New York City Sports Commission: Athletic Commission Medical Advisory Board

Who are the members of the New York City Sports Commission Athletic Commission Medical Advisory Board. What are their qualifications and expertise. How do they contribute to sports medicine and athlete safety in New York City.

The Role and Composition of the Athletic Commission Medical Advisory Board

The New York City Sports Commission’s Athletic Commission Medical Advisory Board plays a crucial role in ensuring the health and safety of athletes in various sports. This board comprises highly qualified medical professionals with diverse expertise in sports medicine, neurology, cardiology, and other related fields. Their collective knowledge and experience contribute significantly to the development and implementation of medical protocols and safety standards for athletes in New York City.

Dr. Hamish A. Kerr: Leading Sports Medicine Expert

Dr. Hamish A. Kerr stands out as a prominent figure on the Medical Advisory Board. His extensive experience and qualifications make him an invaluable asset to the commission. What makes Dr. Kerr uniquely qualified for this role?

• Head team physician for Siena College
• Sports Medicine Fellowship Director at Albany Medical Center
• Professor of Medicine at Albany Medical College
• Committee Chair of the Medical/Risk Committee for USA Rugby
• Team Physician for the USA Eagles Men’s National Team
• Senior Medical Educator for World Rugby

Dr. Kerr’s involvement in high-profile sporting events, such as the Rugby Sevens World Cups and the 2016 Olympic Rugby tournament, demonstrates his expertise in handling sports-related medical issues at the highest level. His research focus on sports injury surveillance, heading in soccer, rugby tackling, and concussion prevention contributes valuable insights to the board’s decision-making process.

Neurological Expertise: Dr. James M. Noble’s Contribution

The inclusion of Dr. James M. Noble on the board brings a strong neurological perspective to the commission’s work. How does Dr. Noble’s background enhance the board’s capabilities?

As an Associate Professor of Neurology at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Dr. Noble brings extensive knowledge in neurodegenerative disorders and sports-related concussions. His research projects on collegiate sports-related concussion and cognitive aging are particularly relevant to the commission’s goals of protecting athletes’ long-term health.

Dr. Noble’s Qualifications:

• Board certified in neurology, behavioral neurology, and neuropsychiatry
• Master of Science in epidemiology
• Leads research on sports-related concussion and cognitive aging
• Clinical focus on neurodegenerative forms of dementia

Sports Medicine and Team Physician Expertise: Dr. James J. Kinderknecht

Dr. James J. Kinderknecht brings a wealth of practical experience in sports medicine to the board. What makes his perspective particularly valuable?

As a board-certified family physician with a certificate of added qualification in sports medicine, Dr. Kinderknecht offers insights from both primary care and specialized sports medicine perspectives. His role as a team physician for major professional sports teams in New York City provides him with firsthand experience in managing the health and safety of elite athletes.

Dr. Kinderknecht’s Key Roles:

• Program director for the Primary Care Sports Medicine Fellowship at the Hospital for Special Surgery
• Team physician for the New York Giants
• Team physician for the New York Mets

Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatic Injuries: Dr. David C. Angelillo’s Expertise

Dr. David C. Angelillo’s presence on the board ensures that orthopaedic concerns are thoroughly addressed. How does his expertise contribute to the commission’s goals?

As a dual board-certified orthopaedic surgeon, Dr. Angelillo brings specialized knowledge in arthroscopic surgery and traumatic injuries. His expertise is crucial for developing protocols for managing fractures, dislocations, and other musculoskeletal injuries that are common in various sports.

Dr. Angelillo’s Qualifications:

• Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
• Expert in arthroscopic surgery and traumatic injuries
• Clinical Assistant Professor at the New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine
• Fellowship training in orthopaedic surgery and sports medicine

Cardiovascular Health in Athletics: Dr. Ambika Nayar’s Role

The inclusion of Dr. Ambika Nayar on the board highlights the importance of cardiovascular health in athletics. How does her expertise benefit the commission?

