Ms. Albohm was one of the first women certified athletic trainers in the nation. She began her career as the first full time female athletic trainer at Indiana University. Marje is a proud 52 year member of the NATA. She has held various positions of leadership in the NATA throughout her career including President of the NATA Research and Education Foundation and the 11th President of the NATA from 2008-2012. She has received numerous NATA and related awards and was a 1999 inductee into the NATA Hall of Fame.

As an athletic trainer, Ms. Albohm served in key positions on medical staffs for multiple national and international sporting events, including track and field and swimming Olympic Trials, the Pan American Games, Lake Placid Winter Olympic Games and the Atlanta Olympic Games. She currently serves on the Gender Equity sub-group of the NATA Compensation Task Force and is a Commissioner on the CAATE. She received her BS from Valparaiso University and her MS from Indiana State University. She resides in Charleston SC.

Dr. Rebecca M. Lopez is a Professor in the Athletic Training Program at the University of South Florida’s Morsani College of Medicine and a Fellow of NATA. Dr. Lopez is currently serving as an Assistant School Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the School of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Sciences at USF. She also serves as Co-Chair of NATA’s DEIA Task Force. Through her leadership as a Co-Chair of this task force, she has been working to ensure the profession of athletic training continues to grow as health care providers by embracing diversity, cultivating an inclusive and welcoming environment, and reducing the health and health care disparities of underrepresented groups. 

Research interests include exertional heat stroke and other exertional heat illnesses, cooling methods for hyperthermic athletes, ergogenic aids and thermoregulation, hydration and exercise performance, exercise heat tolerance issues with American football uniforms, sickle cell trait & the athlete, preventing sudden death in sport, return to activity following heat stroke, youth sports injury, and diversity, equity & inclusion in athletic training.

Tiffany currently works in the industrial setting as the Lead Athletic Trainer for Pivot Onsite Innovations in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. She has been in the industrial setting for five years, with previous experience in physician practice, concussion management and research, the secondary and the collegiate settings. She currently serves as the District 6 Secretary, and is a proud COPA Alumni.

Doctor of Chiropractic and Certified Athletic Trainer for over 30years. Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist since 1989. Completion of Primary Spine Practitioner (PSP) program, through the University of Pittsburgh School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences. Interest in evidence-based practice, and the role of active care in health and wellness. Enjoys the role education plays in enhancing practitioner effectiveness, and lectures frequently to health care professionals of all disciplines. Proud father of a daughter who is a physician assistant in orthopedics, and a son who is an Army officer. Married 32 years to a wonderful wife and educator.

Florence Wasko has been a certified athletic trainer for the American Samoa Department of Education for over 10 years. Florence oversees all ASDOE sports that cover 9  schools and their student-athletes, created standards of care and concussion protocols for Athletic Division, and is responsible for injury care, prevention, diagnosis, and rehabilitation of all sports injuries sustained by ASDOE student-athletes.

Mark D'Anza, MEd, LAT, ATC, serves a variety of roles in his home state of Nevada. He works for the Clark County School District as an AED Project Facilitator, teaches as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, works as an athletic trainer for Dignity Health Physical Therapy and is the lead AT Spotter in Las Vegas for the National Football League. Mark serves on the Sports Medicine Advisory Committee in Nevada. As a member of the Far West Athletic Trainers’ Association, Mark is the Secondary School Athletic Trainers’ Committee Chair and a member of the Scholarships Committee and the Ethnic Diversity Advisory Committee.

