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Thomas Fuerst, Ph.D.
Scientific Director, Osteoporosis

Thomas Fuerst, Ph.D., Scientific Director, Osteoporosis, is a trained medical physicist with more than 13 years experience with research in bone densitometry and vertebral fracture methods particularly for multicenter clinical trials. A CCBR-SYNARC co-founder, Dr. Fuerst also has expertise in body composition assessment methods. He participates in the design and oversight of clinical trials managed by CCBR-SYNARC as well as providing training to CCBR-SYNARC staff involved in these studies.  Dr. Fuerst received his Ph.D. in medical physics from the University of Wisconsin at Madison for work investigating dual-energy imaging techniques for quantitative measurements in cardiology. 

After graduating, Dr. Fuerst joined the faculty of the University of California, San Francisco, where he served as Director of the Quality Assurance Center and then as Associate Director of the Osteoporosis and Arthritis Research Group (OARG), one of CCBR-SYNARC's founding organizations. While at UCSF, Dr. Fuerst successfully coordinated the collection and analysis of imaging data in many international, multi-center clinical trials. These trials ranged in size from small Phase II studies (200 patients recruited at 20 sites) to Phase III mega-trials involving 200 clinical investigator sites with as many as 7,700 patients. In the context of these trials he has developed innovative programs for quality control and central reading of densitometry scans and medical imaging data.

Dr. Fuerst conducted groundbreaking research in the use of dual x-ray absorptiometry and quantitative ultrasound to assess bone strength and fracture risk. As an active member of the International Committee for Standards in Bone Measurement, he has worked to improve and standardize bone density technology. Dr. Fuerst has consulted with industry and government entities (NIH, NIA, NCHS, State of California) on the use of dual x-ray absorptiometry to evaluate bone mineral density as well as body composition, and he has advised industry on the design and development of new devices for the assessment of bone mineral density.

Dr. Thomas Fuerst can be reached by phone at +1.415.817.8911 and by email at Thomas.Fuerst@SYNARC.com

 
 

Scientific Publications:

Siris E, Adachi JD, Lu Y, Fuerst T, Crans GG, Wong M, Harper KD, Genant HK. Effects of Raloxifene on Fracture Severity in Postmenopausal Women with Osteoporosis: Results from the MORE Study. Osteoporos Int. 2002 Nov;13(11):907-13.

Tylavsky FA, Lohman TG, Blunt BA, Schoeller DA, Fuerst T, Cauley JA, Nevitt MC, Visser M, Harris TB. The QDR 4500A dual energy x-ray absorptiometer overestimates fat free mass compared to criterion methods. J Appl Physiol. 2002 Nov 1.

Snijder MB, Visser M, Dekker JM, Seidell JC, Fuerst T, Tylavsky F, Cauley J, Lang T, Nevitt M, Harris TB. The prediction of visceral fat by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry in the elderly: a comparison with computed tomorgraphy and athropometry. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 2002 Jul, 26(7):984-993.

Cheng S, Njeh CF, Fan B, Cheng X, Hans D, Wang L, Fuerst T, Genant HK. Influence of region of interest and bone sze on calcaneal BMD: implications for the accuracy of quantitative ultrasound asessments at the clacaneus. Br J Radiol. 2002 Jan, 75(889):59-68.

Njeh CF, Fuerst T, Diessel E, Genant HK. Is quantitative ultrasound dependent on bone structure? A reflection. Osteoporos Int. 2002, 12(1):1-15.

Yee AJ, Fuerst T, Salamone L, Visser M, Dockrell M, Van Loan M, Kern M. Calibration and validation of an air-displacement plethysmography method for estimating percentage body fat in an elderly population: a comparison among compartmental models. Am J Clin Nutr. 2001 Nov, 74(5):637-642.

Lu Y, Fuerst T, Hui S, Genant HK. Standardization of bone mineral density at femoral neck, trochanter and Ward's triangle. Osteoporos Int. 2001, 12(6):438-444.

Lu Y, Genant HK, Shepherd J, Zhao S, Mathur A, Fuerst TP, Cummings SR. *Classification of osteoporosis based on bone mineral densities. J Bone Miner Res. 2001 May, 16(5):901-910.

Prevrhal S, Fuerst T, Fan B, Njeh C, Hans D, Uffmann M, Srivastav S, Genant HK. Quantitative ultrasound of the tibia depends on both cortical density and thickness. Osteoporos Int. 2001, 12(1):28-34.