As a cardiologist with extensive experience in echocardiography, Dr. Nayar provides crucial insights into cardiac health and its implications for athletes. Her expertise is essential for developing cardiac screening protocols and managing cardiovascular risks in sports.

Dr. Nayar’s Key Contributions:

• Assistant Professor of Medicine at NYU School of Medicine
• Director of the Adult Echocardiography Laboratory at Bellevue Hospital
• Board certified in Cardiology and Echocardiography
• Experience as a consulting physician at the NYU Hospital for Joint Diseases

Ophthalmology and Boxing: Dr. Anthony G. Curreri’s Specialized Experience

Dr. Anthony G. Curreri’s background in ophthalmology and boxing medicine adds a unique perspective to the board. Why is his expertise particularly valuable?

With fifteen years of experience as a professional ringside physician, Dr. Curreri brings specialized knowledge in managing eye injuries and other ophthalmological concerns specific to combat sports. His expertise is crucial for developing safety protocols and medical standards for boxing and similar high-impact sports.

Dr. Curreri’s Qualifications:

• Board certified in Ophthalmology
• Fifteen years of experience as a professional ringside physician
• Chairman Emeritus of Cabrini Medical Center
• Continues to see professional boxers in private practice

Neurology and Concussion Management: Dr. Laszlo Mechtler’s Contributions

Dr. Laszlo Mechtler’s expertise in neurology and concussion management is a critical component of the board’s collective knowledge. How does his background enhance the commission’s capabilities in addressing neurological concerns in sports?

As the Director of the Dent Headache Center and Co-Director of the Dent Concussion Center, Dr. Mechtler brings specialized knowledge in managing neurological issues commonly encountered in sports. His expertise is particularly valuable in developing protocols for concussion assessment, treatment, and return-to-play decisions.

Dr. Mechtler’s Qualifications:

• Board certified in Neurology, Headache Medicine, and Neuroimaging
• Medical Director of the DENT Neurologic Institute in Buffalo, NY
• Professor of Neurology at the State University of New York at Buffalo
• Training from prestigious institutions such as MD Anderson

The diverse expertise of the Athletic Commission Medical Advisory Board members ensures a comprehensive approach to athlete health and safety. Their collective knowledge spans various medical specialties crucial for addressing the complex health issues that can arise in sports. By bringing together experts in sports medicine, neurology, cardiology, orthopaedics, ophthalmology, and concussion management, the New York City Sports Commission has created a robust advisory board capable of tackling a wide range of medical challenges in athletics.

The board’s composition reflects a deep understanding of the multifaceted nature of sports-related health issues. From Dr. Kerr’s extensive experience in rugby and international sports events to Dr. Noble’s focus on neurodegenerative disorders and sports-related concussions, each member brings a unique perspective that contributes to the overall effectiveness of the commission’s medical protocols and safety standards.

Moreover, the inclusion of team physicians like Dr. Kinderknecht, who works with major professional sports teams, ensures that the board’s recommendations are grounded in practical, real-world experience at the highest levels of competitive athletics. This blend of academic expertise and hands-on clinical experience allows the board to develop guidelines and protocols that are both scientifically sound and practically applicable in various sporting contexts.

The presence of specialists like Dr. Angelillo in orthopaedic surgery and Dr. Curreri in ophthalmology and boxing medicine demonstrates the commission’s commitment to addressing sport-specific medical concerns. Their expertise is crucial for developing targeted safety measures and treatment protocols for injuries common in their respective areas of specialization.

Dr. Nayar’s cardiovascular expertise adds another critical dimension to the board’s capabilities. Her knowledge is essential for addressing cardiac health concerns in athletes, an area of growing importance in sports medicine. The ability to properly assess and manage cardiovascular risks is crucial for ensuring the long-term health and safety of athletes across various sports and competition levels.

