Leigh F. Callahan, PhD and Stephen P. Messier, PhD

Website: http://oaaction.unc.edu/

Dr. Leigh Callahan is the Director of the Osteoarthritis Action Alliance (OAAA). She is also an epidemiologist and outcomes researcher who, for more than 30 years, has worked in musculoskeletal outcomes research.

Her research has focused on predictors of outcomes and quality of life in individuals with osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), patient-reported outcomes and measurement, physical activity and arthritis, social determinants and health outcomes, health literacy, and complementary and alternative medicine use in rheumatic diseases.

She is also Director for Community and Outcomes Research at Thurston Arthritis Research Center, as well as Director of its Multidisciplinary Clinical Research Center, titled “Mitigating the Public Health Impact of OA”.

Dr. Stephen Messier is Professor and Director of the J.B Snow Biomechanics Laboratory at Wake Forest University. He has 26 years of experience in clinical trials research specifically related to knee osteoarthritis. He and his OA research team are well known for their work on the effects of exercise and weight loss on gait, strength, function, and pain in knee OA.

Dr. Messier is on the Board of Directors for the Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI), the leading scientific organization devoted exclusively to osteoarthritis. He has also received the Career Achievement Award from the Biomechanics Interest Group of the American College of Sports Medicine. Additionally, Steve is vice-chair for the Osteoarthritis Action Alliance OA Prevention Working Group that focuses on efforts to prevent OA through weight management strategies.