Njeh CF, Hans D, Li J, Fan B, Fuerst T, He YQ, Tsuda-Futami E, Lu Y, Wu CY, Genant HK. Comparison of six calcaneal quantitative ultrasound devices: precision a fracture discrimination. Osteoporos Int. 2000, 11(12):1051-1062

Njeh CF, Wu C, Fan B, Hans D, Fuerst T, He Y, Genant HK. Estimation of wrist fracture load using phalangeal speed of sound: an in vitro study. Ultrasound Med Biol. 2000 Nov, 26(9)1517-1523.

Njeh CF, Fuerst T, Diessel E, Genant HK, Hausler KD. Association between QUS and structural parameters? Calcif Tissue Int. 2000 Sep, 67(3):273-274

He YQ, Fan B, Hans D, Li J, Wu CY, Njeh CF, Zhao S, Lu Y, Tsuda-Futami E, Fuerst T, Genant HK. Assessment of a new quantitative ultrasound calcaneus measurement: precision and discrimination of hp fractures in elderly women compared with dual X-ray absorptiometry. Osteoporos Int. 2000, 11(4):3543-60.

Diessel E, Fuerst T, Njeh CF, Tylavsky F, Cauley J, Dockrell M, Genant HK. Evaluation of a new body composition phantom for quality control and cross calibration of DXA devices. J Appl Physiol. 2000 Aug, 89(2):599:605

Salamone LM, Fuerst T, Visser M, Kern M, Lang T, Dockrell M, Cauley JA, Nevitt M, Tylavsky F, Lohman TG. Measurement of fat mass using DEXA: a validation study in elderly adults. J Appl Physiol. 2000 Jul, 89(1):345-352.

Harris TB, Visser M, Everhart J, Cauley J, Tylavsky F, Fuerst T, Zamboni M, Taaffe D, Resnick HE, Schezinger A, Nevitt M. Wait circumference and sagittal diameter reflect total body fat better than visceral fat in older men and women. The Health Aging and Body Composition Study. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2000 May, 904:462-73.

Diessel E, Shepherd JA, Fuerst T, Gonzalez M, Genant HK, Carew B, Looker A. Comparison of two phantoms for body composition with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2000 May, 904:107-110.

Tylavsky FA, Fuerst T, Nevitt M, Dockrell M, Wan JY, Cauley J, Harris T. Measurement of changes in soft tissue mass and fat mass with weight change: pencil-versus fan-beam dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Health ABC Study. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2000 May, 904:94-97.

Diessel E, Fuerst T, Njeh CF, Hans D, Cheng S, Genant HK. Comparison of an imaging heel quantitative ultrasound device (DTU-one) with densitometric and ultrasonic measurements. Br J Radiol. 2000 Jan, 73(865):23-30.

Njeh CF, Hans D, Wu C, Kantorovich E, Sister M, Fuerst T, Genant HK. An in vitro investigation of the dependence on sample thickness of the speed of sound along the specimen. Med Eng Phys. 1999 Nov, 21(9):651659.

Cheng S, Fan B, Wang L, Fuerst T, Lian M, Njeh C, He Y, Kern M, Lappin M, Tylavsky F, Casal D, Harris S, Genant HK. Factors affecting broadband ultrasound attenuation results of the calcaneus using a gel-coupled quantitative ultrasound scanning system. Osteoporos Int. 1999, 10(6):495-504.

Njeh CF, Richards A, Boivin CM, Hans D, Fuerst T, Genant HK. Factors influencing the speed of sound through the proximal phalanges. J Clin Densitom. 1999 Fall, 2(3):241-249.

Visser M, Fuerst T, Lang T, Salamone L, Harris TB. Validity of fan-beam dual-energy absorptiometry for measuring fat-free mass and leg muscle mass. Health, Aging, and Body Composition Study--Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry and Body Composition Working Group. J Appl Physiol. 1999 Oct, 87(4):1513:1520.

Grampps S, Henk CB, Fuerst TP, Lu Y, Bader TR, Kainberger F, Genant HK, Imhof H. Diagnostic agreement of quantitative sonography of the calcaneus with dual X-ray absorptiometry of the spine and femur. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 1999 Aug, 173(2):329-34.

Tsuda-Futami E, Hans D, Njeh CF, Fuerst T, Fan B, Li J, He YQ, Genant HK. An evaluation of a new gel-coupled ultrasound device for the quantitative assessment of bone. Br J Radiol. 1999 Jul, 721(859):691-700.

