Kathryn Ackerman

Life and work

The story behind the role.

Kathryn Ackerman is a sports-medicine physician and Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. Harvard's Women in Sports Study identifies her as co-founder and director of the Women's Health, Sports & Performance Institute and the Biennial International Female Athlete Conference, with affiliated roles at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Boston Children's Hospital.

Her education includes a BA from Cornell University, an MD from Johns Hopkins University and an MPH from Harvard. She completed residency at the University of Pennsylvania and fellowship training through Boston Children's Hospital, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital.

Ackerman's research focuses on relative energy deficiency in sport and female-athlete health. Harvard also documents her current service as USRowing chief medical officer, co-chair of the USOPC Women's Health Task Force, a member of the World Rowing Medical Commission and a deputy editor of the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

Her sporting record predates her medical career: she walked on to Cornell's rowing team, won national titles and represented the United States in lightweight rowing at the World Championships. Harvard notes that she continues to compete as a masters athlete.

Physician and researcher focused on female athlete health and energy availability.

Encyclopaedic excerpts from Kathryn Ackerman; shortened for length and available under CC BY-SA 4.0.