Speakers

Featured Speakers

Our two most important program contributors are Geoffrey Baer MD of the University of Wisconsin  and Jeffrey Kutcher MD, Sports Neurologist, Director of the Kutcher Clinics. These two are coordinating collaborators in Sports Medicine to bring us the latest in research and practice updates in the fields of Orthopedics and Sports Neurology.

Geoffrey Baer MD, PhD

Dr. Baer is board certified in orthopedic surgery and fellowship trained in sports medicine. He is an Associate Professor and team physician for the University of Wisconsin Athletic Department and provides orthopedic medical coverage for Badger Football, Badger Men’s and Women’s Ice Hockey, Badger Men’s Soccer, Badger Wrestling and the Badger Spirit Squad. His special interests include sports medicine surgical procedures involving the knee and shoulder.

Jeffrey Kutcher MD

In 2006, Dr. Kutcher founded Michigan NeuroSport, an academic and clinical program dedicated to the neurologic care of the athlete. He is a Team Physician for Western Michigan University and the USA Hockey Developmental Program. Dr. Kutcher has research interests in the diagnosis and management of sports concussion, as well as the short and long-term consequences of the injury, with a particular focus on how other neurologic diagnoses can improve our understanding.

He is working within the neurologic community to help build and promote the field of Sports Neurology. Under his leadership, the Sports Neurology Section of the American Academy of Neurology was founded in 2009. He is currently co-lead author, with Dr. Chris Giza, on the AAN’s committee to establish new practice parameters on sports concussion. He is currently employed at the Kutcher Clinic in Brighton, MI and Park City, Utah.

The rest of our faculty:

Stephanie Alessi-LaRosa MD, MPH

Dr. Stephanie Alessi-LaRosa is a board certified neurologist who is fellowship trained in sports neurology. She completed a residency in neurology at University of Connecticut and completed fellowship at The Kutcher Clinic for Sports Neurology in Michigan. Dr. Alessi is the Director of the Hartford Healthcare Sports Neurology Program in Hartford, CT and the program director of the Hartford Healthcare Sports Neurology Fellowship.

She is a neurologic consultant for University of Connecticut athletics and team neurologist for Sacred Heart University while providing sports neurology services to many other high schools, boarding schools and colleges. She specializes in the diagnosis and management of concussion, post-concussion syndrome and neurologic conditions in athletes. She has a passion for educating patients, communities and medical providers on the topics of brain health and sports neurology.

David Bernhardt MD

Dr. David Bernhardt specializes in primary care sports medicine. He is board certified in pediatrics and fellowship trained in sports medicine. He is a team physician for the University of Wisconsin Athletic Department. In this role, he provides medical coverage for Badger men’s basketball, cross country and track, as well as women’s volleyball, crew, cross country and track. His special interests include pediatric and adolescent athlete concerns, medical problems including concussions, along with other routine musculoskeletal injuries commonly seen in distance runners and triathletes.

His Professional Activities include Team Physician, University of Wisconsin Athletic Department and Former Medical Director, Madison Marathon

Alison Brooks MD, MPH

Dr. Brooks is a Professor in the Department of Orthopedics, Division of Sports Medicine at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine & Public Health in Madison, WI. She is board certified in Pediatrics and fellowship-trained in Sports Medicine and serves as a team physician for Badger Women’s Ice Hockey, Madison Radicals (AUDL) and Forward Madison FC (USL League One).
Dr. Brooks previously served as the site-PI for the NCAA-DOD CARE Consortium Concussion study at UW-Madison and currently is collaborating with a multidisciplinary team at UW evaluating repetitive head impacts in youth soccer.

Dr. Brooks served as chair-elect of the Executive Committee for the American Academy of Pediatrics Council on Sports Medicine & Fitness (2019-2023), and as a member of the Board of Directors for the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine (2015-2019).
Her interests in sports medicine and research include healthy youth athlete development, prevention of musculoskeletal injuries and risks of cumulative head impacts in youth and collegiate athletes.

John Bruno AT

John C. Bruno, ATC is a certified athletic trainer credentialed by the National Athletic Trainer’s Association.  He possesses extensive clinical and practical experience rehabilitating many orthopedic and sports medicine conditions and injuries. ​

John’s professional experience includes working as an athletic trainer at the college, professional and clinic levels.  He worked as an assistant athletic trainer with the New Jersey Nets, in addition to his full time duties at the Fitness Institute.  I also was head athletic trainer for the NY Cosmos, and provided rehabilitation to the NY Giants during NFL lockout in 1982. John served as interim head athletic trainer at Ramapo College. In 1982, he was named to the athletic training staff for the NBA all-star game. John has worked in sales for capital equipment and medical device companies in the rehab industry for over 32 years.​

He is the Clinical Director, Sports Medicine & Rehab, for Multi Radiance Medical.  John’s responsibilities include training and lecturing on the science, and clinical application of Super Pulsed Laser technology to rehabilitation professionals.  His experiences and education make him uniquely qualified to speak about integrating therapeutic laser into a comprehensive rehabilitation program.​

Javier Cardenas MD

Cárdenas joins West Virginia University Medicine after having served as the founder and director of the Concussion and Brain Injury Center at the Barrow Neurological Institute, a renowned national comprehensive concussion prevention, treatment, and education program. During his tenure there, Cárdenas developed the nation’s first mandated concussion education and testing tool for student-athletes, which, since its inception in 2011, has provided concussion education to more than one million high school athletes.

Board certified in neurology and brain injury medicine by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, Cárdenas is vice chair of the National Football League’s (NFL) Head, Neck, and Spine Committee as well as a senior advisor for the NFL Concussion Program. He is also a member of the American Academy of Neurology and the NCAA Concussion Safety Advisory Group.

