Steven Boyd appointed to second term as director of the McCaig Institute for Bone and Joint Health

The Cumming School of Medicine (CSM) and Alberta Health Services Calgary Zone are pleased to announce that Dr. Steven Boyd, PhD, will continue as director of the McCaig Institute for Bone and Joint Health. After a directorship review at the end of his first five-year term, Dr. Boyd’s appointment has been renewed until 2026.

During the first five years as McCaig Institute director, Boyd led the institute through its five-year strategic plan, which focused on precision medicine and three key areas: research, education and community. He was integral in the development and subsequent opening of the Centre for Mobility and Joint Health, a clinical research facility that houses state-of-the-art imaging, movement assessment and biomarker analysis technology. Boyd was also instrumental in working with the McCaig family to establish the McCaig Foundation, which provides a secure source of operating funds to support the critical work being done by McCaig Institute researchers, trainees and staff.

Under his leadership, the McCaig Institute recently announced a new major initiative called the Mobility for Life Project, a large longitudinal cohort study. Information from this study will form one of the world’s most comprehensive musculoskeletal health databases.

In his second term as director, Boyd’s focus is developing and implementing a new strategic plan for the institute. “I’m looking forward to working with the institute’s faculty, staff and trainees to develop a road map for the next five years. I am honoured to be given the opportunity to continue my work with the great team at the McCaig Institute and our partners at the University of Calgary,” he says.                        

Boyd has been a member of the McCaig Institute since 2002. Founded by Mr. J.R (Bud) McCaig, the McCaig Institute is home to a multidisciplinary team of scientists, engineers, clinicians and health system researchers who have established world-class research programs to enhance the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of bone and joint conditions to keep people moving.

Boyd is a professor in CSM’s Department of Radiology and has cross-appointments in the Faculty of Kinesiology and the Schulich School of Engineering and is also the director of the Bone Imaging Laboratory. He received his PhD in mechanical engineering (biomechanics) from the University of Calgary and did postdoctoral work in biomedical engineering at the Swiss Federal Institute. 

His current research is in orthopedic biomechanics, focusing on adaptive changes to tissues that occur following a joint injury or disease, with a particular interest in bone structure. He is the Bob and Nola Rintoul Chair in Bone and Joint Research. Boyd has authored over 150 publications and has worked with numerous industry partners, including an active project with the Canadian Space Agency and the North American Space Agency, as well as Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and Canadian Institutes of Health Research funded projects in the areas of osteoporosis and osteoarthritis.

Sincerely,

Jon Meddings, MD                                                  Sid Viner, MD
Dean, Cumming School of Medicine                    Calgary Zone Medical Director
University of Calgary                                              Alberta Health Services