David S. Cohen, MS, ATC, Esq. is the General Counsel of Tempus Ex Machina, Inc., a sports technology startup, a partner with the law firm of Daniel, Ebeling, Maccia, and Cohen, and Founder/CEO Major League Business LLC. With Tempus Ex, he provides strategic business, administrative, and legal advice and service to a quickly scaling sports technology startup. Cohen built and served as Head of Player Operations of the Alliance of American Football and for five years as the General Counsel of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Tampa, Florida. He is a licensed California attorney and a National Athletic Trainers Association Certified Athletic Trainer. Before joining the Buccaneers, David spent nine years overseeing the legal department for Angels Baseball LP and AM830 KLAA and nine years working as an Athletic Trainer in the Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, and Montreal Expos organizations. His peers in the Association Corporate Counsel (ACC) selected him as a 2013 “Top 10 Thirty-Something,” and the Professional Baseball Athletic Trainers Society honored him as the "2001 Minor League Baseball Athletic Trainer of the Year". He was a 2014, 2016, and 2017 Tampa Bay Business Journal Top Corporate Counsel Awards finalist. David is a 2015 inductee of the West Virginia University College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences Hall of Fame. While working in-house for the Angels and Buccaneers, David was responsible for drafting and negotiating legal and business terms of contracts with sponsors, vendors, employees, season seat holders, and suite licensees. He oversaw all organizational litigation and has significant experience managing complex and class action lawsuits. David also oversaw human resources, security, insurance, compliance, and privacy functions for the Buccaneers. David earned a B.S in Exercise Physiology/Athletic Training and an M.S, in Community Health Promotion from West Virginia University School of Medicine in Morgantown, West Virginia. He also holds a Juris Doctor from California Western School of Law in San Diego, California. David also completed Major League Baseball Scouting Bureau’s Scout Development Program. David is a leader in the ACC and is currently Chair of ACC’s Network Leadership Counsel. In the past, David served as President of ACC’s Tampa Bay Chapter, Chair of the ACC Sports & Entertainment Committee, Vice-Chair and Secretary of ACC’s Network Leadership Counsel, as well as ACC-SoCal Chapter Vice-President, Board of Directors Member and Chair of its In-House Counsel Conference Committee. He was also a leader in the Tort, Trial, and Insurance Practice Section of the American Bar Association (TIPS). He served two years as the Student Liaison to the TIPS Council and was a leader of several task forces, general committees, and standing committees.

Kacie Kergides is an associate in Montgomery McCracken’s Institutional Response Practice Group as well as its Catastrophic Sports Injury Defense Practice Group. Kacie concentrates her practice on Title IX investigations and advising, institutional response to sex and/or gender-based harassment and misconduct and the adjudication of student, employee and management disputes, and sports injury cases including traumatic brain injury (TBI) litigation. In addition to handling investigations and litigation in both practice areas, Kacie counsels athletes, schools, and sports organizations on sports-related injuries such as concussion and TBI, provides guidance on the management of sport-related injuries and Title IX complaints, and advises these institutions on minimizing and managing risk.

Tammi Gaw is the Founder and Executive Director of Advantage Rule, a consulting group focused on athlete health and safety, with an emphasis on amateur athletes' rights. As one of only a handful of professionals licensed as both an attorney and an athletic trainer, Tammi's career has included in-house counsel positions, non-profit management and board participation, and C-suite level work with integrated planning for large and medium scale sporting events. Tammi is an international speaker on issues around sports business, law, medicine, and social justice, and is based in Washington, DC.

Jordan is an athletic trainer with NorthShore University Health System, working under Dr. Carrie Jaworski. Previously, Jordan served as a staff athletic trainer at New Trier Township High School in Northfield, IL. Jordan received his master’s in athletic training from Illinois State University in May 2013. During that time he served as a graduate assistant for ISU’s football team. Prior to that Jordan received his bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology from Northern Illinois University where he served as the president of the student athletic training club. In between schools Jordan interned at Northwestern University with their football team in the spring of 2011. Jordan currently resides in Evanston, IL. He also serves in capacity with the IATA Secondary Schools Committee, and has worked with the IATA and GLATA Young Professionals Committees. Outside of the IATA, Jordan serves as the Secretary for the Sidelined USA Board of Directors, an organization dedicated to serving the community of permanently sidelined athletes.

Christine Pinalto is the co-founder and Executive Director of Sidelined USA. The organization was founded by Christine and her son, Cade Pinalto, a teen athlete sidelined by a heart condition. They identified a lack of resources available for sidelined athletes and their parents and together, they started Sidelined USA to support these athletes in making the mental shift toward acceptance and to inspire them to re-engage with the sports world through alternate avenues.

Because athletes who have been medically disqualified are at high risk for further mental health implications, providing ATs with special resources to support a healthy psychological recovery is extremely valuable. Sidelined USA serves as a knowledge base for ATs and a place to refer their MDQ athletes for specialized support.

