation for Orthopedic and Traumatology (EFORT), Scientific advisor for EFORT, member of the Governance Board of Bone and Joint Decade (BJD) and Board member of the Fragility Fracture Network (FFN) and vice-chair of its scientific committee.
Created many Patient and Scientific societies in the Middle East and Worldwide dealing with Osteoporosis and Fragility Fracture.
With over 150 published articles , the main concern of Dr. Maalouf is to fight osteoporosis and to focus on the problem of Fragility Fractures, Osteodensitometry and Musculoskeletal diseases.
In June 2006, he received the first IOF-Presidential award for his achievements and research done in the field of Osteoporosis.
He convinced Queen Rania of Jordan to become a Patron of IOF, which she accepted, and convinced Mrs. Nazek Hariri to create the 206 Bone Fund, which raised one million dollars for IOF.
In November 2008, he received the Medal of Honor of the French Orthopaedic Association (SOFCOT).
He is Partner in the Lund University – WHO Collaborating Center for Evidence – Based Health Care in Musculoskeletal Disorders – October 2008.
He was appointed by WHO as the chairman of Fragility Fractures task force for ICD coding.

Girish M Mody

Professsor Girish M Mody is a graduate of the Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine of the University of Kwa Zulu-Natal in Durban, South Africa. He is also a Fellow of the College of Physicians of South Africa since 1980 and was awarded the degree of Doctor of Medicine from the University of Cape Town in 1987. In 1991 he was elected as a Fellow of the Royal College of Royal College of Physicians of London and as an International Fellow of the American College of Rheumatology in 1994. He is the Aaron Beare Family Professor of Rheumatology at the Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine since 1992. He was elected as a Fellow of the University of Kwa Zulu-Natal in 2002 and is a Senior Professor at the University of Kwa Zulu-Natal since 2006.

He served as President of the South Africa Rheumatism and Arthritis Association from 1990-1992, President of the African League Against Rheumatism from 1999 to 2003 and as a member of the Executive committee of the International League of Associations for Rheumatology from 1995 to 2003. He has been extensively involved in promoting rheumatology education in Africa and has participated in all of the African League of Associations for Rheumatology congresses over the past 20 years. .

He currently serves as Associate Editor of Clinical Rheumatology and is a member of the Editorial Board of Best Practice and Research in Clinical Rheumatology. He served on the Editorial Board of Rheumatology from 1990 to 2008. His research interests have included rheumatoid arthritis, sysytemic lupus erythematosus, gout and arthritis associated with infections. His publications have appeared in many of the leading international rheumatology journals, and he has been invited to present at National and International Congresses.

Professor Mody serves as Chairman of the National Action Network of South Africa for the United Nations endorsed Bone and Joint Decade 2000 – 2010 since 2002 and was elected as an Ambassador by the International Steering Committee in 2001. He is also involved in out reach programs for health professionals and the community in Kwa Zulu-Natal, South Africa and Africa.

Marcos E. Musafir

Dr Musafir was born in Rio de Janeiro – Brazil.

He has post graduations in Sports Medicine – Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Labor Medicine – Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, MBA Health Executive – UFRJ – COPPEAD, and a Master in Orthopedics and Trauma, UFRJ.

His research preferences are in Biomechanics of Impact on Road Traffic Injuries, Minimally Invasive Surgery and DCO – Damage Control Orthopedics.

Dr Musafir has 8 fellowships in 3 Continents.

He was the Head of the Trauma Center of Miguel Couto University Hospital from 1988 – 1996 and the Past President of Brazilian Orthopedic Association (SBOT) in 2007.
Dr. Musafir is Member of the International Steering Committee - The Bone and Joint Decade since 2002 and member of several National and International Associations (AAOS; SLAOT; EFORT, etc.). 2008-2009 he was the Medical Officer at WHO in Geneva in Trauma and MSK Disorders.

Dr. Musafir has written chapters in 8 different books in Brazil and he is the author of the “Fractures Classification Book”-2.000.

Dr. Musafir got the award as the Best Association President of all Brazilian Medical Associations in 2007, Surgeon of the Year in Rio 2008, BJD Ambassador in 2009 and 32 others titles.