The inclusion of Dr. Mechtler, with his focus on neurology and concussion management, underscores the commission’s recognition of the growing concern surrounding brain injuries in sports. His expertise is invaluable for developing and implementing advanced protocols for concussion assessment, management, and prevention, which are crucial aspects of modern sports medicine.

By assembling this diverse group of medical professionals, the New York City Sports Commission has created a Medical Advisory Board that is well-equipped to address the complex and evolving landscape of sports medicine. The board’s collective expertise allows for a holistic approach to athlete health, encompassing everything from injury prevention and treatment to long-term health monitoring and research.

The impact of this advisory board extends beyond immediate medical care for athletes. The research activities and academic affiliations of its members contribute to the advancement of sports medicine knowledge, potentially influencing policies and practices not only in New York City but also in the broader field of sports health and safety.

Furthermore, the board’s composition reflects a commitment to staying at the forefront of medical advancements in sports. The members’ ongoing involvement in research, clinical practice, and education ensures that the commission’s policies and recommendations are informed by the latest scientific findings and medical best practices.

The Athletic Commission Medical Advisory Board serves as a model for how sports organizations can prioritize athlete health and safety through the integration of diverse medical expertise. By bringing together specialists from various fields, the commission has created a robust system for addressing the multifaceted health challenges faced by athletes in different sports and at various levels of competition.

This comprehensive approach to sports medicine governance has several key benefits:

1. Enhanced injury prevention strategies: The diverse expertise allows for the development of more effective injury prevention protocols across various sports.
2. Improved acute injury management: The board can provide guidelines for best practices in managing acute sports injuries, ensuring athletes receive optimal care.
3. Advanced concussion protocols: With experts in neurology and sports-related brain injuries, the board can establish state-of-the-art concussion management protocols.
4. Cardiovascular health monitoring: The inclusion of cardiology expertise enables better screening and monitoring of athletes’ heart health.
5. Sport-specific medical guidelines: The presence of specialists in areas like ophthalmology and orthopaedics allows for the development of targeted medical guidelines for specific sports.
6. Research and innovation: The academic backgrounds of board members contribute to ongoing research and innovation in sports medicine.
7. Education and awareness: The board can play a crucial role in educating athletes, coaches, and the public about important sports health and safety issues.

The New York City Sports Commission’s approach to forming its Medical Advisory Board demonstrates a forward-thinking strategy in sports governance. By prioritizing medical expertise and diversity of specializations, the commission has positioned itself as a leader in promoting athlete health and safety.

This model of medical governance in sports has the potential to influence similar bodies across the country and even internationally. As sports continue to evolve and new health challenges emerge, the importance of having a well-rounded, expert medical advisory board becomes increasingly apparent.

The board’s work not only benefits professional athletes but also has implications for amateur and youth sports. The protocols and guidelines developed by such a diverse group of experts can trickle down to inform practices at all levels of athletic competition, potentially improving safety standards across the entire sports landscape.

Moreover, the board’s composition reflects an understanding of the interconnected nature of various medical specialties in sports health. For instance, the collaboration between neurologists, orthopaedic surgeons, and sports medicine specialists can lead to more comprehensive approaches to injury management and rehabilitation.

The inclusion of team physicians who work with professional sports teams brings a practical perspective to the board’s deliberations. Their experience in managing the health of elite athletes under the pressures of high-stakes competition is invaluable in developing realistic and effective health protocols.

The board’s diverse expertise also positions it well to address emerging health concerns in sports. For example, as our understanding of the long-term impacts of concussions and repetitive head impacts evolves, having neurologists and concussion specialists on the board ensures that the commission can respond quickly and effectively to new research findings.

Similarly, the presence of cardiovascular experts allows the board to stay ahead of cardiac health issues in sports, which have gained increased attention in recent years. This proactive approach to potential health risks demonstrates the commission’s commitment to athlete safety.

