Jeffrey C. Wang, MD, an internationally renowned spine surgeon and co-director of the USC Spine Center at Keck Medicine of USC, has been appointed president of the North American Spine Society (NASS) for 2018–2019. The announcement was made Sept. 27 at the NASS 2018 annual meeting in Los Angeles.

Wang will lead NASS as the society expands its efforts to bring educational and evidence-based initiatives to spine care specialists across the globe. He also will spearhead a reimagined annual meeting in 2019, where there will be an emphasis on new technologies and high-quality, tailored education for each attendee.

“I am honored to be leading NASS during this time of growth and transformation,” Wang said. “My goal as president is to engage NASS members and create new opportunities for them to interact with NASS in areas that are of high interest to them. NASS is constantly evolving, and I think spine practitioners can anticipate exciting changes in the next year.”

Wang, who joined Keck Medicine in 2013 to help create the USC Spine Center, is an expert spine surgeon and researcher. In addition to having a busy clinical practice, Wang is a professor of orthopaedic surgery (clinical scholar) and neurological surgery at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, where he leads a basic science laboratory. Wang’s research focuses on novel spine therapies such as gene therapy, bone growth biological proteins and minimally invasive surgery. He has published more than 400 articles and is the editor-in-chief of the peer-reviewed Global Spine Journal.

“Dr. Wang is an exceptional physician-scientist who will bring his considerable leadership experience and deep understanding of spine care to his role as president of NASS,” said Jay R. Lieberman, MD, chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and professor of orthopaedic surgery at the Keck School. “We look forward to the positive impact he will have on both the society and the field of spine care overall in his new role.”

NASS is a global multidisciplinary medical society that advances spine care by focusing on education, research and advocacy. The society includes more than 8,000 members from a range of disciplines, including orthopaedic surgery, neurosurgery, neurology, research, radiology, anesthesiology, physical therapy and physiatry.

— Erica Rheinschild