James Carpenter MD

James E. Carpenter, M.D., is Professor an Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Michigan. He graduated from the University of Michigan Medical School and the Harvard Orthopaedic Residency Training program. Dr. Carpenter has practiced at MedSport for over 30 years and has expertise in all aspects of shoulder surgery and sports medicine, including arthroscopic and reconstructive surgery. He has published over 100 peer-reviewed papers and lectured widely in the field of shoulder injuries and repair. He has served as Team Physician with Michigan Athletics, including serving for 10 years as the head orthopaedic surgeon for Michigan Football. Michigan Medicine is proud to support this leader’s work in orthopaedic surgery and sports medicine.

Michael Chapman EdD AT

Michael (Mike) Chapman is an Assistant Professor at Spalding University in Louisville, KY. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training from Michigan State University, a Master of Arts in Sport Management from Wingate University, and a Doctorate of Education in Organizational Leadership, focused on organizational change management and the implementation of injury prevention programming from Gardner-Webb University. Prior to his role at Spalding, Dr. Chapman was a Global Injury Prevention & Ergonomics Program Leader at Amazon.com.

He focused on musculoskeletal disorder risk reduction engineering solution development. He supported the development of the Amazon Injury Prevention Specialist program, Served as a Risk Manager for Zappos.com, and helped build the Global Ergonomic (Biomechanic) Engineering program.

His research focus surrounds MSD prevention and organizational implementation in both traditional sports medicine and non-traditional settings, with an emphasis on spinal health.

 Jake Carpenter-Thompson MD PhD

Jake Carpenter-Thompson is a board-certified Neurologist at the Kutcher Clinic for Sport Neurology. He completed his medical scholar training at the University of Illinois earning both MD and PhD degrees. He received his PhD in Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuro-Engineering supported in part by the National Science Foundation’s Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship which emphasized collaborative research between scientists and engineers. Dr. Carpenter-Thompson then joined the University of Chicago’s Neurology residency program where he received his clinical education. He then completed his fellowship in Sports Neurology at The Kutcher Clinic where he later joined as faculty.

Dr. Carpenter-Thompson currently serves as the Clinical Research Director at The Kutcher Clinic for Sports Neurology and is the Team Neurologist for the Detroit Lions. He is using his extensive training to provide excellent care for those with concussion and to advance the understanding of concussion through practical research.

Meeryo Choe MD

Meeryo Choe, MD grew up in the Los Angeles area, traveled east to attend Amherst College, where she majored in Fine Arts completing a senior thesis in Printmaking. She is currently an Associate Clinical Professor in Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Neurology, at the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine and the Program Director for the child neurology program. She is also the Associate Director of the UCLA Steve Tisch BrainSPORT Program, and helps oversee its mission, providing clinical care for injured student athletes, performing clinical research in pediatric traumatic brain injury TBI, and educating the community about sports-related concussion. Her research focuses on clinical outcome after pediatric TBI, with interests in post-concussive autonomic dysfunction and gender disparities in concussion incidence and recovery. She was a co-author on the CDC’s pediatric mTBI review and guidelines published in JAMA Pediatrics, and is a site-PI for the CARE4Kids U54, a multi-institutional longitudinal pediatric concussion study. An avid equestrian and former swimmer, Dr. Choe coaches as well, giving her a unique perspective on an athlete’s desire to return to his/her sport and the outside pressures they might experience.

James Cook DVM

After receiving his bachelor’s degree from Florida State University and competing for 5 years as a professional waterskier, Dr. James (Jimi) Cook completed his DVM in 1994 and PhD in 1998.  In 1999, he founded the Comparative Orthopaedic Laboratory at the University of Missouri, a multi-disciplinary team of physicians, veterinarians, engineers, and basic scientists dedicated to translational orthopaedic research, which has now been endowed and moved into its own 12,000 sq ft facility as the Thompson Laboratory for Regenerative Orthopaedics. He has over 350 peer-reviewed publications, over $30 million in research funding, received numerous awards including The Urist Award, and holds 32 patents including the MOPS^® technology.  He is currently Director of the Mizzou Joint & Limb Preservation Center, Director of The Thompson Laboratory for Regenerative Orthopaedics, Director of Mizzou Sports Science, and the William and Kathryn Allen Distinguished Chair in Orthopaedic Surgery, and serves as Vice Chair for Research for the Department of Orthopaedics at the University Hospital’s Missouri Orthopaedic Institute.

He is also co-founder of Be The Change Volunteers ­a NGO dedicated to building schools in remote villages in the developing world whose teams have built 72 educational facilities in 17 countries, providing educational opportunities to more than 8,000 students. The story of his education-focused development aid work is told in his two recent books, Hand Delivered Hope and Ripples of Hope from Trilogy Publishing.

Randall Cohen AT, DPT

Randy just retired from his position as Associate AD for Medical Services at the University of Arizona.  Prior to Arizona Randy has on the sports medicine staffs at Purdue University and the University of Notre Dame.

Originally from Chicago he has a degree in athletic training from Purdue University, a physical therapy degree from University of Illinois Chicago and a Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Simmons College. He has over 30 years experience providing medical care and doing rehabilitation with athletes.  He has done numerous presentations to local, national and international groups on topics including risk management and liability, sports specific rehabilitation and concussion treatment.

Gregory Cvetanovich MD

Dr. Cvetanovich is the lead Physician in the OSU Overhead and Throwing Athlete Program, he is also Team physician for the Ohio State Buckeyes, Columbus Clippers and Community High School. He has Authored and co-authored more than 160 peer-reviewed publications, presented at major national and international conferences on shoulder, elbow and other sports medicine conditions and has provided medical and surgical care for the Chicago Bulls, Chicago White Sox, Chicago Fire, Chicago Steel and DePaul University during residency and fellowship training.