Through Sidelined USA’s program, permanently sidelined athletes and their families are offered free coping resources, social support, and mentorship opportunities.

J.C. Andersen is an Associate Professor of Health Sciences and Human Performance and is the director of the CAATE-accredited Athletic Training Program at The University of Tampa. In addition, he provides clinical care to UT athletes one half day per week. He has 37 years of clinical and teaching experience in athletic training and sports and orthopedic physical therapy at several universities. While at Upper Iowa University, Andersen served as the head athletic trainer and instructor of athletic training while providing care for athletes across all 16 NCAA Division III teams. Following this experience, Andersen spent time in teaching and clinical practice at Ohio University working primarily with the NCAA Division I wrestling team and assisting with multiple other sports including ice hockey. Andersen then joined the faculty at Georgia Southern University as an assistant professor of athletic training and also worked clinically in the AT Clinic with multiple Division I team and individual sport athletes. Following this experience, Andersen became an assistant professor of physical therapy and athletic training at Armstrong Atlantic State University with teaching responsibilities in both areas. In addition, Andersen worked as a consulting athletic trainer and physical therapist with the university’s NCAA Division II athletes.

Andersen has spoken regionally and nationally on evidence-based diagnosis, legal issues in clinical education, professional behavior in athletic training, emergency preparedness, running injuries, HIV/AIDS and athletes and motor imagery applications in athletic training practice. He has published articles in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, the Journal of Athletic Training, International Journal of Athletic Training and Therapy, and the Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy, among others. In addition, he is a peer reviewer for the Journal of Athletic Training, International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy, Journal of Women’s and Pelvic Health Physical Therapy and the Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy.

Andersen has been an active member of the NATA since 1983 and the Southeast Athletic Trainer’s Association (SEATA) since 1992. His professional involvement in SEATA began in 1993 and since that time served on the Research and Education Committee and was the committee co-chair from 1997 to 2004. Andersen also served as the Georgia Athletic Trainers’ Association secretary-treasurer and then treasurer from 1996 to 2003. He is a peer reviewer for the Commission on Accreditation for Athletic Training Education. He is also a member of the Athletic Trainers Association of Florida, the American Physical Therapy Association and the Florida Physical Therapy Association.

Education and Certifications:
Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training from Mankato State University
Master of Science in Physical Therapy from Texas Woman’s University
Doctor of Philosophy in Biomedical Sciences and Measurement and Statistics from Ohio University 
BOC Certified Athletic Trainer and a Florida licensed athletic trainer
Board Certified Clinical Specialist in Sports Physical Therapy
Florida licensed physical therapist
American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) credentialed clinical instructor 

Dr. Lindsey Lepley is an associate professor of Athletic Training, director of the Comparative Orthopaedic Rehabilitation Laboratory (CORL), and co-director of the Orthopedic Rehabilitation & Biomechanics Laboratory (ORB) at the University of Michigan School of Kinesiology. In 2014, she earned a PhD in Kinesiology from the University of Michigan and subsequently completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Kentucky’s Center for Muscle Biology. Dr. Lepley took her first faculty position at the University of Connecticut and has been at the University of Michigan since 2019.

Dr. Lepley’s research program focuses on elucidating the mechanisms that regulate skeletal muscle strength, activation, and structure after traumatic joint injury to establish interventions that optimize muscle recovery. To advance clinical practice, her research group utilizes non-invasive animal injury models and human subject research to design, test, and translate new sports medicine strategies from conception to practice. This rare blend of scientific approaches empowers her lab to make fundamental discoveries about musculoskeletal health that can change rehabilitation.

This work has received several research awards and been selected for featured presentations at national and international scientific meetings. In 2018, Dr. Lepley was awarded a K01 Mentored Research Scientist Career Development Award from the National Institutes of Health. In 2022, Dr. Lepley translated key findings from her K01 award to R01 funding. Other notable accomplishments include the 2022 Dr. Freddie & Mrs. Hilda Pang New Investigator Award by the National Athletic Trainers’ Association and the 2015 New Investigator Award by New England American College of Sports Medicine. 

