Over the last several years, Dr. Kern Singh of Rush University Medical Center along with other spine surgeons, have hosted informal gatherings in the hopes of increasing partnership and awareness with like-minded surgeons of Indian origin from around the world in pursuit of ventures in India, including travelling fellowships, training, research, and mission trips. In 2011, Dr. Singh became familiar with other groups who shared his vision and interest in supporting these objectives. It made sense to unite their efforts.

The Indo-American Spine Alliance (IASA) is a not-for-profit organization chartered in 2012, following a grass roots effort by spine surgeons of Indian origin outside of India. The mission of the IASA is “To facilitate and promote collaborative interaction between spine professionals of Indian origin and other interested surgeons from India, America and abroad to improve surgical education, to further spine research, and to advance care for patients afflicted with spine ailments in India.” Simply put, the vision for IASA is to become the preeminent source for open and transparent collaboration in research, education, and patient care among spine professionals of Indian origin.