QMU appoints pioneering sports leader Dame Louise Martin as Osteoporosis Ambassador
Dame Louise Martin, pioneering international sports leader and former President of the Commonwealth Games Federation, has been appointed as the first Project Ambassador for Queen Margaret University’s (QMU) Lydia Osteoporosis Project.
Widely recognised as a trailblazer in global sports administration, Dame Louise was the first woman to serve as President of the Commonwealth Games Federation. Her lifelong commitment to health, wellbeing and active lifestyles strongly aligns with QMU’s ambitions to advance osteoporosis prevention, education and research.
A distinguished alumna of Queen Margaret University and a former lecturer at the institution, Dame Louise brings both professional expertise and a longstanding personal connection to QMU to her new ambassadorial role.
The Lydia Osteoporosis Project is a research and public engagement initiative focused on improving awareness, education and prevention of osteoporosis, a health condition that weakens the bones, making them more fragile and more likely to fracture. Dame Louise’s appointment follows the highly successful Lydia Osteoporosis Symposium, held at QMU earlier this May. The event brought together people living with osteoporosis, carers and family members, health and social care professionals, researchers, and the wider community for an inclusive day of learning, discussion and shared experience.
Over three million people in the UK (including around 300,000 people in Scotland) live with osteoporosis, and the condition is responsible for an estimated 527,000 fractures each year. Yet despite its prevalence and life‑changing consequences, osteoporosis remains widely under‑diagnosed, under‑treated and under‑prioritised within public health and clinical agendas. Dame Louise’s appointment as Project Ambassador represents a significant opportunity to challenge this imbalance.
In her role, she will support the Lydia Osteoporosis Project team in building strategic partnerships, engaging key stakeholders and championing the importance of bone health at a national and international level. Drawing on her exceptional leadership experience, she will also provide strategic insight and represent the project at high‑profile events - helping to drive awareness, influence policy conversations and ensure osteoporosis is recognised as a serious, preventable long‑term condition that demands far greater attention, visibility and investment.
Fully funded by donor support, the Queen Margaret University Lydia Osteoporosis Project demonstrates the pivotal role a single committed donor can play in advancing research and improving patient care. To date, over £1 million has been provided by an anonymous donor, enabling Queen Margaret University to establish and sustain a programme inspired by a personal connection to osteoporosis.
The donor’s support has been central to the project’s development, underpinning work to improve manual handling practices in healthcare, expand osteoporosis awareness, and support PhD research. The project exists and continues to grow because of sustained donor commitment.
The Lydia Osteoporosis Project is about people - those living with osteoporosis, those at risk, and those who support them. It is about creating understanding, building confidence, and improving lives through shared knowledge and community. The work being done at QMU is innovative, important and life-changing, and I am delighted to champion it. I hope others will join us in supporting bone health and helping people live well with strength, confidence and community.
Dame Louise has a longstanding connection with QMU, having studied at the Edinburgh College of Domestic Science (now QMU), where she later became a lecturer. In 2023, she was awarded an honorary degree in recognition of her outstanding contribution to international sport.
A talented athlete in her early years, she represented Scotland in swimming and reached the finals of the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Perth, Australia. She went on to teach home economics in Edinburgh before embarking on a highly successful career in sports administration.
Her achievements include becoming the first woman to chair Scotland’s Commonwealth Games Council in 1999, the first female member of the Commonwealth Games Federation Executive Board and later serving as Secretary from 1999 to 2015. In 2015, she became the first female President of the Federation, a role she held for two terms until 2023. She played a pivotal role in the delivery of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games and was awarded a Damehood in 2019.
Dame Louise Martin said: “Throughout my career, including my time as President of the Commonwealth Games Federation, I have seen how preparation, consistency and strong foundations underpin success. The parallels with osteoporosis are clear - regular weight-bearing exercise and good nutrition are essential for building and maintaining strong bones.
“Prevention is powerful, and the earlier we start, the better the outcomes. Education and awareness are key to empowering people to take action and support their own health. I am committed to working with the Lydia Osteoporosis Project team to turn this focus on prevention and education into action, and to secure recognition of osteoporosis as a public health priority.”
Dame Louise brings a powerful combination of leadership, insight and advocacy. Her support will be instrumental in strengthening our efforts to improve the understanding of osteoporosis, and drive forward innovation in education, research and practice.
For further media information contact: Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, E: pressoffice@qmu.ac.uk.