Dr. Lepley has authored more than 50 research articles in peer-reviewed journals including the American Journal of Sports Medicine, Exercise and Sport Sciences Review, Frontiers in Physiology, Journal of Applied Physiology, Journal of Orthopaedic Research, and Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy.

Katie Sniffen, PhD, ATC is an Assistant Professor and Director of the Master of Athletic Training (MAT) Program at Saint Louis University (SLU) and has been a part of the SLU MAT Program since 2017. Dr. Sniffen has an additional six years of clinical experience providing quality, affordable, and accessible health care to collegiate student-athletes at the University of Oregon and Pepperdine University. She obtained a BS in Athletic Training from California State University, Long Beach; a MS from the University of Oregon’s Post-Professional Athletic Training Program; and a PhD in Public Health Studies: Health Outcomes Research from Saint Louis University. 

Dr. Sniffen is an active volunteer and leader on state, district, and national committees for both the National Athletic Trainers’ Association and the American Public Health Association. Dr. Sniffen’s research interests reside in demonstrating the value of athletic training services on the health of populations through the application of health outcomes research, as well as in injury prevention and risk mitigation.

Robert G. Watkins, IV, MD, is a board-certified orthopedic spine surgeon. He specializes in minimally invasive spine surgery, artificial disc replacement, and computer-guided spine surgery. He is the Director of the Marina Spine Center, past Chief of Staff of Cedars-Sinai Marina del Rey Hospital, and current spine surgeon for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Rams, Lakers, Clippers, and Kings. He regularly advises the Los Angeles Chargers, Angels, Ducks, Galaxy, and LAFC. He also provides consultation for many professional teams: 15 NFL, 5 MLB, 4 NBA, and 4 NHL. He and his father created of the Back Doctor App, which is a comprehensive back and neck rehabilitation program. Drs. Watkins have given away this program to help hundreds of thousands of people suffering with back and neck pain. He is the author of the two largest publications on surgery in professional athletes for cervical and lumbar spine, as well as, many chapters on spinal injuries in athletes. He is regularly invited to be faculty for medical courses and a guest lecturer on spinal injuries in athletes. Dr Watkins, IV, has been named Top Doctor for the past ten years and to Who’s Who in America list.

John is Associate Teaching Professor of Kinesiology at Penn State University. For the past 21 years he has split his time between teaching in the Undergraduate Athletic Training Education Program, working as a physical therapist at Penn State Sports Medicine Physical Therapy and a rehabilitation specialist with Penn State Intercollegiate Athletics. His clinical interests include manual therapy and the treatment of spinal dysfunction. John earned his BS degree in Health and Physical Education with an emphasis in Athletic Training and his PhD in Kinesiology from Penn State University. He earned an MA degree in Physical Therapy from Stanford University. His professional experiences include working as an assistant athletic trainer with the San Francisco Forty Niners and selection as the athletic trainer for the US Freestyle Ski Team at the 1992 Olympic Winter Games in Albertville, France. He also owned an outpatient orthopedic physical therapy clinic in Seattle, Washington for 10 years before returning to Penn State to pursue his PhD. John has been a member of the NATA’s Continuing Education and Convention Planning Committees and received the NATA Continuing Education Excellence Award in 2012. The Professional Football Athletic Trainers’ Society presented him with its Distinguished Alumni Award in 2013. Recently, he was a member of the Board of Certification Practice Analysis 8 Task Force. He has also worked on developing a manual therapy certificate for the NATA.

Series Content Where I am Featured:
Sports Science Module 3 - Performance Strategies: Communicating/Explaining the Science to Coaches, Players and Administration

As the Concussion Clinic Coordinator at Mt. Olive Family Medicine Center, I oversee the delivery of comprehensive concussion services to the eastern North Carolina community. With over 20 years of experience as a Certified Athletic Trainer and an ImPACT Trained Athletic Trainer, I am passionate about providing evidence-based assessment, management, and education for concussion patients and their families.

In addition to my clinical role, I am also an Adjunct Professor at The University of Georgia, where I teach a graduate course in Healthcare Management for Athletic Training students. I hold a PhD in Kinesiology and Exercise Science from the University of Mississippi, and am working toward a Certificate in Biomedical Neuroscience from the University of Florida. I am also the owner and clinician of NeuroActive, LLC, a concussion assessment and education company. I have received multiple honors and awards for my research and service in the field of concussion and athletic training, and I am committed to advancing the knowledge and practice of concussion care in rural settings.

