NEW YORK (Via MLS) – Major League Soccer today announced that Dr. Margot Putukian, a highly accomplished and experienced sports physician, administrator and researcher, has been named the League’s new Chief Medical Officer (CMO).
Dr. Mandelbaum has been assistant Medical Director for MLS since 1996 and has worked with UCLA Athletics (1985-1989) and Pepperdine University (1990-present), and the LA Galaxy of MLS. His practice is at the Santa Monica Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Group, where he serves as the Director of the Sports Medicine Fellowship Program and Medical Director for the FIFA Medical Center of Excellence. He was the Chief Medical Officer for Women’s World Cup Soccer in 1999 and 2003, and has been the U.S. Soccer Men’s National Team’s Physician since 1991. He served as FIFA medical officer for the FIFA World Cup in 2014. In 2007 he was appointed to FIFA’s Sports Medicine Committee until 2017. He also served as Medical Officer for the Olympics in Sydney, Athens, Beijing, London and Rio de Janeiro. He was Chief Medical Officer for the World Special Olympics Games in 2015, the CONCACAF Gold Cup in 2015 and 2017 and COPA Centenario in 2016.