Gary Irwin Wadler (January 12, 1939 – September 12, 2017) was an American

internist Internal medicine, also known as general medicine in Commonwealth nations, is a medical specialty for medical doctors focused on the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases in adults. Its namesake stems from "treatment of diseases of th ...

with special expertise in the field of drug use in sports. The lead author of the book ''Drugs and the Athlete'', Wadler served on the

World Anti-Doping Agency The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA; , AMA) is an international organization co-founded by the governments of over 140 nations along with the International Olympic Committee based in Canada to promote, coordinate, and monitor the fight against d ...

's (WADA) Prohibited List and Methods Committee and on its Health, Medicine, and Research Committee. Additionally, he served as: Medical Advisor to the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, a Trustee of the Board of the

American College of Sports Medicine The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, is a sports medicine and exercise science membership organization. Founded in 1954, ACSM holds conferences, publishes books and journals, and offers certif ...

and of the Women’s Sports Foundation. Among his other sports medicine activities, he served as Tournament Physician of the U.S. Open Tennis Championships. For his work in the field of drugs in sports, Gary Wadler received the

International Olympic Committee The International Olympic Committee (IOC; , CIO) is the international, non-governmental, sports governing body of the modern Olympic Games. Founded in 1894 by Pierre de Coubertin and Demetrios Vikelas, it is based i ...

's President's Prize in 1993. He was a frequent lecturer and his opinions were widely sought by the print and electronic

media Media may refer to: Communication * Means of communication, tools and channels used to deliver information or data ** Advertising media, various media, content, buying and placement for advertising ** Interactive media, media that is inter ...

nationally and internationally. In addition, he served as Chairman of the American Ballet Theatre's Medical Advisory Board and Chairman of the College Council of the

State University of New York at Old Westbury The State University of New York at Old Westbury (SUNY at Old Westbury) is a public university in Old Westbury, New York, with portions in the neighboring town of Jericho, New York. It enrolls just over 5,000 students. History The State Unive ...

. Wadler maintained a private practice in

Internal Medicine Internal medicine, also known as general medicine in Commonwealth nations, is a medical specialty for medical doctors focused on the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases in adults. Its namesake stems from "treatment of diseases of ...

and

Sports Medicine Sports medicine is a branch of medicine that deals with physical fitness and the treatment and prevention of injuries related to sports and exercise. Although most sports teams have employed team physicians for many years, it is only since the ...

Manhasset, New York Manhasset is an affluent Hamlet (New York), hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in Nassau County, New York, Nassau County, on the North Shore (Long Island), North Shore of Long Island, in New York (state), New York, United States. It is co ...

and was a Clinical

Associate Professor Associate professor is an academic title with two principal meanings: in the North American system and that of the ''Commonwealth system''. In the ''North American system'', used in the United States and many other countries, it is a position ...

of Medicine at the

NYU School of Medicine The New York University Grossman School of Medicine is a medical school of New York University, a private research university in New York City. It was founded in 1841 and is one of two medical schools of the university, the other being the NYU Gr ...

. Wadler also served as chairman and President of the Nassau County Sports Commission. Wadler died on September 12, 2017, at the age of 78. His widow Nancy stated that he had been suffering from

multiple system atrophy Multiple system atrophy (MSA) is a rare neurodegenerative disorder characterized by tremors, slow movement, muscle rigidity, postural instability (collectively known as parkinsonism), autonomic dysfunction and ataxia. This is caused by progr ...

for five years prior to his death.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wadler, Gary I. 1939 births 2017 deaths Brooklyn College alumni Deaths from multiple system atrophy Neurological disease deaths in New York (state) Drugs in sport New York University Grossman School of Medicine faculty Writers from Brooklyn People from Manhasset, New York Physicians from New York (state) Jewish physicians Samuel J. Tilden High School alumni Weill Cornell Medical College alumni