Dr. Sharon Alger-Mayer, MD / Professor Of Medicine Albany Medical College

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Get to know Family Physician Dr. Sharon Alger-Mayer, who serves patients in Albany, New York.

Dr. Alger-Mayer, a family physician, has been the Medical Director of the Comprehensive Care Center for Eating Disorders at Albany Medical Center since 2006. She cares for patients of all ages with anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, and obesity.

The mission of the Comprehensive Care Center for Eating Disorders at Albany Medical Center is to ensure that patients affected by the complex issues associated with eating disorders receive timely, quality care. A collaboration between specialists at Albany Med Health System and Four Winds Hospital Saratoga, the Center coordinates treatment services throughout 23 counties in northeastern New York to provide a seamless continuum of care that gives each individual the opportunity to heal the body, mind, and spirit.

Before embarking on her professional path, Dr. Alger-Mayer pursued an education at the State University of New York at Plattsburgh, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology, magna cum laude, in 1979. She continued her academic efforts at the University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Science, from which she graduated with a Doctor of Medicine degree in 1983. Following these accomplishments, she completed an internship in family medicine at the University of Rochester, a residency in family medicine at Strong Memorial Hospital, a fellowship in clinical nutrition at Albany Medical College, and a research fellowship with the National Institute of Health.

With more than 40 years of experience to her credit, the doctor is board-certified in family medicine by the American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM). The ABFM is a non-profit, independent medical association of American physicians who practice in family medicine and its sub-specialties

Beyond her primary responsibilities within the field, Dr. Alger-Mayer has participated in numerous endeavors outside of her professional circles. She has contributed as an Advisory Board Member for the Dietetic Intern Program at Russell Sage College since 1995, and as the Co-Director of the Nutrition Curriculum for Medical Students at the Albany Medical College since 1994.

Since 2013, she has excelled as a Professor of Medicine at Albany Medical College, part of the Albany Med Health System.

Among her professional affiliations, she is an active member of the American Academy of Family Physicians, the Academy for Eating Disorders, the Obesity Society, and the American Society of Nutrition.

Family medicine is a medical specialty devoted to comprehensive health care for people of all ages. The specialist is called a family physician or family doctor. A family physician is often the first person a patient sees when seeking healthcare services. They examine and treat patients with a wide range of conditions and refer those with serious ailments to a specialist or appropriate facility.

Attributing her success to the support of her collaborators and colleagues, Dr. Alger-Mayer has accrued several impressive accolades for the treatment of patients living with eating disorders throughout her career. Recognized as a Top Doc of the Hudson Valley by Castle Connolly in 2020, she has been proudly presented with grants from the New York State Department of Health since 2005. 

In addition to these honors, she was celebrated with awards from the New York State Department of Health and the American Society of Clinical Nutrition Physicians, as well as the 2007 Jane Golub Leadership in Women’s Health Award. She was likewise selected for first placement for research presentation by the American Academy of Family Physicians Research Forum in 2002 and third placement for research presentation by the American College of Physicians in 2003. 

Having found success with her written works as well, Dr. Alger-Mayer has authored more than 500 articles for Life Magazines, penned myriad journal articles and presentations, and provided her expertise to multiple published medical books.

Happily married, she and her husband, William Mayer III, have two sons, Christopher William Mayer and Daniel Harrison Mayer. 

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