The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) is pleased to announce the members of its newly established Medical Advisory Committee, a group of leading medical professionals with a broad range of specialties from across the United States who will provide expert guidance on matters related to jockey health, safety and well-being.
The committee will advise HISA's executive team and standing committees by offering recommendations on best practices for jockey safety, reviewing proposed rules and providing insight on medical protocols involving jockey care, injury prevention, emergency response and other relevant health and safety topics.
"Establishing this committee marks a significant step in our mission to prioritize the health and safety of our jockeys, whose well-being is paramount," said HISA CEO Lisa Lazarus. "We're looking forward to working with an experienced group of medical experts who will help us continue building an ecosystem of care that sets a new standard for the sport."
"By bringing together sports medical professionals from across the country, we aim to continue developing and refining best practices that protect the health of our riders--both proactively and in response to injuries sustained while riding," added Dr. Peter Hester, HISA's National Medical Director and an orthopedic surgeon specializing in sports medicine in Lexington, KY.
Members of the HISA Medical Advisory Committee are:
- Dr. Brian Adkins, MD, FACEP, is a board-certified emergency physician and Professor at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine with over two decades of leadership in the delivery of on-site medical care at major sporting events in Thoroughbred racing and beyond. Dr. Adkins serves as the medical director for Keeneland and the upcoming 2026 Breeders' Cup World Championships, and he is the chief medical advisor of the emergency medical response teams at the Kentucky Derby. Dr. Adkins oversees the emergency medical care for University of Kentucky Athletics events including basketball and football games. Over his career, Dr. Adkins has also had medical director roles with a wide variety of professional sporting events, from NASCAR races to PGA Tour Championships. In 2024, he was elected as Chair of the Event Medicine Section of the American College of Emergency Physicians.
- Dr. Mark R. Allen, MD, is a double board-certified psychiatrist specializing in child, adolescent and adult mental health, and serves as Adjunct Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the Long School of Medicine, UT Health San Antonio. He is the Founder of Peak Sports Psychiatry and Chairman of the American Board of Sports & Performance Psychiatry (ABSPP), with advanced, sport-specific training from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Society for Sports Psychiatry (ISSP). His clinical work focuses on athlete mental wellness, performance optimization and the integration of mental health within elite and high-performance sports environments.
- Dr. Howard S. Bush, MD, FACC, is a board-certified interventional cardiologist at Cleveland Clinic Florida. He serves as Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University and has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications while leading multicenter trials in acute myocardial infarction and interventional cardiology. He also serves as a team physician for the National Hockey League's Florida Panthers and the National Football League's Miami Dolphins.
- Dr. Douglas J. Casa, PhD, ATC, FNAK, FACSM, FNATA, serves as the CEO of the Korey Stringer Institute (founded in 2010) and is a Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor of Kinesiology at the University of Connecticut, where he has worked since 1999. He was inducted into the National Athletic Trainers' Association Hall of Fame in June 2024. His research, publications and books focus on athlete safety, exertional heat stroke and optimizing performance in hot environments. Over his career, he has published around 400 peer-reviewed works, successfully treated 425 exertional heat stroke cases with zero fatalities and contributed to the Olympic Committee Adverse Weather Impact Expert Group on heat management at the 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.
- Dr. Angelo A. Chinnici, MD, has served as Medical Director of the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority for nearly four decades and is the Founder and Administrator of the New Jersey Jockey Health and Welfare Trust. He also serves as Associate Professor at Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine and Interim Chair of the Department of Internal Medicine at Jersey Shore University Medical Center. His leadership has been instrumental in advancing athlete health, safety and education within New Jersey's racing and medical community.
- Dr. Marc Cormier, PhD, CMPC, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Health Promotion at the University of Kentucky (UK), where he directs the Sport and Exercise Psychology Graduate Program. He also serves as Director of Counseling and Performance Psychology for UK Athletics, supporting National Collegiate Athletic Association and Olympic athletes across championship-level teams. A Fellow of the Association for the Applied Sport Psychology, Dr. Comier's teaching and research explore mental performance, athlete rehabilitation and the psychological factors influencing sport injury.
- Dr. Shae Datta, MD, is a Board-Certified Sports Neurologist, Co-Director of the New York University Langone Concussion Center and Division Director of the Long Island Concussion Center, where she also serves as Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurology. She completed fellowship training in Adult and Pediatric Trauma, Concussion and Sports Neuromedicine at the University of Florida, with additional specialization in migraine management. Widely recognized for her leadership in concussion research and education, she serves as Vice Chair of the American Neurological Association's Headache and Facial Pain Section and is a national advocate for athlete brain health and injury prevention.
- Dr. Barth A. Green, MD, FACS, FAANS, serves as Executive Dean for Global Health and Community Service and Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Distinguished Chair in Neurosurgery at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, where he is also Chairman and Co-Founder of The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis. A world-renowned neurosurgeon and humanitarian, he is recognized for his pioneering work in spinal cord injury treatment, neurotrauma care and global disaster response. Over his distinguished career, he has co-founded multiple organizations including the Buoniconti Fund, The Maven Project (which provides national telemedicine specialty consultations to underserved patients), Project Medishare for Haiti and Shake-A-Leg Miami, all dedicated to advancing healthcare access, rehabilitation, and community well-being worldwide.
- Dr. Nicholas Theodore, MS, MD, FAANS, FACS, is Chairman of the Department of Neurosurgery at the University of Arizona College of Medicine—Phoenix, Physician Executive for the Neuroscience Service Line at Banner Health and Chairman of the National Football League's Head Neck and Spine Committee. A world-renowned neurosurgeon, he is recognized for pioneering advances in spinal cord injury treatment, robotics and minimally invasive surgery. His leadership and extensive research, supported by institutions such as the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and the National Institutes of Health, continue to shape modern approaches to neurotrauma care and medical innovation.