Lillian Mwaniki

Mrs. Lillian Mwaniki is the current Executive Secretary for the Association for Arthritis and Rheumatic Diseases of Kenya [AARD]. She holds a Bachelor of Laws (Hons) degree from the University of Nairobi and a diploma from the Kenya School of Law. She is also an advocate of the High Court of Kenya with over 30 years of experience in the legal profession. She also holds a diploma in Theology and is the current Secretary for her local church.

She has worked with the Government of Kenya in an advisory capacity in the Ministry of Co-operative Development. She has also worked as a legal adviser and in managerial capacity with Kenyan financial institutions and International banks like Citibank Na. prior to establishment of her private practice where she specializes in conveyancing. As a member of the Kenya Law Society she has served on the Conveyancing committee which links up the legal fraternity with the government on issues relating to land law.

She is one of the founder members of the Kenya Arthritis Organization [AARD] an Association she has served in for eight years and was the draftsman for the Constitution of the Association. She has continued to passionately champion awareness of musculoskeletal diseases campaign in Kenya and was actively involved in obtaining the government of Kenya’s endorsement to the Bone and Joint initiative.

Equipped through the BJD patient advocacy, Lillian has taken the advocacy portfolio in the arthritis organization. She has successfully been part of the process in persuasion of the government to implement the BJD initiative towards the initial commencement of data collection to support research on arthritis in Kenya and establishment of arthritis clinics. One of her aspirations is to see the national health policy of her Country move a higher notch providing the very best particularly in arthritis and all musculoskeletal diseases.

Mitsuo Ochi

Professor Mitsuo Ochi has held the position of Chairman of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Hiroshima University, since 2002. In addition, since 2007 he has been Director of Hiroshima University Hospital and since 2008 Executive Director of Hiroshima University in charge of medical affairs.
Professor Ochi graduated from Hiroshima University School of Medicine and entered the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery in 1977, starting his career as Professor and Chairman at Shimane Medical University in 1995, changing to his present position at Hiroshima University in 2002.

Professor Ochi’s abundant clinical experience in knee surgery and his vital research on cartilage, ligament and meniscus, rewarded him with the J. Joyce Award in 1993 and 2005. In 1996, he successfully performed the world-first “clinical trial to transplant three-dimensional cultured autogeneous chondroytes embedded in atelocollagen gel”. His recent focus is on a less invasive technique to treat cartilage defects using the magnetic beads-stem cell complex and an external magnetic force. He also received the President’s Award from the Science Council of Japan in 2004, and in April 2010 his remarkable academic achievements were rewarded with a Commendation for Science and Technology from the Japanese Minister of Education, Culture, Sport, Science and Technology, in the category of Science and Technology Promotion.
He has received 24 international invitations in the last three years, including that of Guest Lecturer at Harvard Medical School in Massachusetts in May 2009, and as Visiting Professor at the University of Ioannia, Greece, in June 2010. Currently, he also holds the office of first President of the Japanese Orthopaedic Society of Knee Arthroscopy and Sports Medicine (JOSKAS), and is dedicated in his efforts to lead the field of Orthopaedic Surgery in Japan.

Jack Skrolsvik

Jack Skrolsvik has worked both as Chairman and as NAN Coordinator for BJD in Norway. He has participated in the international BJD congresses in Ottawa, Durban, Gold Coast and Washington. He has a genuine will to contribute for the BJD Worldwide in the years to come.

Starting in 2000 Jack Skrolsvik was appointed General Secretary in the Norwegian Rheumatism Association in 2004. His main concern is the patient. Over time Jack Skrolsvik established close relations with the political arena in Norway. In addition he has been involved in the Nordic Rheuma Council and met with many Nordic politicians in this respect - both The Nordic Council and the Nordic Council of Ministers. He also has established close relations with the medical society, the Norwegian Medicines Agency, and relevant units such as the Norwegian Institute of Public Health and the Directorate for Health Affairs.

His background is as indicated information and communications. He therefore will, in the coordinating committee initiate two main aspects.

1 -Advocate for the users/user perspective.

2 -Streamline and differentiate the BJD message/idea according to different target audiences.

