Department of Medicine
Faculty Profiles by Division

Division of Geriatric Medicine

Faculty Profiles

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photo Susan L. Greenspan, MD

Endocrinology and Metabolism, Geriatrics

Professor of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh

Director, Osteoporosis Prevention and Treatment Center, UPMC

Director, Bone Health Program, Magee Women’s Hospital, UPMC

Email: greenspn@pitt.edu

Phone: 412-692-2477

Contact
Office: 1110 Kaufmann Building
3471 Fifth Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
 
Phone: 412-692-2477
Fax: 412-692-2486
E-mail: greenspn@pitt.edu
Administrative Assistant:
Elena Loedding
Email: enl44@pitt.edu
Phone: 412-692-2477
Fax: 412-692-2370
Education and Training
Education
•BA, Stanford University, 1975
•MD, Harvard Medical School, 1979
Training
•Intern, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, 1980
•Residency, Internal Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, 1982
•Postdoctoral Fellow, Endocrinology, Massachusetts General Hospital, 1985
•Postdoctoral Fellow, Geriatrics, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, 1986
Research Interest
A Professor of Medicine, Dr Greenspan is dually-trained in Geriatrics and in Endocrinology, and she serves as UPMC’s Director of the Osteoporosis Prevention and Treatment Center and as Director of Bone Health at Magee Women’s Hospital. Her research focuses on geriatric osteoporosis, including its pathophysiology, evaluation, and treatment. Her current R01s focus on osteoporosis in institutionalized elderly, including new treatment modalities and new assessments of bone strength. In addition, she is PI of our NIH-funded “Pepper Center” and also our NIH T32 Program entitled “Pitt Integrated Clinical and Geroscience Research Training Program”. A former member of NIH/NIA’s Board of Scientific Counselors, NIA’s Clinical Trial Advisory Panel, she now serves on NIA’s National Advisory Council on Aging. She is also Past President of the  Bone Health Osteoporosis Foundation (previously known as the National Osteoporosis Foundation).
Clinical Interest
Dr. Greenspan is a Professor of Medicine, dually-trained in Geriatrics and in Endocrinology. She currently sees patients at the Benedum Geriatric Clinic located in Montefiore Hospital where she treats osteoporosis.
Publications
For my complete bibliography, Click Here.
Selected Publications:
Resnick, N.M., Greenspan, S.L. “Senile” osteoporosis reconsidered. Journal of the American Medical Association. 1989; 261: 1025-9.
Greenspan, S.L., Myers, E. R., Maitland, L.A., Resnick, N.M., Hayes, W. C. Fall severity and bone mineral density as risk factors for hip fracture in ambulatory elderly. Journal of the American Medical Association. 1994; 271: 128-33.
Greenspan, S.L., Maitland, L. A., Myers, E. R., Krasnow, M. B., Kido, T. H. Femoral bone loss progresses with age: A longitudinal study in women over age 65. Journal of Bone Mineral Research. 1994; 9: 1959-65.
Greenspan, S. L., Myers, E. R., Kiel, D. P., Parker, R. A., Hayes, W. C., Resnick, N. M. Fall direction, bone mineral density, and function: risk factors for hip fracture in frail nursing home elderly. American Journal of Medicine. 1998; 104: 539-45.
Greenspan, S.L., von Stetten, E., Emond, S. K., Jones, L., Parker, R. A. Instant vertebral assessment: A noninvasive DXA technique to avoid misclassification and clinical mismanagement of osteoporosis. Journal of Clinical Densitometry. 2001; 4: 373-380.
Greenspan, S. L., Schneider, D. L., McClung, M. R., Miller, P. D., Schnitzer, T. J., Bonin, R., Smith, M. E., DeLucca, P., Gormley, G.J., Melton, M. E. Alendronate improves bone mineral density in elderly women with osteoporosis residing in long-term care facilities: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2002; 136: 742-746.
Greenspan, S. L., Resnick, N. M., Parker, R. A. Combination therapy with hormone replacement and alendronate for prevention of bone loss in elderly women: A randomized, controlled trial. Journal of the American Medical Association. 2003; 289: 2525-2533.
Greenspan, S. L., Resnick, N. M., Parker, R. A. Early changes in biochemical markers of bone turnover are associated with long-term changes in bone mineral density in elderly women on alendronate, hormone replacement therapy, or combination therapy: A 3-year, double -blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. 2005; 90: 2762-2767.
Greenspan, S. L., Resnick, N. M., Parker, R. A. Vitamin D supplementation in older women. Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences. 2005; 60 (A): 754-759.
