Sarah L. Morgan

Distinguished Achievement Citation

By the Iowa State University Alumni Association

This award was established in 1992 to recognize meritorious service and/or distinguished achievements in such areas as business and industry, education, and health.

Sarah Morgan
1977, Food and Nutrition/Dietetics and Related Sciences

Dr. Sarah Morgan, a highly respected scientist, educator, and physician, holds faculty and administrative positions at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. An associate professor of nutrition sciences and medicine and division director of Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics, her research has had a powerful effect on the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Although the drug methotrexate can effectively treat autoimmune diseases, its usefulness has been significantly reduced because of its toxicity. Morgan demonstrated that taking methotrexate — along with a supplement of folic acid — substantially reduced the drug’s toxic effects. Her ongoing studies are currently supported by a highly competitive grant from the National Institutes of Health.

As medical director of the Osteoporosis Prevention and Treatment Clinic, she has become a national expert on the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. She has developed a multidisciplinary clinic, which includes patient education, physical therapy, bone densitometry, and medical therapy.

A sought-after speaker, Morgan communicates effectively with both professional and lay-audiences. She recently authored two books - one that provides advice about nutrition for people with arthritis, and the other that describes a sensible approach to weight loss. In addition to research and teaching, Morgan also provides compassionate clinical advice. Says colleague Joseph Baggott, of the University of Alabama at Birmingham, “This enormously intelligent individual always has time for the sick patient, the new student, and the faculty member with a problem.”