Civitelli named president of bone, mineral society

Roberto Civitelli, 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.

“I am honored to serve as president of the ASBMR,” said Civitelli, the Sydney M. and Stella H. Schoenberg Professor of Medicine. “The organization continues to drive exploration of the myriad ways that bone interacts with other tissues, including muscle and fat, as well as the relationships between bone and diseases such as diabetes. Perhaps our greatest goal is to encourage the translation of this research into better clinical care to improve the lives of patients.”

With about 4,000 members worldwide, the organization includes basic research scientists, doctors, clinical investigators and other health-care providers who focus on bone and mineral health. Members specialize in a wide range of disciplines from biomechanics and dentistry to endocrinology and molecular genetics.

Civitelli’s research focuses on cell communication and signaling in bone and their roles in metabolic bone diseases, especially osteoporosis. In addition to his research, Civitelli serves as chief of the Division of Bone and Mineral Diseases and director of the Metabolic Skeletal Disorders Training Program at the School of Medicine. He also treats patients at Barnes-Jewish Hospital.

Civitelli earned his undergraduate and graduate degrees in medicine from the Siena University School of Medicine in Siena, Italy. He came to Washington University in 1985 as a fellow in endocrinology and metabolism. In 1989, he joined the faculty as an assistant professor of medicine, becoming an associate professor in 1995 and a professor in 2000, with joint appointments in orthopaedic surgery and cell biology and physiology.

In addition to his many articles in peer-reviewed publications and book chapters, Civitelli is editor emeritus of Calcified Tissue International and also has served on the editorial boards of The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research and The Journal of Laboratory and Clinical Medicine.

He is the recipient of numerous awards recognizing excellence in research and mentorship. He received the Fuller Albright Young Investigator Award from the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research, and Washington University has recognized him with the Outstanding Faculty Mentor Award.

Before becoming president-elect and now president of ASBMR, Civitelli served on the ASBMR Council from 2006 to 2009.


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 sixth 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.