The Asia Pacific Consortium on Osteoporosis (APCO) is proud to announce that its EXCO members, APCO Chairperson, Dr Manju Chandran, and International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) CEO, Dr Philippe Halbout, have been conferred two of the IOF’s most prestigious awards – the Olof Johnell Science Award 2021 and the President’s Award 2021, respectively.

Instituted in 2013, the Olof Johnell Science Award is named in honour of the late Professor Olof Johnell. As a pioneer in the field of metabolic bone disease, Prof Johnell’s extensive career transversed basic research, to clinical trials, to epidemiology, health technology assessment, health economics and guidelines development. Likewise, the award honours an individual who has made internationally recognized contributions to the field of osteoporosis in the scientific and policy implementation arenas.

As Senior Consultant Endocrinologist and Director of the Osteoporosis and Bone Metabolism Unit at Singapore General Hospital (SGH), Dr Chandran established the Osteoporosis and Bone Metabolism Unit at SGH in 2007, when the field was essentially non-existent in Singapore. Ever since, her ground-breaking clinical and research work in the field of metabolic bone disease has placed Singapore on the global map, and further, garnered her numerous international awards, including the IOF Young Investigator Award, the IOF CNS medal, and many Singapore-based awards, such as the Most Inspiring Mentor in the Bicentennial year celebrations of SGH.

Dr Chandran is Chairperson of the Ministry of Health Singapore’s Appropriate Care Guidance on Osteoporosis, Past President of the Endocrine and Metabolic Society of Singapore, Immediate Past Chairperson of the Chapter of Endocrinologists, College of Physicians Singapore, and the founding Chairperson of APCO, for which she continues to work tirelessly, to achieve the organization’s vision – to reduce the burden of osteoporosis and fragility fractures in the Asia Pacific region through advocacy and policy level changes. Dr Chandran is the first person from outside Western Europe and North America, and the first woman to win the prestigious Olof Johnell Science Award

The IOF President’s Award is bestowed upon an individual who has made a significant and unstinting contribution to advancing the IOF’s work, through furthering one or more of the Foundation’s mission statements and/or goals. As former Executive President, and current CEO of the IOF, Dr Halbout has dedicated more than 15-years to osteoporosis-related research and development. Since joining the IOF as its CEO in November 2016, Dr Halbout has, through his unique creativity and expertise, established and delivered visionary and ambitious operations and projects, including the Capture the Fracture^® Partnership, and the Skeletal Rare Disorders Academy. Moreover, he has further extended the reach of the IOF worldwide.
Previous recipients of the IOF President’s award include APCO members, Dr Ambrish Mithal (2016), Dr Greg Lyubomirsky (2019) and Dr JK Lee (2020).

To learn more about the IOF 2021 Award winners, click here.