Jack Skrolsvik started his professional career as an assistant Account Manager in the advertising business. He worked in Philips Electronics for more than 14 years as Marketing Manager. He coordinated Nordic activities from Eindhoven in the Netherlands. He involved himself in activities for the Institute of International Research, the Norwegian Marketing Congress and also Norwegian Advertisers Association. This both as speaker and as Organizing Manager. He went back to the advertising side and acted as Senior Account Manager for big Norwegian and international companies such as Orkla (Norwegian), SAS (Scandinavian), Novartis, Mets Tissue (Finnish), Jernia, Norwegian banks, Norsk Hydro/Yara, Procter & Gamble, Bang & Olufsen (Danish) and Mental Health Norway.

Jack Skrolsvik graduated with a Diploma in Information and Marketing from the Norwegian Institute of Marketing and Information - later part of the Business Institute of Norway. He studied International Marketing in The Netherlands run the University of Brussels and studied Action Marketing in Rambouillet and Paris in France.

Josef S. Smolen

Josef S. Smolen received his degree from the University of Vienna, Austria, and trained at the Institute of Immunology, University of Vienna, under Carl Steffen, and at the 2nd Department of Medicine under Georg Geyer. He held a research fellowship at the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, with Alfred Steinberg and John Decker.

Since 1989 Dr. Smolen serves as Chairman of the 2nd Department of Medicine – Center of Rheumatic Diseases, Hietzing Hospital, Vienna. In 1995, he became Chairman of the Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, where he also chairs the Department of Medicine III since 2007.

Josef Smolen is a member of the Austrian Academy of Sciences and the German Academy of Sciences (Leopoldina) and has served in various positions in national and international societies, such as President of the European League against Rheumatism. He is also a co-editor of rheumatology textbooks and editorial board member of several journals. He is an honorary member of several national rheumatological societies, a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and received an honorary doctorate from Lund University.

Josef Smolen’s major research interests concern the pathogenesis as well as outcomes and translational research and novel therapeutic approaches in rheumatic diseases.

Vo Van Thanh

Dr Vo Van Thanh was born in Can Tho, South of Viet Nam on 8 June 1949; finished his M.D. degree at Sai Gon Medical School in Sai Gon, South Viet Nam (1974) and Ph.D. degree on at HCMC University of Pharmacy and Medicine, in Sai Gon- HCMC, Viet Nam (1995). He got married with Le Kim Lien- Pharmacist (1973) and have four children. His orthopedic training was supervised by Professor Hoang Tien Bao at Binh Dan and Cho Ray hospitals in Sai Gon- HCMC, Viet Nam (1975- 1980). His spine post- graduate study in France was guided by Professor Claude Argenson at Nice Acropolis Medical Faculty, Nice, France as Resident (1988-1989) and and was nominated as Associate Chief de Clinique in Orthhopedics by Minister of Training and Education of France (1992-1993). He also studied in General Orthopedics with Professor Dominique Poitout in Marseille, France (1989). He was Scoliosis Fellow supported by Dr Yves Cotrel of different Hospitals of Paris, Nice and Arras (1996). He dedicated his whole life for the development of the spinal surgery in Viet Nam since 1981: one of six foundation Surgeons Members of Hopital for Trauma-Othopedics
in HCMC, VN; Head of Spinal Surgery Department A, Hospital for Trauma-Orthopedics, HCMC, Viet Nam (1994- 2009); as Chairman- has organized 22 International Spine Meetings in HCMC, VN (1996- 2009) including 7 Spine Symposiums and 15 Annual Spine Meetings of the Spine Society of HCMC, VN (SSHV) combined with Live Surgeries since 2006; contributed 43 local publications and 42 National papers and lectures; presented 32 International Papers Presentation. He is current President- Vietnam Orthopedic Association;
President- Spine Society of HCMC, VN and Fomer President- ASEAN Orthopedic Association 2007-2008 and Members of different International Academic Associations and Societies.

James P. Waddell

Dr. James Waddell was born in Alberta and graduated from the University of Alberta Medical School in 1967. He did his postgraduate training in orthopaedic surgery at the University of Toronto and assumed a staff position at St. Michael’s Hospital in 1973.

He has occupied a number of positions at St. Michael’s Hospital including Surgeon-in-Chief and Medical Director of the Trauma Program; he completed 10 years as the Professor& Chairman, Division of Orthopaedic Surgery at University of Toronto in June of 2006. He has also occupied a number of positions in the Canadian Orthopaedic Association including President. He has just completed his 10 year term as the Co-Editor of the Canadian Journal of Surgery.

