Dr. Jo Hannafin became the first female president of the American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine when she assumed her appointment in July.

An orthopedic surgeon at the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in New York City, Jo argues that preventative and non-surgical care for sports-related injuries are a crucial part of sports physicians’ missions and have a huge impact on the rest of the population. In a 2013 interview, she pointed out that “studies of muscle movement also have guided designers of office furniture and equipment to reduce injury risk from repetitive motion, and in the next five to ten years, we’ll learn more about the effects of physical activity on the risk of developing progressive diseases. We’ll learn more about the effects of changes in exercise and fitness patterns, together with changes in other lifestyles and their roles in [the] prevention or delay of recurrent or extended disease.”

Jo’s great-grandparents on both parents’ sides immigrated to the U.S. from Ireland. She traces her roots to Counties Kerry and Cork. A lifelong rower – she was a three-time national rowing champion and silver medalist at the 1984 World Championships – she serves as a team physician for the United States rowing team. She is the co-author, with Marian Betancourt, of the book Say Goodbye to Knee Pain.