Michael Barbella, Managing Editor02.28.24
Texas orthopedic oncology surgeon Valerae O. Lewis, M.D., has been appointed chair of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons’ (AAOS) Membership Council. She assumed the position earlier this month.
Lewis’ career has been marked by several “firsts.” She was the first African American woman to be awarded the MD Anderson Faculty Achievement Award in Patient Care. And, she was named the inaugural chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center after a national search in 2014, making her the first woman to chair an orthopedic department at a freestanding cancer center, to chair an orthopedic department in the University of Texas System, and the first African American woman to chair an orthopedic surgery department. She maintains the position today.
Before her appointment to the AAOS Membership Council, Lewis previously served as a member of the AAOS Board of Directors, Diversity Advisory Board, Resolutions Committee, and the Committee on Ethics and Outside Interests. She also chaired the AAOS Tumor Instructional Course Committee and the Musculoskeletal Oncology Content Committee for the AAOS Education Council. In addition, Lewis is an active member of numerous professional societies, including the American Orthopaedic Association (AOA), the Musculoskeletal Tumor Society (MSTS), the International Society for Limb Salvage (ISOLS), and the Western Orthopaedic Association (WOA).
Lewis specializes in treating pediatric and adult patients with bone and soft tissue sarcomas in the pelvis and extremities. In 2011, Lewis started the Multidisciplinary Pelvic Sarcoma Program at MD Anderson that addresses patients’ clinical needs and outcomes. Her research focuses on the gene functions tied to osteosarcoma and development of treatments that may interrupt this process. She is a reviewer on eight top-tier journals and has mentored and directed more than 250 medical students and fellows during her career.
Lewis attended Yale University and earned a degree in psychobiology. She then matriculated at Harvard Medical School, graduating with honors. She completed her orthopedic training at the Harvard Combined Orthopaedic Residency Program in Boston and her fellowship in musculoskeletal oncology at the University of Chicago.
With more than 39,000 members, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons is the world’s largest medical association of musculoskeletal specialists. The AAOS advances musculoskeletal health by providing comprehensive education to help orthopedic surgeons and allied health professionals best treat patients. The AAOS is the source for information on bone and joint conditions, treatments, and related musculoskeletal health care issues; and it leads the health care discussion on advancing quality.
Lewis’ career has been marked by several “firsts.” She was the first African American woman to be awarded the MD Anderson Faculty Achievement Award in Patient Care. And, she was named the inaugural chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center after a national search in 2014, making her the first woman to chair an orthopedic department at a freestanding cancer center, to chair an orthopedic department in the University of Texas System, and the first African American woman to chair an orthopedic surgery department. She maintains the position today.
Before her appointment to the AAOS Membership Council, Lewis previously served as a member of the AAOS Board of Directors, Diversity Advisory Board, Resolutions Committee, and the Committee on Ethics and Outside Interests. She also chaired the AAOS Tumor Instructional Course Committee and the Musculoskeletal Oncology Content Committee for the AAOS Education Council. In addition, Lewis is an active member of numerous professional societies, including the American Orthopaedic Association (AOA), the Musculoskeletal Tumor Society (MSTS), the International Society for Limb Salvage (ISOLS), and the Western Orthopaedic Association (WOA).
Lewis specializes in treating pediatric and adult patients with bone and soft tissue sarcomas in the pelvis and extremities. In 2011, Lewis started the Multidisciplinary Pelvic Sarcoma Program at MD Anderson that addresses patients’ clinical needs and outcomes. Her research focuses on the gene functions tied to osteosarcoma and development of treatments that may interrupt this process. She is a reviewer on eight top-tier journals and has mentored and directed more than 250 medical students and fellows during her career.
Lewis attended Yale University and earned a degree in psychobiology. She then matriculated at Harvard Medical School, graduating with honors. She completed her orthopedic training at the Harvard Combined Orthopaedic Residency Program in Boston and her fellowship in musculoskeletal oncology at the University of Chicago.
With more than 39,000 members, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons is the world’s largest medical association of musculoskeletal specialists. The AAOS advances musculoskeletal health by providing comprehensive education to help orthopedic surgeons and allied health professionals best treat patients. The AAOS is the source for information on bone and joint conditions, treatments, and related musculoskeletal health care issues; and it leads the health care discussion on advancing quality.