He is currently the Chair of the Expert Panel for Orthopaedic Surgery for the Province of Ontario and he remains the Coordinator for the National Action Network for the Bone & Joint Decade in Canada, a position he has occupied since 2000. He also is the Co-Chair of the National Hip and Knee Knowledge Translation Network.

Stuart L. Weinstein,

Dr. Weinstein is the Ignacio V. Ponseti Chair and Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at The University of Iowa. Dr. Weinstein received his A.B. Honors degree in Political Science and History from the University of Illinois in 1968. He received his medical degree (Alpha Omega Alpha) from the University of Iowa in 1972. After interning in Internal Medicine at The University of California San Francisco, he returned to the University of Iowa for a residency in Orthopaedic Surgery. In 1976 he joined the faculty of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at The University of Iowa.
Dr. Weinstein is an NIH funded researcher. He has published more than 180 scientific articles in peer review journals on a wide variety of pediatric orthopaedic conditions. His research work has focused on spinal deformity in children, children’s hip and foot problems, and the natural history and long-term outcome of pediatric musculoskeletal conditions. He has edited three major textbooks including The Pediatric Spine: Principles and Practice; Lovell and Winter’s Pediatric Orthopaedics and Turek’s Orthopaedics. Dr. Weinstein’s many contributions to orthopaedics have been recognized by his receipt of the Bristol-Myers Squibb/Zimmer Award for Distinguished Achievement in Orthopaedic Research; The Kappa Delta /Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation Clinical Research Award; The Russel Hibbs Award for Clinical Research given by the Scoliosis Research Society; The Arthur H. Heune Memorial Award, given by the St. Giles Foundation and The Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America, and the Alfred R. Shands, Sr., MD Award, presented by the Orthopaedic Research Society and The American Orthopaedic Association.
Dr. Weinstein was a recipient of an American, British, Canadian (ABC) Traveling Fellowship in 1985. He has been honored for his contributions to Orthoapedic Surgery by honorary memberships in National Orthopaedic Associations around the world including Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Great Britain, Thailand and Argentina. In 2007 he was made a Fellow of The Royal College of Surgeons of England.
Dr Weinstein is past president of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, The American Orthopaedic Association, The American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, The Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America, The United States National Action Network of the International Bone and Joint Decade and The International Center for Orthopaedic Education (ICOE). He has served as an Associate Editor and is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery.

Kristina Åkesson

Dr Åkesson is professor of Orthopedics at the Department of Orthopedics at Malmö University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Lund University, Sweden. Dr Åkesson is a member of the Faculty board and currently chairing the appointment committee at the Faculty of Medicine, Lund University. Prior appointments include faculty counselor of the clinical research post-graduate program, 2000-2006 and board member and vice-chair of the research education committee. She is a member of the Swedish Research Council review board in medicine and the Royal Physiographic Society.

Dr Åkesson graduated from Lund University, became board certified orthopaedic surgeon and was awarded a Ph.D. degree in medicine/orthopaedics from Lund University in 1995, which was followed by a fellowship at the Bone Metabolism Research unit at Loma Linda University, California. Her clinical focus was initially joint replacement surgery, followed by osteoporosis and fragility fractures. She has established the osteoporosis clinic at Malmö University Hospital to become the leading osteoporosis unit in the region. Dr Åkesson is engaged in translational bone research to identify risk factors for osteoporosis and fracture in women.

Dr Åkesson is a founding member of the Bone and Joint Decade and member of the international steering committee, and member of the International Osteoporosis Foundation committee of scientific advisors, chairing the IOF working-group on fractures, and member of the European Calcified Tissue Society Professional practise committee. She is co-chair of the WHO Collaborating Center for Evidence-based Health Care in Musculoskeletal Disorders, Lund University, Department of Orthopedics and is past board member of the Swedish Orthopedic Association. She has served as advisor to the Swedish Medical Product Agency and Board on Health and Welfare. She is deputy member of the editorial board of Acta Orthopedica, member of European Orthopaedics and Traumatology and associate editor of BMC Geriatrics