Greenspan, S. L., Bone III, H. G., Ettinger, M. P., Hanley, D. A., Lindsay, R., Zanchetta, J. R., Blosch, C.M., Mathisen, A. L., Marriott, T. B. Effect of Recombinant Human Parathyroid Hormone (1-84) on Vertebral Fracture and Bone Mineral Density in Postmenopausal Osteoporotic Women. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2007; 146(5): 326-39.
Sponsored Research/Activities
Title: Innovative Approach to Geriatric Osteoporosis
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding Agency: National Institute of Aging
Grant Number: R01 AG066825
Start Year: 2020
End Year: 2025
Title: PITTSBURGH OLDER AMERICANS INDEPENDENCE CENTER
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding Agency: National Institute of Aging
Grant Number: P30 AG024827
Start Year: 2020
End Year: 2025
Title: Innovative Approach to Geriatric Osteoporosis
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding Agency: National Institute of Aging
Grant Number: R01 AG066825
Start Year: 2020
End Year: 2025
Title: TOPAZ: Trial of Parkinsons and Zoledronic Acid
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding Agency: California Pacific Medical Center
Grant Number: R01 AG059417
Start Year: 2020
End Year: 2021
Title: Pitt Integrated Clinical and Geroscience Research Training Program
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding Agency: National Institute of Aging
Grant Number: AG021885
Start Year: 2019
End Year: 2024
Title: Sustaining Skeletal Health in Frail Elderly
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding Agency: National Institute of Aging
Grant Number: R01 AG052123
Start Year: 2016
End Year: 2021
Title: Long-Term Care Research Network
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding Agency: National Institute of Aging
Grant Number: K07 AG052668
Start Year: 2016
End Year: 2021
Title: Pittsburgh Older Americans Independence Center
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding Agency: National Institute of Aging
Grant Number: P30 AG024827
Start Year: 2015
End Year: 2020
Title: Maintenance of Skeletal Integrity in Frail Elders - Phase 2
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding Agency: National Institute of Aging
Grant Number: R01 AG050302
Start Year: 2015
End Year: 2020
Title: Pittsburgh Older Americans Independence Center RCDC
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding Agency: National Institute of Aging
Grant Number: P30 AG024827
Start Year: 2015
End Year: 2020
Title: Integrating Patient-Centered Exercise Coaching into Primary Care to Reduce Fragility Fracture
Role: Co-Principal Investigator
Funding Agency: Penn State/Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute
Start Year: 2015
End Year: 2020
Title: COMBINING TESTOSTERONE THERAPY AND EXERCISE TO IMPROVE FUNCTION POST HIP FRACTURE
Role: Co-Investigator
Funding Agency: Washington University
Grant Number: AG051647
Start Year: 2020
End Year: 2021
Title: MyHealthAge: Immune Fingerprinting Signatures in Predicting Successful Aging
Role: Co-Investigator
Funding Agency: Aging Institute of UPMC
Start Year: 2019
End Year: 2020
Title: Advancing Geriatrics Infrastructure and Network Growth (AGING) Initiative
Role: Co-Investigator
Funding Agency: University of Massachusetts
Grant Number: R33 AG057806
Start Year: 2018
End Year: 2023
Title: Prevention of Fractures in Patients with Parkinson's Disease
Role: Co-Investigator
Funding Agency: California Pacific Medical Center/ National Institute of Aging
Grant Number: R01 AG059417
Start Year: 2018
End Year: 2023
Title: Autoimmunity and Emphysema and Risk of Osteoporosis in Smokers
Role: Co-Investigator
Funding Agency: National Heart, Lung, & Blood Institute
Grant Number: R01 HL128289
Start Year: 2016
End Year: 2021
Notable Achievements
•NIH/NIA Board of Scientific Counselors (BSC), 2011-present
•NIH/NIA Clinical Trials Advisory Program (CTAP), 2014-present
•Editorial Board, Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences, 1999-present
•Editorial Board, Journal of Clinical Densitometry, 1998-present
•Editorial Board, National Osteoporosis Foundation, 2004-present
•Board of Trustees, National Osteoporosis Foundation, 2010-present
•Vice President, National Osteoporosis Foundation, 2016-2018
•President, National Osteoporosis Foundation, 2018-2020
•Past President, National Osteoporosis Foundation/Bone Health Osteoporosis Foundation, 2020-2021
•Chair, Education Committee, National Osteoporosis Foundation, 2013-present