Aurelia Nattiv

Dr. Aurelia Nattiv is a Professor at the University of California, Los Angeles in the Department of Family Medicine and Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, serving as Director of the UCLA Metabolic Bone and Osteoporosis Center for over 20 years. She provides clinical care in osteoporosis across the lifespan and sports medicine with special expertise in women's athletics, while also serving as team physician for UCLA Athletics, USA Track and Field, and USA Gymnastics.

Her educational background includes an MD from Washington University School of Medicine (1985), Family Practice residency at Sutter Medical Center of Santa Rosa (1988), and Sports Medicine fellowship at UCLA (1989). She maintains board certification in both Family Medicine and Sports Medicine through the American Board of Family Medicine.

Dr. Nattiv's research pioneered the understanding of the female athlete triad (disordered eating, amenorrhea, and osteoporosis), stress fracture mechanisms, and bone health in athletes. Her work established critical connections between energy availability, menstrual function, and bone density, transforming clinical approaches to athlete care through evidence-based prevention and treatment protocols.

Analysis of her recent publications reveals consistent focus on bone stress injuries in runners, with emphasis on risk stratification, vitamin D relationships, and return-to-play criteria. Her research demonstrates methodological rigor through prospective cohort designs and translation of findings into clinical practice guidelines for multidisciplinary care teams.

Her professional recognitions include:

• Super Doctors Southern California designation (2022-2025)
• Top Doctors by Los Angeles Magazine (2018)

As integral faculty for UCLA's Primary Care Sports Medicine Fellowship Program for over two decades, Dr. Nattiv has trained generations of sports medicine specialists. Her leadership extends to chairing the American College of Sports Medicine Position Stand on the Female Athlete Triad and serving on editorial boards including the British Journal of Sports Medicine, while her clinical work integrates research with direct patient care through specialized referral pathways.

She directs the UCLA Metabolic Bone and Osteoporosis Center, which provides comprehensive bone health services, and maintains clinical operations at Santa Monica Orthopedics and Sports Medicine with hospital affiliations at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center and UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center.