Dr. Allison Bickett received her PhD in Clinical Health Psychology at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and a Master’s Degree in Applied Cognition and Neuroscience from the University of Texas at Dallas. She presently serves as the Director of Behavioral Medicine Education in the Department of Family Medicine. She is responsible for Behavioral Health Integration programs at the three Family Medicine residency sites; supporting patient care in the inpatient and outpatient setting, as well as Diabetes and HIV clinics. Allison assists in developing and teaching the Longitudinal Behavioral Medicine curriculum; supporting and evaluating residents in the advancement of their mental health knowledge and clinical interviewing skills. Core facets of the Behavioral Medicine curriculum include motivational interviewing, active listening and the outpatient management of mental health issues commonly seen in primary care. Allison’s research interests include the relationship between mental health and chronic illness, behavioral health integration and mental health screening in the community.

Allison serves on several committees and taskforces to address physician well-being, and one of her passions in this area is the intersection of medicine and the humanities. She co-facilitates the Art of Medicine program, which is a unique collaboration between Atrium Health and the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, which allows physicians and APPs to explore important works of art and process the challenging emotions that arise from the practice of medicine.

Matthew is the associate clinical manager in the Sports Medicine Center at Children's Hospital Colorado in Denver. He has been employed with the hospital for nearly 12 years, and has been fully imbedded within the physician's practice setting for the past 7 years. He received his bachelors degree from Central College, in Pella Ia., in 2005, and his Masters Degree in Exercise Physiology from the University of Northern Colorado in 2008. Matthew enjoys working along side the sports medicine operative and non-operative providers. He has been involved in community outreach programs with local high-schools and club sports, and was formally the head athletic trainer at a local high-school in the Denver area. Matthew has given numerous educational talks on a wide array of sports medicine and orthopedic topics at the local, regional, and national level. His specific interests are progressing the role of the clinical athletic trainer, evaluation and management of overhead athletes, injury risk reduction, evidence based outcomes, patient satisfaction scores, concussion management, and mentoring. In his free time, Matthew enjoys being a dad to his two boys, and spending time with his wife Lindsay.

Val completed both her Master of Science degree in nutrition and her dietetic internship at the University of Minnesota and is Board Certified as a Specialist in Sports Dietetics (CSSD), a designation held by less than 1% of registered dietitians. She also earned the credential of The Menopause Society Certified Practitioner (MSCP) by demonstrating her expertise in the menopause field. She is a Fellow of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (FAND) and received the Excellence in Women’s Health Award from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Women’s Health Dietetic Practice Group.

Series Content Where I am Featured:
When Healthy Goes Too Far: The Relationship of Energy Availability and Injury in Dancers

Dr. Blackmon teaches in the DPT program at Mercer University in Atlanta, GA, primarily in the musculoskeletal course series and related intervention courses. Her current research areas of interest include hypermobility, trigger points and dry needling, and injury surveillance and prevention in dancers and performing artists.  She speaks on these topics at local, state, national, and international meetings.

Dr. Blackmon is an active member of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), the Physical Therapy Association of Georgia (PTAG), and the APTA’s Academy of Orthopaedic Physical Therapy.  She holds leadership positions in the  Performing Arts Special Interest Group.  In 2015, PTAG awarded her the Merit Award for Exceptional Service and Achievement.

She is also a member of the International Association for Dance Medicine and Science, the American Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy, the International Myofascial Pain Society, and the Performing Arts Medical Association.  She serves on the Executive Board for Dance/USA’S Taskforce on Dancer Health, addressing injury prevention and surveillance for professional dancers. Dr. Blackmon is the past President of the Eating Disorders Information Network and now serves on the Medical Advisory Board for the organization.

Dr. Blackmon is a board-certified specialist in orthopaedic physical therapy with 18 years of clinical experience treating patients with musculoskeletal conditions. She specializes in treating performing artists and dancers, and is the head physical therapist for Atlanta Ballet.