The academic affiliations of many board members provide a crucial link between the latest medical research and practical applications in sports. This connection ensures that the commission’s policies and recommendations are grounded in current scientific understanding and best practices.

Furthermore, the board’s composition allows for a multidisciplinary approach to complex health issues in sports. For instance, addressing an issue like overtraining syndrome would benefit from input from sports medicine specialists, cardiologists, and neurologists, all of whom are represented on the board.

The Athletic Commission Medical Advisory Board also plays a crucial role in shaping public perception of sports safety. By having recognized experts in various medical fields addressing sports health issues, the commission can provide authoritative guidance that helps build trust among athletes, parents, and the general public.

This comprehensive approach to sports medicine governance sets a high standard for other sports organizations and regulatory bodies. It demonstrates a commitment to athlete welfare that goes beyond basic medical care, encompassing a holistic view of athlete health that considers both short-term and long-term impacts of sports participation.

As sports continue to evolve and new health challenges emerge, the importance of having such a well-rounded and expert medical advisory board becomes increasingly apparent. The New York City Sports Commission’s approach provides a model for how sports organizations can prioritize athlete health and safety through the integration of diverse medical expertise.

The board’s work has the potential to influence sports medicine practices far beyond New York City. By setting high standards for medical oversight in sports, they contribute to raising the bar for athlete care across the country and potentially around the world.

In conclusion, the New York City Sports Commission’s Athletic Commission Medical Advisory Board represents a gold standard in sports medicine governance. Its diverse composition, combining academic expertise with practical experience across various medical specialties, positions it to address the complex and evolving health challenges in modern sports effectively. This approach not only benefits athletes in New York City but also sets a precedent for comprehensive medical oversight in sports that can inspire similar initiatives globally.

Athletic Commission Medical Advisory Board

Hamish A. Kerr, MD
Dr. Hamish Kerr is the head team physician for Siena College, and is the Sports Medicine Fellowship Director for Albany Medical Center and Professor of Medicine at Albany Medical College. He is a sports medicine specialist who serves USA Rugby as Committee Chair of the Medical/Risk Committee, Team Physician for the USA Eagles Men’s National Team. He is a Senior Medical Educator for World Rugby whom he also serves as Tournament Team Physician for the International Sevens Series, including the 2013 (Moscow) & 2018 (San Francisco) Rugby Sevens World Cups, and was an Independent Concussion Consultant at the 2015 & 2019 Rugby World Cups. He travelled to Rio de Janiero as the Match Day Doctor for the 2016 Olympic Rugby tournament.

His training includes undergraduate Physiology/Sports Science, and Medical School at the University of Glasgow in Scotland. He completed Internal Medicine/Pediatrics residency at Albany Medical Center and Primary Care Sports Medicine fellowship at Children’s Hospital Boston/Harvard Medical School.

He has published articles on sports injury surveillance, heading in soccer, rugby tackling and concussion prevention. He has a sports medicine practice that encompasses musculoskeletal medicine at Capital Region Orthopaedics and a multidisciplinary sports concussion clinic at Albany Medical Center which includes balance, neuromuscular and neurocognitive assessments.

James M. Noble, MD
Dr. Noble is Associate Professor of Neurology at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, in the Department of Neurology, the Taub Institute for Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain, and the GH Sergievsky Center at Columbia University. He received his medical degree from Emory University, trained in neurology residency and dementia fellowship at Columbia University Medical Center, and received a Master of Science in epidemiology at the Mailman School of Public Health of Columbia University through the NIH supported neuroepidemiology training program. His clinical practice focuses on neurodegenerative forms of dementia including Alzheimer disease and related disorders. He leads several research projects including collegiate sports-related concussion, cognitive aging, neurological health literacy, and systemic inflammatory markers as potential novel Alzheimer risk factors. He is board certified in neurology, behavioral neurology and neuropsychiatry, and public health.