Molly Day MD

Molly A. Day, MD, is an Assistant Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at the University of Wisconsin-Madison specializing in Sports Medicine, with a focus on arthroscopic and reconstructive surgery of the knee, shoulder and elbow. She is a team physician for UW Badger Athletics, providing orthopedic coverage for the UW Men’s and Women’s Soccer and Track & Field teams. Dr. Day has specialized training and technical expertise in the areas of advanced arthroscopic and minimally invasive techniques to treat sports-related and athletic injuries such as anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction, cartilage/meniscus restoration and repair, patellofemoral instability, shoulder instability, rotator cuff tears, arthritis, as well as care of the female athlete.

She has authored numerous peer-reviewed articles in leading scientific journals of orthopaedic surgery and sports medicine, book chapters, and has presented her research regionally and nationally at orthopaedic conferences and meetings. She is an active member in the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM), Arthroscopy Association of North America (AANA), Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) Honor Medical Society and the Ruth Jackson Orthopaedic Society (RJOS).

David Diduch MD

David Diduch is the Voshell Professor of Sports Medicine in the department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Virginia where he has been in practice for the past 29 years.  He is also the Division Head of Sports Medicine, Head Orthopaedic Team Physician for UVA, and the previous Executive Vice Chair and sports fellowship director.

After college at the University of North Carolina, he completed medical school at Harvard Medical School, orthopaedic residency and a master’s degree at the University of Virginia, and a fellowship in sports medicine and reconstructive knee surgery at the Insall-Scott-Kelly Institute in New York.  His practice is in sports medicine, knee and shoulder surgery, with a particular interest in patella instability.  He has been active in several committees and leadership for AOSSM, is a member of the Herodicus society, the International Patellofemoral Study Group, and prior president of the Virginia Orthopaedic Society.  He is very active in research and academic pursuits with over 200 publications, 60 book chapters, and 31 research grants.

Kent Diduch MD

Dr. Diduch has been a board certified family physician for 28 years. He started working the sidelines as a second year resident. Then he joined a rural private practice and worked with the local high schools and Virginia High School League Sports Medicine Advisory Committee for many years. He became the primary care team physician and an AT faculty member at James Madison University. After 11 years at the D1 level, he moved to Mary Baldwin University where he serves as the Physician Assistant Program Director and the team physician for the ‘fighting squirrels’.

Kate M. Essad MD

Dr. Kate Essad MD MBA is a sports neurologist based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. As the Director of Concussion and Sports Neurology for Advocate Health, she is responsible for ensuring that potential patients have access to accurate educational materials about concussion. This year she and her team are studying methods for delivering concussion information across multiple states and how medical professionals can address misinformation delivered to the public from non-medical sources.

She is board certified in neurology, brain injury medicine, and interventional headache. She completed her sports neurology fellowship under the direction of Dr Jeff Kutcher at The Sports Neurology Clinic in Brighton, Michigan and residency in adult neurology at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, New Hampshire. Dr. Essad is currently the consulting neurologist for Marquette University, the Milwaukee Admirals, and NASCAR.

Shawn Felton PhD

Dr. Shawn D. Felton is the Interim Dean in the Marieb College of Health & Human Services at Florida Gulf Coast University.  Dr. Felton returned to FGCU in August 2019 and served as the Department Chair of Health Sciences.  Prior to his return, he served as Department Chair of Athletic Training and Director of the Doctor of Athletic Training Program at Florida International University where he launched the Doctor of Athletic Training (DAT) program.

He recently served the Florida State University System as a Governor of the Florida Board of Governors from August 2018-August 2020. Prior to his appointment at FIU, he served from September 2005 till August 2018, as an Associate Professor at Florida Gulf Coast University.  In addition to his faculty responsibilities, he served four years and 3 months as the Faculty Senate President and University Trustee and also served as the Vice Chairman for FGCU Board of Trustees, from January 2016 till March 2017.

Dr. Felton is still engaged in research activities examining the use of musculoskeletal diagnostic ultrasound, lower extremity biomechanics and EMG activity, the use of simulation in allied health care education and implementing micro-badges and digital credentials.  Dr. Felton is a Board-Certified Athletic Trainer and licensed in the state of Florida.

Winston Gwathmey MD

Dr. Gwathmey joined the Sports Medicine Division of the University of Virginia Department of Orthopaedic Surgery in 2013. After completing his Orthopaedic Surgery residency training at UVA, he underwent fellowship training in Sports Medicine and Shoulder Surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital / Harvard Medical School. In Boston, he was an assistant team physician for the New England Patriots and also worked closely with the medical staff for the Boston Red Sox and Boston Bruins.

Dr. Gwathmey subsequently obtained additional hip arthroscopy training in Nashville, TN, with Dr. Thomas Byrd who is universally recognized as a pioneer in hip arthroscopy. Dr. Gwathmey specializes in Sports Medicine and Arthroscopy of the Shoulder, Hip, and Knee.  This includes the diagnosis and treatment of athletic injuries and conditions of the shoulder, hip, knee, and foot/ankle. He is a team physician for UVA and James Madison University athletics as well as numerous high school teams. He is also active in medical student and resident education winning numerous teaching awards.

He is the Orthopaedic Surgery Residency Program Director as well as the Medical Student Clerkship Director.  He is also faculty for the prestigious Miller Orthopaedic Review Course. He has over 50 peer-reviewed publications and presented his research at national conferences including the AAOS, AOSSM, and AANA.  He has authored 30 book chapters, edited numerous Orthopaedic texts, and recently published a book on Hip Arthroscopy.  His research interests include clinical outcomes after shoulder, hip, and knee arthroscopy, biomechanical analysis of the hip and knee joint, and the natural history of femoroacetabular impingement.