Mandy runs a private practice in Atlanta, GA and is a founding partner in Atlanta Dance Medicine.

Series Content Where I am Featured:
When Healthy Goes Too Far: The Relationship of Energy Availability and Injury in Dancers

BJ Anderson is dedicated to promoting healthy lifestyles with a variety of activities. He currently serves as Sports Medicine Director at Augsburg University and is a past Team Physician for the Gopher wrestling and football teams. He also serves on the Sports Medicine Advisory Committee for the MSHSL and is a medical advisor for MN/USA wrestling.

BJ enjoys spending time with his family, rock climbing, skiing, theater, and his three dogs. He has performed multiple clinical studies on antiviral medication in controlling and preventing outbreaks of Herpes Gladiatorum in wrestlers. BJ has also written numerous papers on using valacyclovir for Herpes Gladiatorum, which presently serves as the landmark guideline for treating this infectious agent in high school, collegiate, and Olympic athletes.

Tiffany currently works in the industrial setting as the Lead Athletic Trainer for Pivot Onsite Innovations in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. She has been in the industrial setting for five years, with previous experience in physician practice, concussion management and research, the secondary and the collegiate settings. She currently serves as the District 6 Secretary, and is a proud COPA Alumni.

Zachary is an industrial Athletic Trainer for Pivot Onsite Innovations, contracted at Frito-Lay in Frankfort, IN. I have been an AT for almost 2 years, with experience primarily in non-traditional settings. I graduated from Franklin College, during which I was fortunate enough to be an Intern for Rehabworks @ Kennedy Space Center. I enjoy studying and educating on Injury Prevention because I believe it can have the greatest impact on our day-to day life, even if never recognized by ourselves or others. It is a thankless field of study, but crucial to living safe and healthy lives. I enjoy camping, training my German Shepard pup-Apollo, and reading old medical texts. I am a self acknowledged nerd and love learning.

Thomas W. Kaminski, PhD, ATC is currently Professor and Director of Athletic Training Education at the University of Delaware. He graduated from Marietta (Ohio) College with a BS degree in Sports Medicine in 1984, completed his MS degree in Exercise & Sport Science from the University of Arizona in 1985, and earned his PhD in Sports Medicine from the University of Virginia in 1996. Tom has the distinct honor of holding fellowship status in the National Academy of Kinesiology (NAK), American College of Sports Medicine FACSM), National Athletic Trainers’ Association (FNATA), and the Research Consortium of the Society of Health and Physical Educators’ (SHAPE America) (RFSA). Most recently he was inducted into the Eastern Athletic Trainers’ Association (EATA) prestigious 49’ Club (Hall of Fame). In addition, he was selected as the National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA) Education Council Sayers "Bud" Miller Distinguished Educator Award, June 2010; National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA) Most Distinguished Athletic Trainer Award, June 2014; and most recently National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA) Research and Education Foundation 2016 NATA Foundation Medal for Distinguished Athletic Training Research. In 2018 he was named Most Distinguished Alumnus by the Marietta College Alumni Association. Dr. Kaminski has served the NATA, EATA, DATA, SEATA, ACSM, SHAPE America and other professional organizations in many capacities during his 35+ year career as an athletic training administrator, clinician, researcher, and educator. His peer-reviewed journal publications (150+) have appeared in many discipline specific journals including the American Journal of Sports Medicine, Journal of Athletic Training, Journal of Orthopedic and Sports Physical Therapy, Medicine & Science in Sports and Exercise, and the Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. He was the founding editor of the SLACK, Inc. journal titled Athletic Training & Sports Health Care (13 year rein) and currently serves on many editorial boards. He is a member of the Professional Development Committee of the NATA and serves on the Medical Advisory Board for Footbeat/Avex LLC. He is a co-founder of the International Ankle Consortium (IAC) and serves to plan the triennial International Ankle Symposium. In addition to his research interest with ankle instability, Dr. Kaminski is a leading expert on issues related to purposeful heading in soccer and maintains a database established in 1998 examining purposeful headers in interscholastic and intercollegiate soccer during this time. He and his colleague Dr. Thomas Buckley (University of Delaware) were co-PI’s on the landmark NCAA/DoD CARE Consortium project examining the natural history of concussion in intercollegiate sports at the University of Delaware from 2015-2021. Dr. Kaminski has also partnered with the United States Soccer Federation (US Soccer) and the United Soccer Coaches association to insure that youth soccer participants are safe, especially during purposeful heading of a soccer ball.

