Native Elder Research Center

Resource Center for Minority Aging Research

Native Investigator - Lori Arviso Alvord, M.D.

Biosketch
Pilot Project

Biographical Sketch for Lori Arviso Alvord, M.D.

Education

1979	Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH BA:Double Major 1)Psychology, 2) Sociology - Modified with Native American Studies
1985	Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
1985-1991	General Surgery Internship and Residency, Stanford University Hospital,1985-91, Chief Resident, 1990-91

Professional Experience

1997-Present	Associate Dean of Student Affairs and Multicultural Affairs, Asst. Professor of Surgery, Dartmouth Medical School, Hanover, NH
1991-1997	General Surgeon employed by the Indian Health Service (a division of the Public Health Service in the US Government), in practice at the Gallup Indian Medical Center, Gallup, New Mexico.

Honors

2001	Doctor of Science, Honoris Causa (honorary degree) awarded by Albany Medical College, Albany, New York, May, 2001. “Lori A. Alvord, MD: respected physician, dedicated researcher and accomplished author. Through your work as a pioneer in the effort to incorporate Native American philosophies of healing with traditional western medicine, you have raised the standards of care for treating Native Americans. As a member of the Navajo Tribe, you have worked tirelessly to improve the healing environments of the Native American by developing and applying wellness models for treatment. Your book has contributed to the education of many medical students and physicians, broadening their perceptions of traditional medicine and their awareness of alternate methods of healing. Because of the leadership you have shown in this area of patient care, the Albany Medical College is proud to confer upon you the degree of Doctor of Science Honoris Causa.”
1979	Cum Laude, Dartmouth College. Honorary Citations at Dartmouth College in the following courses: Native American Literature (NAS 8, freshman seminar), Native American Oral Literature (NAS 35).
1978	Policy Studies Internship Award: “The Navajo Indian Irrigation Project,” Dartmouth College.
2001	Citation from the Governor of the State of New Hampshire, Jeanne Shaheen. “For all your contributions to New Hampshire’s women. With integrity, you have taught and inspired others to carry on their traditions through your writing. As a writer and a surgeon, your commitment to education and health has directly impacted the positive growth of women in the State of New Hampshire. I extend to you my appreciation for all you have done.”
2001	University of Missouri-Kansas City Medical School. “Outstanding Women in Medicine” Sirridge Award.
2001	Albany Medical College Commencement Speaker, Albany, New York.
1999-2000	Career biography profiled in Stanford University School of Medicine’s “Forty Careers in Medicine” publication, 1999-2000. The profiles exhibit “extraordinary contributions that Stanford’s alumni have made to the advancement of medical science and clinical practice.”
1999	American Medical Writers Association’s “2000 Will Solimene Awards of Excellence”, recognizing outstanding work in medical, biomedical, and health communication by New England writers, for the short story: “Warp and Weft”, in Dartmouth Medicine, Spring, 1999, an excerpt of “The Scalpel and the Silver Bear”, by Lori Arviso Alvord and Elizabeth Cohen Van Pelt, Bantam Books.
2000	Convocation Keynote Speaker, Georgia College and State University. GC&S selected “The Scalpel and the Silver Bear”, by Lori Alvord and Elizabeth Cohen van Pelt, for their “Circles Book Award”. (The freshman class reads the “Circles Book” and small groups meet for teaching, using themes from the book throughout the year).
2000	Brown Medical School Stanley Simon Lectureship Award.
1999	Convocation Keynote Speaker, Dartmouth College.
2000	Interviewed on National Public Radio’s “Fresh Air”, by host Terri Gross.
1998	Harvard Medical School Keynote Speaker: The Robert H. Ebert Third World Caucus Lecture.
1994	Navajo Area Health Board Certificate of Appreciation for “Dedication and Concern for Quality Health Care on the Navajo Nation”.
1992	Certificate of Recognition from Stephanie Gonzales, New Mexico Secretary of State, for “Exemplary Dedication and Service in Enhancing the Quality of Life Among All Peoples in The Land of Enchantment”.
1992	Governor’s Award for Outstanding New Mexico Women, Bruce King, Governor.

Committees

2000-Present	Vermont Law School, Board of Trustees. South Royalton, Vermont.
1995-Present	Board of Directors, Radio Shack Technology Scholars, a scholarship program administered by Texas Christian University.
1994-Present	Native American Visiting Committee, Dartmouth College (an advisory panel to the President of Dartmouth regarding the Native American Program at Dartmouth).
1985-Present	Association of American Indian Physicians.
1999-2001	Association of American Medical College, Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) Program Review Advisory Committee.
1997	NIH, Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH), Working Group Member for the conference “Beyond Hunt Valley: Research on Women’s Health for the 21st Century.”
1993	NIH Task Force on Recruitment and Retention of Women in Clinical Trials, Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH).
1992	NIH Concept Review Panel for the Community Randomized Trial Component of the Women’s Health Initiative.