James R. Holmes, MD expanded his appointment to full time faculty member in 2009, with the section of Foot and Ankle Surgery.   A 1991 graduate of the Michigan Orthopaedic Residency program, Dr. Holmes completed a fellowship in Foot and Ankle Reconstruction at the University of Washington.   Currently, he is Chief of the Foot and Ankle Service and Medical Director of the South Main Ambulatory Care Unit.  Dr. Holmes serves on both the Resident Educational Committee and the department’s peer review body.  His research interests include ligamentous injuries of the foot and ankle, imaging algorithms in the evaluation of common pedal complaints, and pathophysiology of attritional tendonopathies about the ankle.

Michael Hutchison PhD

Michael Hutchison an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education at the University of Toronto. Michael Hutchison holds a PhD in Rehabilitation Science and is a Registered Kinesiologist, who specializes in sport-related concussion research in various populations ranging from adolescent students, university level students, and professional athletes and had published presented internationally in the area of sport-concussion.

He also holds appointments as a Research Scientist and amember of the NHL/NHLPA Concussion Subcommittee, as all as a Scientist position with the Neuroscience Program, Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science of St. Michael’s Hospital. Finally, Dr. Hutchison is also the Director of Concussion Program within the David L. MacIntosh Sport Medicine, University of Toronto, where he oversees a multidisciplinary team of health professionals for sport or physical activity related concussion

Grant Jones MD

Grant Jones, MD is a Professor in The Ohio State University Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and is in his 26^th year as a Team Physician for the Ohio State University Department of Athletics. He serves as the Head Team Physician for OSU’s basketball team and an orthopaedic consultant for OSU’s other varsity teams.  He has also been the Head Team Physician for the Columbus Clippers (Triple-A Affiliate of the Cleveland Indians) since 2009 and Team Physician for the Columbus Destroyers (Arena League Football) in 2019.  Furthermore, he has been the Head Team Physician for the Upper Arlington Public School System since 2014 and has served as a Team Physician at Denison University since 2022.

Jones, a native of Upper Arlington, Ohio, graduated from Denison University with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1988.  He was class valedictorian at Denison and was a team captain for the Denison football squad and team MVP in 1987. He was the Woody Hayes National Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 1987 and the GTE NCAA Academic All-American Player- of- the- Year-Football/College Division in 1987.    He was an All-North Coast Athletic Conference performer in 1986 and ’87. Time Magazine selected him for its Achievement Award as one of the Top 20 College students in the nation in 1987.  In 2014, he was inducted into the Denison University Athletic Hall-of-Fame.  And, in 2015, he was inducted into the Capitol One/ CoSida NCAA Academic All-American Hall-of-Fame for all sports.

He earned his medical doctorate from The Ohio State College of Medicine in 1992, graduating with Honors and completed his Orthopaedic Surgery Residency at The Ohio State University.  He then completed his Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Fellowship at the Hughston Clinic in Georgia.

Keith Kenter MD

Dr. Keith Kenter, is Professor and Chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, as well as Professor in the Program in Medical Engineering at Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine. Dr. Kenter is Board Certified in both Orthopaedic Surgery and Orthopaedic Sports Medicine. Dr. Kenter is also employed with Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine.

Dr. Kenter is a graduate of DePauw University with a BA in Zoology in 1984. He also received a MS in Biology from Saint Louis University in 1986. He earned his MD from the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Medicine in 1990. He completed his residency in Orthopaedic Surgery at Duke University Medical Center in 1996. He went on to complete a Fellowship in Sports Medicine and Shoulder Reconstruction at The Hospital for Special Surgery in 1997.

Jason Krystofiak MD

Dr. Krystofiak is a Primary Care Sports Medicine physician who joined RWJBarnabas Health and has been working with Rutgers Athletics since 2018. Dr. Krystofiak is the Division Chief of Sports Medicine at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center. He is also the Medical Director of Sports Medicine and Medical Director of the Matthew J. Morahan III Health Assessment Center for Athletes at RWJBarnabas Health. He currently serves as one of the Team Physicians for Rutgers Athletics including the Team Physician for Rutgers Football. Dr. Krystofiak is also a Clinical Assistant Professor of Family Medicine and Community Health at Rutgers – Robert Wood Johnson Medical School (RWJMS), involved in the education of medical students, residents, and fellows.

Dr. Krystofiak is a published author on NCAA research and has been interviewed by several media outlets on concussion management. He previously served as the Medical Director for Sky Blue FC in 2019. Dr. Krystofiak graduated magna cum laude from Rutgers University. He then attended Ross University School of Medicine where he graduated with honors. Dr. Krystofiak completed his residency in Family Medicine at Rutgers – RWJMS, where he served as chief resident and received the Gold Humanism and Excellence in Teaching Award. He completed his fellowship in Sports Medicine at the same institution.

George K Lewis MS, PhD

Dr. George Lewis is a Biomedical Engineer, Mechanobiologist and Neurobiologist in Regenerative and Sports Medicine. He serves as the Chair or Rehabilitation Medicine Research for the United States Veterans Health Administration since 2020, and Board Member for the Orthopedic Foundation since 2017. Prior to founding ZetrOZ during is doctoral studies in early 2007, Dr. Lewis trained at Cornell University 2006 and the University of Miami 2002. Dr. Lewis has been a US Presidential Research Fellow, Life Science Innovation Fellow, and Principal Investigator on multiple federally funded medical development programs by the NIH, DOD, NASA and NSF, and has commercialized numerous medical innovations into the global healthcare system over the last 2-decades.

Dr. Lewis has considerable experience in ultrasound miniaturization, wearable electronic systems, and the study of biological effects of ultrasound on tissue. In his career, three of the notable contributions to science are: 1) Demonstrating the safety of daily long-duration ultrasonic stimulation to biological tissues, 2) Studying the mass transfer phenomena of ultrasound on molecules and nutrients in poroelastic biological tissues, and 3) Establishing designing principles behind ultrasonic systems using ultralow-impedance electronics and transducers.