Dr. Nailah Coleman, MD, FAAP, FACSM, FAMSSM is a Primary Care Sports Medicine Attending at Children’s National Hospital. She completed her undergraduate studies at Emory University, receiving a BS in Biology with a double major in International Studies and a minor in Italian. Upon receipt of a second Emory full tuition scholarship for medical school, she remained at Emory University and received her medical degree in 2000. She completed a pediatric residency program at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, DC in 2003. Following residency, Dr. Coleman remained at Children’s National as a Physician Analyst with their Information Technology Department. She also worked as a Hospitalist for incoming patients, a practicing physician in the Children’s Health Clinic, and as an on-call neonatal pediatrician at The George Washington University Medical Center. 

As a pediatrician working in four different hospital environments, Dr. Coleman had the opportunity to see children at different life stages and assess their growth and wellness. She observed a need to improve the physical health of the athletic and the non-athletic student during their various developmental stages. She believes that athletic performance, nutrition, and physical health plans should be developed and tracked for all students, starting in primary school and continuing through college. Sports medicine should include the athlete and the non-athlete. With these ideas in mind, Dr. Coleman moved to Georgia and Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital to complete a one-year fellowship in Primary Care Sports Medicine, before returning to Children’s in her current capacity, where she now works as a general pediatrician and a sports medicine specialist. 

Dr. Coleman is a board-certified pediatrician, sports medicine physician, and clinical informatics physician, licensed in Washington, DC, Virginia, Maryland, and Georgia, and a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Sports Medicine, the American Medical Society of Sports Medicine, and the American Medical Informatics Association. She also provides medical coverage and sports medicine information to local schools and various athletic events in the DC area.

Dr. Nicole Du, MD is a fourth-year pediatrics resident at Children's National Hospital in Washington, DC. Dr. Du is originally from Indianapolis, Indiana and she completed her undergraduate studies at Georgtown University, receiving a BS in Biology of Global Health and a minor in Economics. She remained at Georgetown for medical school and received her medical degree in 2020. She has a special interest in pediatric gastroenterology and is pursuing a medical subspecialty in the field.

Dr. Rebecca M. Lopez is a Professor in the Athletic Training Program at the University of South Florida’s Morsani College of Medicine and a Fellow of NATA. Dr. Lopez is currently serving as an Assistant School Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the School of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Sciences at USF. She also serves as Co-Chair of NATA’s DEIA Task Force. Through her leadership as a Co-Chair of this task force, she has been working to ensure the profession of athletic training continues to grow as health care providers by embracing diversity, cultivating an inclusive and welcoming environment, and reducing the health and health care disparities of underrepresented groups. 

Research interests include exertional heat stroke and other exertional heat illnesses, cooling methods for hyperthermic athletes, ergogenic aids and thermoregulation, hydration and exercise performance, exercise heat tolerance issues with American football uniforms, sickle cell trait & the athlete, preventing sudden death in sport, return to activity following heat stroke, youth sports injury, and diversity, equity & inclusion in athletic training.

Dr. Bates holds a Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training from Millikin University, a Master of Science in Kinesiology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and a Doctorate in Health Sciences from AT Still University of Health Sciences. His most recent tenure in academia includes serving as President of Mercy College in Ohio, President of Wilmington College, as Vice President of Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty at Mercy College of Ohio, and as Founding Associate Dean of Health Sciences at Heidelberg University. Outside of higher education, Dr. Bates served as Executive Vice President of Strategy and Innovation for True Empowering LLC.

In addition to his professional achievements, Dr. Bates is actively engaged in various volunteer appointments in healthcare and has been recognized with numerous awards and honors, including the 2024 Outstanding Educator Award from the Great Lakes Athletic Trainers’ Association and the 2022 Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign - College of Applied Health Sciences. Dr. Bates is also currently the National Athletic Trainers' Association's DEIA Council Chair.