Hruska named president of bone and mineral research society

Keith Hruska, MD, has been elected president of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR), the world’s leading scientific organization for bone health research.

“With more than 40 million Americans affected by bone diseases and an aging population, now is a critical time for bone health research,” Hruska says. “The ASBMR is the epicenter of translating research into clinical practice and advancements in our field are being realized at a rapid pace. I am very enthusiastic about the potential to improve the health and quality of life for patients with skeletal diseases through cutting-edge scientific research being conducted today.”

Hruska’s entire scientific career has been on the faculty of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. He is professor of pediatrics, of medicine and of cell biology and director of the Division of Pediatric Nephrology at the School of Medicine and St. Louis Children’s Hospital. His current research focuses on the skeletal contribution to cardiovascular morbidity associated with kidney disease. He has uncovered an important relationship between the skeleton and vascular calcification in early chronic kidney disease, the time for life-saving intervention.

A graduate of Creighton University and Creighton University School of Medicine, Hruska did his internship and residency at Cornell University. He began his career at Washington University as a post-doctoral trainee in the Renal Division, where he continues to practice and teach.

In addition to his many articles in peer-reviewed publications, he has served as editor of American Journal of Physiology Renal Fluid and Electrolyte Physiology; editor of Calcified Tissue International, and is currently on the editorial board of the Journal of Biological Chemistry.

Prior to serving as president-elect and now president of ASBMR, Hruska previously served the society as secretary/treasurer from 2006-09.


Washington University School of Medicine’s 2,100 employed and volunteer faculty physicians also are the medical staff of Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children’s hospitals. The School of Medicine is one of the leading medical research, teaching and patient care institutions in the nation, currently ranked fourth in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. Through its affiliations with Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children’s hospitals, the School of Medicine is linked to BJC HealthCare.