Media contact: Anna Jones
Irfan Asif
Asif represents the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine, where he also holds a national leadership position.
(Photography: Keith Bailey), M.D., associate dean for Primary Care and Rural Health at the School of Medicine and professor and chair at the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Department of Family and Community Medicine, has accepted a board position at the Physical Activity Alliance.
The Physical Activity Alliance is a nonprofit organization that promotes policy advocacy and provides strategic planning and workforce development to address physical activity.
Asif is one of 12 board members, each representing a different national organization. He is representing the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine.
“The Physical Activity Alliance is a well-recognized national organization known for promoting physical activity and exercise in the community,” Asif said. “I am excited to join this group to amplify our voice and develop novel ways to promote exercise and physical activity in our society.”
Asif says the role will allow PAA to learn and share best practices for exercise and physical activity promotion with key organizations from across the United States.
“Whether through Exercise is Medicine, volunteering with community teams, or being active myself, it is always exciting to promote physical activity as a physician and athlete,” Asif said. “It turns out that inadequate physical activity and nutrition are at the heart of many different diseases. I hope to help people exercise and eat healthy to prevent injuries and illnesses.”
Along with being the team physician for UAB Athletics, Asif serves as the team physician for the USA Wheelchair Rugby team, where he helps the team prepare the team for the 2021 summer Paralympic Games in Tokyo.