Dr. Lewis has been recognized for leadership and engineering innovation, and has been featured by the NSF, NIH, DOD and other government and private granting organizations for biomedical research and commercialization. In June of 2020 Dr. Lewis was invited to present the last decade of translational mechanobiological ultrasound research at the NIH Pain Consortium Symposium. In March of 2022 ,Dr. Lewis was invited to present on non-opioid technologies for the NFL medical staff at the Indianapolis Combine.

Beyond research, development and global healthcare innovations Dr. Lewis is an avid instrument and jet-rated pilot, hockey and volleyball player, and husband and father of four. In his free time Dr. Lewis enjoys attending athletic events and hiking in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.

Charles Liu MD

Dr. Charles Liu  is a neurosurgeon and engineer who works at the intersection of these fields to develop transformative strategies to restore function to the human nervous system. He is currently professor of neurosurgery, neurology and psychiatry, with joint appointments in urology, surgery, biokinesiology/physical therapy, and biomedical engineering at USC.

He is also Director of the USC Neurorestoration Center, which functions to bring scientific advances in the laboratory and engineers new tools to restore function to the injured and diseased nervous system. He also serves as the Director of the USC Epilepsy Care Consortium, a unique partnership of over one third of the NAEC epilepsy centers in California.

Dr. Liu completed his undergraduate education in Chemical Engineering at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and went on to receive his PhD in Chemical/Biomedical Engineering at Rice University under the direction of pioneering bioengineer J. David Hellums. He then attended the Yale University School of Medicine, receiving his MD degree. He trained in neurosurgery at the University of Southern California Affiliated Hospitals. He has had a long-time appointment to the faculty of Caltech as Visiting Associate.

He has received numerous research awards and made a large number of visitorships/invited lectures throughout the world. He has served on numerous editorial boards, including as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Clinical Neuroscience. He has led the clinical aspects of a large number of first-in-human studies in advanced neurotechnologies. His research has been funded by NIH, NSF, DARPA, as well as numerous foundations. His work has been published in high impact scientific as well as clinical journals and featured extensively in broadcast, print, and online media.

He has participated extensively in neurosurgery in athletics, including as the principal neurosurgical consultant for the NCAA USC Trojans Athletics Department, the neurotrauma consultant for the Rose Bowl Game, as well as serving as an unaffiliated neurotrauma consultant for the NFL. He has played leadership roles at Rancho Los Amigos and presently serves as the Chief of Innovation and Research. In addition, he serves as the Medical Director of the Casa Colina Research Institute. Together, Rancho and Casa represent the primary rehabilitation resources for Southern California and serve as a living laboratory for functional neurorestoration.

Matthew Matava MD

Matthew Matava, M.D. is currently a Professor of Orthopedic Surgery and Physical Therapy at Washington University in St. Louis where he is also Director of the Sports Medicine Fellowship. Dr. Matava earned his Medical Degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City, Six-Year Combined B.A./M.D. Program. He completed his internship and orthopedic surgery residency at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, followed by a fellowship in sports medicine and arthroscopic surgery at the Cincinnati Sports Medicine and Orthopedic Center.

Dr. Matava is currently the Medical Director of the NHL’s St. Louis Blues and has cared for team for the past 27 years. He was the Head Team Physician for the St. Louis Rams for 16 years and was president of the National Football League Physicians Society from 2013-2015. He has been a team physician for the Washington University Varsity Athletic Program since 1996 and is currently the team physician for the St. Louis Battlehawks of the XFL.

Thomas McGarry MD

Dr. McGarry is the Cardiac Consultant of the Oklahoma Thunder of the NBA. He joined Oklahoma Heart Hospital Practice in 1999.  He is a member of  the following Professional Societies: American College of Physicians; American College of Cardiology, American Medical Association’ Pennsylvania Medical Society, Oklahoma Medical Society and the Society for Coronary Angiography and Interventions.

He has done his Fellowship Training in Cardiology at: Cardiology/Invasive, Graduate Hospital, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Post-Doctoral Fellow Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania. His postgraduate training includes Internal Medicine, Mercy Catholic Medical Center, Darby, Pennsylvania – Internship ahd  the Internal Medicine, Mercy Catholic Medical Center, Darby, Pennsylvania – Residency.

Dr. McGarry attended Medical School at Thomas Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with Specialty Certifications from the American Board of Internal Medicine, the American Board of Internal Medicine – Cardiovascular Disease and the American Board of Internal Medicine – Interventional Cardiology.

Doug McKeag MD

As the One America Professor Emeritus of Sports Preventive Medicine and a former chair for the Department of Family Medicine at the IU School of Medicine, McKeag has turned what once was a health-care afterthought – sports medicine – into a major wing of the industry’s growing focus on health and wellness. The lessons McKeag and his fellow physicians and researchers in the field learn are changing attitudes – and lives – for millions of people worldwide, from professional athletes to “weekend warriors” to those who walk or run for a healthier life. The Michigan State graduate comes by his passions naturally.

Michael McGee AT, Head Clinical Trainer Indiba USA

With over 33 years in practice, Michael has worked with thousands of patients, professional, collegiate, amateur athletes, and celebrities. He specializes in orthopedics and sports rehabilitation. In 1987 he began his career in Pittsburgh at St. Margaret Memorial Hospital where he was a member of the Sports Medicine team providing services to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and numerous High School athletic programs. He then went on to manage 2 outpatient clinics before opening Fairway Physical Therapy in Syracuse, NY, in 1997 growing the practice to 3 very successful clinics. After selling his practices, he is now the Head Clinical Trainer for INDIBA USA and still sees patients upon request privately.

