NASS Names New President

California orthopedic surgeon Jeffrey C. Wang, M.D., was named president of the North American Spine Society (NASS) Board of Directors this week at the organization’s 33rd Annual Meeting in Los Angeles, Calif.

“NASS plays an important role in advocacy, education, and research, and I am honored to be leading such a vital organization for spine care professionals,” Dr. Wang said. “NASS members can expect some exciting changes, including a re-envisioned annual meeting that will offer relevant, highly topical and comprehensive education for each participant. We will also broaden our efforts to engage our international members and expand NASS educational and evidence-based initiatives to the international team. There is much to look forward to in the year ahead.”

Dr. Wang is currently a professor of Orthopedic Surgery and Neurosurgery at the Keck Medical Center at the University of Southern California. He is co-director of the USC Spine Center and Fellowship Director of the USC Spine Fellowship. He was born in Mitchell, S.D., and grew up in Fairmont, W.V. He earned a bachelor of science degree in biological sciences with honors at Stanford University and his medical degree cum laude at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Dr. Wang completed his residency in orthopedic surgery at UCLA and completed a fellowship in spine surgery at Case Western Reserve University. In 1997, Dr. Wang joined the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and was named vice chair of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery and became the spine fellowship director. In 2013, Dr. Wang was recruited to lead the building of the University of Southern California Spine Center.

To date, Dr. Wang has published more than 400 articles, 23 book chapters, and several textbooks. Moreover, he has given more than 800 presentations regionally and internationally, and has been a visiting professor throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia. Dr. Wang has been the honored guest speaker at several international spine, orthopedic, and neurosurgery society meetings. He also serves on multiple editorial boards, and is the editor-in-chief of the Global Spine Journal.

Dr. Wang is the past chairman of AOSpine and serves on the board of directors of the Cervical Spine Research Society and the Collaborative Spine Research Society. He is currently the president of the Cervical Spine Research Society and the Society for Brain Mapping and Therapeutics. Dr. Wang continues to run a basic science research laboratory and is in full-time academic practice at the University of Southern California.

More than 3,000 spine professionals are meeting at the NASS’ 33rd Annual Meeting this week in Los Angeles, Calif. NASS is a multidisciplinary medical organization dedicated to fostering the highest quality, evidence-based and ethical spine care by promoting education, research, and advocacy. NASS is comprised of more than 8,000 members from several disciplines, including orthopedic surgery, neurosurgery, physiatry, neurology, radiology, anesthesiology, research, and physical therapy.