Cheng S, Suominen H, Ollikainen S, Goll J, Sipila S, Taaffe D, Fuerst T, Njeh CF, Genant HK. Comparison of ultrasound and bone mineral density assessment of the calcaneus with different regions of interest in healthy early menopausal women. J Clin Densitom. 1999 Summer, 2(2):117-126.

Njeh CF, Fuerst T, Hans D, Blake GM, Genant HK. Radiation exposure in bone mineral density assessment. Appl Radiat isot. 1999 Jan, 50(1):215-236. Review.

Augat, Fuerst T, Genant HK. Quantitative bone mineral assessment at the forearm: a review. Osteoporos Int. 1998, 8(4):299-310. Review.

Augat P, Fuerst T, Genant HK. Quantitative bone mineral assessment at the forearm: a review. Osteoporos Int. 1998, 8(4):299-310. Review.

Wu C, Gluer C, Lu Y, Fuerst T, Hans D, Genant HK. Ultrasound characterization of bone demineralization. Calcif Tissue Int. 1998 Feb, 62(2):133-9.

Hans D, Fuerst T, Lang T, Majumdar S, Lu Y, Genant HK, Gluer C. How can we measure bone quality? Baillieres Clin Rheumatol. 1997 Aug, 11(3):495-515. Review.

Lu Y, Ye K, Mathur AK, Hui S, Fuerst TP, Genant HK. Comparative calibration without a gold standard. Stat Med. 1997 Aug 30, 16(16):1889-905

Hans D, Fuerst T, Duboeuf F. Quantitative ultrasound bone measurement Eur Radiol. 1997 Feb 21, 7(10):43-50. No abstract available.

Hans D, Fuerst T, Duboeuf F. Quantitative ultrasound bone measurement. Eur Radiol. 1997, 7 Suppl 2:S43-50. Review. No abstract available

Genant HK, Fuerst T, Faulkner KG, Gluer CC. In evaluating bone density for osteoporosis, are any of the available methods clearly superior? AJR Am J Roentgenol. 1996 Dec, 167(6):1589-90.

Hans D, Fuerst T, Uffmann M. Bone density and quality measurement using ultrasound. Curr Opin Rheumatol. 1996 Jul, 8(4):370-5. Review

Grampp S, Jergas M, Lang P, Steiner E, Fuerst T, Gluer CC, Mathur A, Genant HK. Quantitative CT assessment of the lumbar spine and radius in patients with osteoporosis. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 1996 Jul, 167(1):133-40.

Genant HK, Engelke K, Fuerst T, Gluer CC, Grampp S, Harris ST, Jergas M, Lang T, Lu Y, Majumdar S, Mathur A, Takada M. Noninvasive assessment of bone mineral and structure: state of the art. J Bone Miner Res. 1996 Jun, 11(6):707-30. Review.

Lu Y, Mathur AK, Blunt BA, Gluer CC, Will AS, Fuerst TP, Jergas MD, Andriano KN, Cummings SR, Genant HK. Dual X-ray absorptiometry quality control: comparison of visual examination and process-control charts. J Bone Miner Res. 1996 May, 11(5):626-37.

Genant HK, Lang TF, Engelke K, Fuerst T, Gluer C, Majumdar S, Jergas M. Advances in the noninvasive assessment of bone density, quality, and structure. Calcif Tissue Int. 1996, 59 Suppl 1:S10-5.

Genant HK, Lang TF, Engelke K, Fuerst T, Gluumler C, Majumdar S, Jergas M. Advances in the Noninvasive Assessment of Bone Density, Quality, and Structure Calcif Tissue Int. 1996, 59(7):10-5.

Yu W, Gluer CC, Fuerst T, Grampp S, Li J, Lu Y, Genant HK. Influence of degenerative joint disease on spinal bone mineral measurements in postmenopausal women. Calcif Tissue Int. 1995 Sep, 57(3):169-74

Fuerst T, Gluer CC, Genant HK. Quantitative ultrasound. Eur J Radiol. 1995 Sep, 20(3):188-92. Review.

Yu W, Gluer CC, Grampp S, Jergas M, Fuerst T, Wu CY, Lu Y, Fan B, Genant HK. Spinal bone mineral assessment in postmenopausal women: a comparison between dual X-ray absorptiometry and quantitative computed tomography. Osteoporos Int. 1995, 5(6):433-9.

 

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