James J. Kinderknecht, MD
Dr. Kindernecht is a board-certified family physician with a certificate of added qualification in sports medicine. He is the program director for the Primary Care Sports Medicine Fellowship at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. He serves as a team physician for the New York Giants and the New York Mets.

David C. Angelillo, DO                                       
Dr. Angelillo is a dual board certified orthopaedic surgeon and a fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.  He is an expert in arthroscopic surgery, as well as traumatic injuries including fractures and dislocations.  He also serves as a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Surgery at the New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine.   Dr. Angelillo completed his fellowship training in orthopaedic surgery and sports medicine at NYU-Hospital for Joint Diseases in New York City.  He currently practices on Long Island and has offices in Patchogue and Manorville.

Ambika Nayar, MD

Dr. Nayar is a native New Yorker and graduated from the NYU School of Medicine where she completed her training in Internal Medicine and Cardiology.  She has remained there since as a faculty member in her position as an Assistant Professor of Medicine.  She practices general cardiology at NYU and is the Director of the Adult Echocardiography Laboratory at Bellevue Hospital where she helps to care for patients with complex cardiac pathologies with her skills in imaging and Interventional Echocardiography.  She served as a consulting physician at the NYU Hospital for Joint Diseases from 2004 -2008 and is board certified in Cardiology and Echocardiography.

Anthony G. Curreri, MD
Dr. Curreri is board certified in Ophthalmology. He worked for fifteen years as a professional ringside physician and continues to see professional boxers in his private practice. He is Chairman Emeritus of Cabrini Medical Center.

Laszlo Mechtler, MD, FAAN
Dr. Mechtler is board certified in Neurology, Headache Medicine and Neuroimaging. He is the Director of the Dent Headache Center and Co-Director of the Dent Concussion Center. His training includes institutions such as MD Anderson and the State University New York at Buffalo. He is currently the Medical Director of the DENT Neurologic Institute in Buffalo, NY, Professor of Neurology at the State University of New York at Buffalo and also serves as the President of the American Society of Neuroimaging. He has authored in numerous publications including on the topic of TBI and was the Editor of the 2014 edition of Neurology Clinics. He is the consulting physician for professional and semi-pro sports teams in Western New York to include the NFL Buffalo Bills and NHL Buffalo Sabres. He currently is participating in numerous clinical trials which include neuroimaging research for traumatic brain injury in collaboration with The University of Buffalo.

Charles P. Melone, Jr., MD
Dr. Melone specializes in sports injuries to the hand & wrist, arthritis of the hand & wrist, wrist fractures, fracture-dislocations, scleroderma, microsurgery and carpal tunnel syndrome.  Over the past 40 years in practice, Dr. Melone has gained a reputation as one of the most knowledgeable hand surgeons in the United States. He is Director of the Division of Hand Surgery at Mount Sinai Beth Israel and Professor of Clinical Orthopaedic Surgery at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.  He also received the Distinguished Service Citation from New York University Medical School in 1999.

Rosanna C. Sabini, DO
Dr. Sabini is board certified in Brain Injury Medicine and Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation.  She received her medical degree from the New York College of Osteopathic Medicine and went on to complete her residency at Mount Sinai Medical Center and her fellowship in Traumatic Brain Injury at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Dr. Sabini is the Chair of the Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Department at Northwell Health’s South Shore University Hospital. She is the Medical Director of the Northwell Health Concussion Program which offers comprehensive and evidence-based concussion management with the goal of return to sports, school, work and life reintegration. Dr. Sabini is also the Program Director for the Brain Injury Medicine Fellowship which provides specialized training in the specialty. She has served as a Ringside Physician for the New York Athletic Commission for almost ten years and has first-hand account of managing the needs and complexities of combat  related sport-injuries.

Press Release Archives #056-98 Names Kenneth J. Podziba to Head the New York City Sports Commission

Press Release Archives #056-98 Names Kenneth J. Podziba to Head the New York City Sports Commission