American Medical Society for Sports Medicine
For Immediate Release Apr 27, 2018

Dr. Aurelia Nattiv Honored with Founders’ Award

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – Aurelia Nattiv, MD received the Founders’ Award today, April 27, 2018 at the 27th American Medical Society for Sports Medicine Annual Meeting in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. The award is bestowed when AMSSM leadership determines that a member exemplifies the best that a sports medicine physician can be and do.

A Charter member of the organization, Dr. Nattiv’s leadership and considerable contributions to AMSSM date back all the way to the very first AMSSM Annual Meeting, and remains involved in many crucial AMSSM initiatives, most recently with the Collaborative Research Network Leadership Team. She has been a role model in how leaders of sports medicine balance education, research, clinical practice and AMSSM involvement.

“Her commitment to education and research for more than 20 years at UCLA has inspired me, as well as others she mentored, in her tireless efforts to educate the future of sports medicine,” said Dr. Marci Goolsby, the current Chair of the Membership Committee who trained under Dr. Nattiv.

Dr. Nattiv was one of the early members of AMSSM, has served two terms of the Board of Directors and is a member of the AMSSM Collaborative Research Network (CRN) Leadership Team. She is a Professor at UCLA and has served as the Director of the UCLA Metabolic Bone and Osteoporosis Center for over 20 years, with an emphasis on women's sports medicine.

Her primary areas of research and publications have been in the area of the female athlete triad, stress fracture risk factors and prevention, as well as osteoporosis management. She speaks nationally and internationally, and publishes extensively in these areas.

“Dr. Nattiv has committed her career to improving the health of the athlete through her focus on the Female Athlete Triad and bone health. Her passion for and dedication to primary care sports medicine is evident in every teaching moment and every patient interaction and I strive to emulate this in my practice,” Dr. Goolsby said.

Dr. Nattiv has served as a team physician for UCLA since 1994 and has been a consultant for USA Track and Field, USA Gymnastics and the United States Olympic Committee. She has served as Chair and first author of the American College of Sports Medicine Position Stand on the Female Athlete Triad and has also co-edited a book entitled The Female Athlete. She currently serves on the editorial board for the British Journal of Sports Medicine, and reviewer for multiple journals.

“Dr. Nattiv has been a leader in sports medicine and for our organization. She has been a role model since my initial year of membership,” said AMSSM President Katherine Dec, MD. “I continue to value her contributions to AMSSM, and she is very deserving of this recognition.”

About the AMSSM Annual Meeting: The 2018 conference brings more than 2,000 sports medicine physicians together from throughout the United States and around the world. The meeting theme is REACH: Reaching Up, Reaching Out, Reaching Ahead and explores the many ways AMSSM is leading the charge and shaping the future of sports medicine.

About the AMSSM: AMSSM is a multi-disciplinary organization of more than 3,600 sports medicine physicians dedicated to education, research, advocacy and the care of athletes of all ages. The majority of AMSSM members are primary care physicians with fellowship training and added qualification in sports medicine who then combine their practice of sports medicine with their primary specialty. AMSSM includes members who specialize solely in non-surgical sports medicine and serve as team physicians at the youth level, NCAA, NFL, MLB, NBA, WNBA, MLS and NHL, as well as with Olympic and Paralympic teams. By nature of their training and experience, sports medicine physicians are ideally suited to provide comprehensive medical care for athletes, sports teams or active individuals who are simply looking to maintain a healthy lifestyle. www.amssm.org