Noelani Tsunami Mulligan

Noelle Mulligan, aka Noelani Tsunami, grew up in the mountains of Salt Lake City, Utah with a life focused around nature, art, and action sports like snowboarding and rock climbing. Previous to her current now decade long career as a professional stunt woman and actress, she held the positions of preschool teacher and ER EMT-A at the University of Utah. She has lived in LA, Copenhagen, Maui, Tulum and currently resides in NYC. With 70+ IMDb credits to her name, doubling such names as Liv Tyler and Anne Hathaway, starring in a Red Hot Chili Peppers Video, guest starring on prime time crime shows and playing many super villains while dying for a living, she centers her life around community, family, nature, storytelling, building her clothing company le frique, playing music and forever in search of the next adventure!

John Orwin MD

Dr. John Orwin is an orthopedic surgeon in Madison, WI and is affiliated with multiple hospitals in the Madison Wisconsin area, including University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics. He received his medical degree from University of Michigan Medical School and has been in practice 33 years. He specializes in orthopedic sports medicine and is experienced in sports medicine, shoulder and elbow surgery, shoulder and elbow sports medicine, foot and ankle sports medicine, and hip and knee sports medicine.

Jeannine Noble | PT, MS, RMSK | Musculoskeletal Expert | WCUI Global 

Jeannine Noble is a licensed physical therapist and a registered diagnostic musculoskeletal sonographer. She graduated with a BS in psychology from Arizona State University many years ago (pre-internet), then returned to school and earned a Master’s Degree in Physical Therapy from the Arizona School of Health Sciences in 1999. During the last quarter of PT school, Jeannine was introduced to Musculoskeletal Ultrasound and realized that it was the perfect combination with a physical therapy background. MSKUS was new to the United States at that time, but Jeannine was fortunate to work with forward thinking physicians who realized the many benefits of MSK ultrasound and encouraged her to pursue this field. Since 2005, she has been an independent contractor and worked with many practices in Arizona and throughout the United States.

Jeannine has done education and training for private practices, hospitals and universities across the US. Currently, Jeannine is the MSK Lead in the CME department at WCUI Global. She is also adjunct faculty at Midwestern University in Glendale, AZ. Her presentation will focus on how physical therapists can incorporate musculoskeletal ultrasound into their practice serves to enhance their diagnostic and treatment skills, allowing for exceptional patient care.

Ellen Payne MS AT

Dr. Ellen K. Payne is an associate professor at Moravian University, where she teaches in the Doctor of Athletic Training Program, the Master of Science in Athletic Training Program, undergraduate Rehabilitation Sciences. Dr. Payne is the program director and an instructor for Moravian’s EMT program. Her previous experience includes teaching Athletic Training at Radford University and teaching and serving as the Clinical Education Coordinator at Marywood University.

Prior to becoming an educator, Dr. Payne taught high school and practiced as an athletic trainer in the San Francisco Bay Area. Clinically, she has worked with all levels of athletes from youth sports to professional soccer. Dr. Payne continues to work clinically as a per diem athletic trainer for St. Luke’s Sports Medicine and in the winter of 2019, she traveled to Spain with the US Paralympic Alpine Ski Team to serve as their athletic trainer during World Cup racing. Dr. Payne is also an EMT with Bethlehem Township EMS and Northern Wayne Volunteer Fire Company and a professional ski patroller in the winter. Her research interests include pre-hospital emergency care, athletic training education, and simulation-based education. She completed the Teaching with Simulation Instructor Course from Penn State College of Medicine in 2021. She has authored more than 50 articles and presentations. Currently, she serves as an assistant editor for the Athletic Training Education Journal and is the Eastern Athletic Trainers’ Association secretary.

Ryan Pittsinger PhD

Dr. Ryan Pittsinger is a Licensed Psychologist and is currently the Assistant Athletic Director and Director of Counseling and Sport Psychology Services for Texas A&M University. In his role, Dr. Pittsinger oversees the provision of all mental health and sport psychology services for student-athletes, coaches, and Athletics Department Staff.
Dr. Pittsinger completed his Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Utah and Master’s degree in Sport Psychology from California State University, Long Beach. He earned a PhD in Counseling Psychology from the University of Iowa. Dr. Pittsinger and his wife, Dr. Christina Ingram, are proud parents of three-year-old twins, Holland and Lee.

Nicholas Port PhD

Dr. Port’s research training began at New York University as an undergraduate in the laboratory of Dr. Tony Movshon, where he completed an honors thesis in 1991 on visual motion processing.  In 1992, Dr. Port was awarded a McDonald-Pew Pre-doctoral Fellowship from Oxford University. At Oxford, he studied the neurophysiology of blindsight with Drs. Colin Blakemore and Alan Cowey, and the neuroscience of albinism with Drs. Andrew Parker and Ian Thompson.  He received his doctoral training at the University of Minnesota, working primarily under Dr. Apostolos Georgopoulos, with whom he focused on the visual control of arm movements. After receiving his PhD in 1997, he undertook post-doctoral training with Dr. Bob Wurtz at the National Institutes of Health, studying neurophysiology and the ocular-motor system. Since 2005, Dr. Port has been a professor at Indiana University in the IU School of Optometry, including joint appointments with the Program in Neuroscience, the Cognitive Science Program, and the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences.

