is the current President of the IOF, as well as Professor of Rheumatology and Director of the MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit; Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Southampton; and Professor of Epidemiology at the Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, University of Oxford, UK. He leads an internationally competitive programme of research into the epidemiology of musculoskeletal disorders, most notably osteoporosis. He is currently Chair of the Arthritis Research UK Clinical Studies Initiative; Chair of the BHF Project Grants Committee; an emeritus NIHR Senior Investigator; and Associate Editor of Osteoporosis International. He has published extensively (over 850 research papers) on osteoporosis and rheumatic disorders and pioneered clinical studies on the developmental origins of peak bone mass.
IOF is the leading global foundation dedicated to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis. IOF works through its Committee of Scientific Advisors, international scientific leaders in the field of bone and fracture prevention and particularly vitamin D deficiency. IOF disseminates information through its committee of national societies comprised of 190 scientific and patient societies, through its extensive media outlets and interactions with EU agencies.
As a partner of DO-HEALTH, the IOF communicates osteoporosis-related findings on a broad level and support efforts of including DO-HEALTH findings, if relevant, into guidelines of improved osteoporosis care at older age. IOF also organized the international DO-HEALTH symposium.