Since 2008, Dr. Port has managed the vision care of all IU student athletes, a Division I school with 725 athletes.  He began his concussion research in 2008 and has received research grants from the NIH, DoD, NCAA, and the State of Indiana Brain Injury Research Fund.  He is currently the IU Bloomington site-PI for the 64 million dollar, 30-site, NCAA-DoD CARE concussion study.  On the sidelines of many games (including all IU football games), he helps lead the IU concussion management team.  Dr. Port’s research studies regularly involve the entire IU athletics department and several local high schools with full support from the Athletic Director and head coaches of each sport.  He is also a member of the international Concussion in Sport Group, which sets worldwide concussion diagnostic and management standards.  Dr. Port’s current on-going research includes 1) diffusion and quantitative T1 structural imaging of acute concussions, 2) pupillary light response, retinal OCT imaging, photophobia research of acute concussions, 3) placebo controlled sports vision training of Div. 1 baseball batters, 4) multi-center multi-database diffusion imaging studies of concussion, and 5) leading the VOMS analysis of the NCAA/DOD CARE dataset.

Kyla Pyndiura PhD

Kyla is a fourth year PhD Candidate in Exercise Science at the University of Toronto. She is also the Lab Manager of the Centre for Sport-Related Concussion Research, Innovation, and Knowledge where she has studied and researched various populations following concussion. In 2020, Kyla completed her Master of Science degree. Kyla’s current research focus is on the physiological effects, management/rehabilitation, and prognosis of sport-related concussions.

Steven Reidy

 Matthew Shimshock PhD

Matt Shimshock is the Business Manager for Riddell’s Smart Helmet Technologies team. During his time with Riddell, he’s gotten hundreds of football programs at the college, high school and youth level to embrace head impact monitoring and understand how they can use it to get better as coaches.
Matt’s connection to football began at a very young age, creating a passion for coaching and the game. That passion has led Matt to be very successful in his current role. Since joining Riddell, Matt has driven wide-spread adoption of Riddell’s InSite technology while promoting Smarter Football amongst the greater football community via improving protection and smart helmet technology. His work is vital in continuing to evolve and improve the game for young athletes across the U.S.
He has given numerous presentations on the impact of analytics in football and featured in dozens of articles noting the effectiveness of impact sensing technology.
Matt is a graduate of Colgate University with a Bachelor of Arts in History. He was also a three-year letter winner on the school’s football team.

Matthew Shamrock MD

Dr. Shamrock attended the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine as an undergraduate sophomore into the prestigious Medical Scholars Program, allowing him to obtain both a B.S. and M.D. degree in 7-years’ time. While in medical school, Alan spent time with numerous faculty mentors including Drs. Frank Eismont, Tabs Aiyer, and Seth Dodds, inspiring him to pursue a career in orthopedic surgery.

During his time in Iowa, Alan pursued a litany of research interests, including infection prevention following ACL reconstruction, the dangers of postoperative narcotic pain medication, and the role of antioxidants in the reduction of articular cartilage injury during arthroscopy. He has authored 58 peer-reviewed publications, given more than 100 research presentations, and was awarded more than $20,000 in grant funding.

Following completion of his residency, Alan will pursue a Sports Medicine fellowship at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City, with the ultimate goal of an academic Sports Medicine practice focusing on athletic injuries of the knee, shoulder, and ankle.

Mathew Smith MD

Dr. Smith is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon, and serves as an Associate Professor of Orthopedic Surgery, Sports Medicine, at Washington University School of Medicine. He is the medical director for Washington University athletics.  He has also served as a team physician for the NHL St. Louis Blues hockey club since 2009. He is an assistant team physician for the MLS St. Louis City soccer club. He earned his medical degree from Medical College of Virginia at Virginia Commonwealth University and completed a residency in orthopedic surgery at University Hospitals of Cleveland- Case Western Reserve University. He completed fellowship training in sports medicine and shoulder surgery at the University of Michigan. He was one of three sports medicine surgeons in the United States selected by the American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine to serve as an traveling fellow to Japan and China in 2013.  He specializes in treatment of sports injuries of the knee, shoulder and elbow with a special interest in throwing athletes.

Siobhán M. Statuta MD

Dr. Statuta is a primary care sports medicine physician at the University of Virginia and has served as Team Physicians since 2011. Her current practice is split between providing primary care to the UVA D1 collegiate athletes as well as community athletes at UVA’s The Runner’s Clinic. She serves as the director of the Primary Care Sports Medicine Fellowship, is a member of the Board of Directors of the AMSSM (American Medical Society for Sports Medicine), and serves as one of the team physicians for US Women’s Soccer National League (U-20’s, U-23’s). Her professional interests include the care of the female athlete, runners, collegiate athletes, and mental health considerations in sports.

Dr Statuta, attended the George Washington University School of Medicine, with residency at University of Virginia School of Medicine (Family Medicine.) She did her Fellowship at the University of Virginia School of Medicine (Sports Medicine); University of Virginia School of Medicine (Faculty Development.) Her certifications are she is Licensed by the Virginia Board of Medicine, Board-certified by the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and the Board-certified in Sports Medicine. Her Clinical Practice is in the area of Family Medicine in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.

Daniel Sundahl

Daniel Sundahl (DanSun) is a published artist and writer with four (4) art books produced of his works. He is an advanced care paramedic, retired firefighter and counselling therapist student graduating in 2024. Articles of his work are featured in several international publications. His art is recognized worldwide, and he travels internationally, speaking about his art and personal experiences with post-traumatic growth. He is also the founder of the Recovery and Resiliency Foundation, an organization that assists in the needs of emergency workers and their families based in Western Canada.

Timothy Thompson PA-C MBA

Pathfinders Health Care Advisors is a group of Physician Assistants/Physician Associates formed in 2022 by Timothy Thompson, PA-C, MBA. We have decades of experience and professional training in a variety of areas within the medical field, leadership/management and business. Over that time, we have  developed best practices for healthcare providers to amplify the impact they have on patient care independent of professional certifications, titles or roll.

Edwin M. Tingstad, M.D.

Dr. Tingstad has served as Team Orthopaedic Physician for Washington State University for twenty three years.  He currently also serves as Chief Medical Officer at Pullman Regional Hospital. He has been practicing at Inland Orthopaedic Surgery & Sports Medicine Clinic since 2000. He serves as principal reviewer for the American Journal of Sports Medicine and the Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine. He has a clinical fellowship in Sports Medicine from the University of Washington, and performed his residency in Orthopaedic Surgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Dr. Tingstad’s special research interests include biologic 3-D printing, ACL reconstruction techniques, MARS ACL study group and MRI findings in the shoulders of elite athletes.

Jonathan Tueting MD

Jonathan Tueting, MD is an Associate Clinical Professor with Rush Copley Medical Center in Chicago, IL.  He also co-directs the Hand and Upper Extremity Center at RCMC.  Prior to being recruited to Chicago, he spent ten years as an Associate Professor and Chief of Hand and Upper Extremity Surgery for the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at the University of Wisconsin in Madison.  He also served as the Vice Chair for Clinical Operations, Quality, and Peer Review and was responsible for developing and directing the quality and peer review initiatives for the faculty, mid-level providers, and residents in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery.

His clinical interests include the management of shoulder arthritis and well as complex reconstruction of hand, wrist and elbow trauma and degenerative conditions.  He also continues to assist the University of Wisconsin Athletic Department as an Associate Team Physician and manages hand, wrist and elbow injuries in Badger athletes and continues to care for these elite and professional athletes in Chicago at RCMC.  Outside of work, he enjoys cycling, cross-country skiing, kite-boarding, guitar, and cooking.  He is married and has three children.

Matthew Turner DPT, OCS

Matt Turner is an Assistant Professor at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center (OUHSC) in Oklahoma City where his scholarship and teaching emphases are in sports medicine and orthopedic physical therapy. After completing his orthopedic physical therapy residency at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center he worked at Ben Hogan Sports Medicine in Fort worth, Texas. During his time at Ben Hogan he treated elite level athletes and established the Ben Hogan Sports Medicine orthopedic physical therapy residency program.

Currently Matt is a PhD candidate at Texas Woman’s University where his dissertation study emphasis is on return to sport testing. Matt is also in the process of developing the first orthopedic physical therapy residency at OUHSC.

Arie J. van Duijn, PT, MScPT, EdD

Arie J. van Duijn is a Professor of Physical Therapy at the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at Florida Gulf Coast University. He has a BS in PT from the Academie voor Fysiotherapie in Leiden, The Netherlands, a MScPT from the University of St. Augustine, and an EdD from the University of Central Florida.

His current area of scholarship and teaching includes orthopedic physical therapy with a special interest in manual therapy of the spine and the extremities, musculoskeletal ultrasound imaging, and motion analysis. He authored the textbook Manual Therapy for the Extremities and presents and publishes regularly in his areas of scholarship.

 Jacqueline vanDujin

Dr. Jacqueline van Duijn, PT, DPT is the Director of Clinical Education of the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at Florida Gulf Coast University. She received her bachelor’s degree in physical therapy in 1988 from the Academie voor Fysiotherapie in Leiden, The Netherlands, and her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree in 2005 from the University of St. Augustine.

Dr. van Duijn has been a Credentialed CI Program (CCIP) Level 1 trainer since 2008. She received certification in manual therapy by the University of St. Augustine in 1992. Her research interests include scholarship of teaching and learning in physical therapy education, with emphasis on clinical education program assessment.

With the increased accessibility to diagnostic ultrasound imaging for clinicians, FGCU has initiated educating students in the use of ultrasound imaging, and Dr. van Duijn developed a special interest in RUSI research. In collaboration with other FGCU faculty she successfully disseminated multiple research projects as evidenced by multiple publications and presentations in the last 5 years.

Brian Walczak MD

Dr. Walczak is an orthopedic surgeon and clinician-scientist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison where he specializes in sports medicine and musculoskeletal disease. He is fellowship trained in sports medicine and musculoskeletal oncology and limb preservation. He serves as the team physician for Badger Men’s Hockey. His clinical research interests include functional outcomes following arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement and anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. He is also a member of the Musculoskeletal Biology and Regenerative Medicine laboratory where he is working on optimizing stem cells for orthopedic regenerative applications.

Mary Vander Heiden

Mary Vander Heiden serves as UCF’s Associate Athletics Director and Head Football Athletic Trainer. Prior to her current post, she proudly served the department as Head Football Athletic Trainer since 2007. She has been a full-time part of the sports medicine staff since 2001. Vander Heiden completed her Master’s of Arts degree in exercise physiology in 2001 from UCF while serving as a graduate assistant athletic trainer for the football team. A 1998 graduate of Wisconsin Eau-Claire, Vander Heiden earned a B.S. degree in kinesiology, with a minor in exercise management and a concentration in sports medicine.

Vander Heiden served as the American Athletic Conference representative for the Intercolliate Council for Sports Medicine the last 2 years.  She also was the president for the American Athletic Conference Medical Advisory Group from 2020-2022, prior to that she was a board member serving 4 years as the secretary and president elect, respectively.  Vander Heiden was the associate head athletic trainer for the annual Gridiron Classic from 1999-04. She was an instructor in the NATABOC Accredited Athletic Training Program at UCF from 2001-04, teaching Intro to Pharmacology and Field Applications and assisting with Biomechanics and Modalities as a lab instructor. Vander Heiden remains a clinical instructor.

Anthony Zacharias MD

Dr. Zacharias is a current orthopaedic sports medicine fellow at the University of Wisconsin. He recently completed his orthopaedic residency at the University of Kentucky, and as a Green Bay native, he was excited to return to his home state for fellowship. He has published multiple studies focusing on ACL reconstruction, shoulder instability, hip preservation, and pitching injuries. He currently assists in the care of Wisconsin Badger Athletes during his fellowship year.