John M. Mayer, DC, PhD, FACSM

John M. Mayer, DC, PhD, FACSM

Scientific Officer; Board of Directors

John M. Mayer, DC, PhD, FACSM serves as the Scientific Officer and Board of Directors member for The Vert Mooney Research Foundation (dba U.S. Spine & Sport Foundation). He is President of Mayer Health Consulting LLC. He previously served as the inaugural Lincoln Endowed Chair in Biomechanical & Chiropractic Research, University of South Florida, for which he was the first chiropractor to achieve tenure in a college of medicine in the United States. Dr. Mayer obtained a Doctor of Chiropractic (DC) degree from the National University of Health Sciences and a PhD degree in Exercise Science / Science Education from Syracuse University. He is a licensed DC in the states of California and New York, and Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine (FACSM). Dr. Mayer has over 25 years of research, clinical, and program implementation experience in occupational health, wellness and fitness, injury prevention, biomechanics, and therapeutic exercise in high risk workers and first responders. He has published over 250 book chapters, peer-reviewed manuscripts, technical reports, other articles, and abstracts, and has presented widely on these topics. Dr. Mayer has served as investigator on several research grants for back injury prevention, related musculoskeletal conditions, and outcomes assessment sponsored by the US Department of Homeland Security, US Department of Defense, and National Institutes of Health. He has been part of teams that have developed and implemented novel evidence-based clinical guidelines for musculoskeletal disorders. He currently serves on the Scientific Secretariat for the Global Spine Care Initiative, Clinical and the Scientific Advisory Board for World Spine Care, and as Co-Chair of the Section on Interdisciplinary Spine for the North America Spine Society. Dr. Mayer received the 2001 Doctoral Prize from Syracuse University, 2012 Safety Award from Tampa Fire Rescue, 2014 “Researcher of the Year” Award by the American Chiropractic Association, 2015 “Outstanding Research Achievement Award” by USF, and 2018 “Impact Award” by the FCA.

Dr. Mayer’s CV / Resume (click here)

Phone: (858) 583-4494
Email: johnmayer@usssf.com

Joe L. Verna, DC, QME

Joe L. Verna, DC, QME

President; Board of Directors

Joe L. Verna, DC, QME serves as President and Board of Directors member for The Vert Mooney Research Foundation (dba US Spine & Sport Foundation). He is the Clinical Outcomes Officer and Board of Directors member for MDRS Spine & Sport Physical Therapy Inc. He is a Qualified Medical Evaluator (QME), Certified Industrial Injury Evaluator, and Independent Medical Examiner for the State of California. Dr. Verna graduated from Southern California University of Health Sciences (SCUHS) in 1993 and has become an expert in the field of chiropractic and spinal rehabilitation. He is an internationally published author on numerous healthcare research topics and has received various grants including NIH and FEMA/Homeland Security. He has patents and trademarks including BackStrong exercise equipment and published lumbar protocols. He has tactical wellness and injury prevention expertise in law enforcement as well as with first responders. He has consulted on various topics including injury prevention, wellness, spine care in university research studies at UCSD, USF, SCUHS and in the private sector, Apple, in Cupertino, Pepsi Cola in Buena Park, and American Medical Response (AMR) in San Diego and Orange County CA. As a well published author, he is a speaker and educational instructor for courses such as Functional Capacity Evaluations (FCEs), Work Conditioning, Workers’ Compensation, Personal Injury MVA, Defensive Documentation/ Compliance, Outcome Measures and Spinal Rehabilitation. Other areas of interest include psychologically informed patient centered care, outcome measures, spine care (high intensity training, post-concussion rehabilitation, and telemedicine. He is passionate about education, evidence- based medicine, active care, and conducting ongoing research. He is married with two children living in San Diego and has a 3rd degree black belt in MMA.

Email: joev@spineandsport.com

Charity L. Lane, Ph.D., CPT, FNS, GFI

Charity L. Lane, Ph.D., CPT, FNS, GFI

Director of Program Development; Board of Directors

Charity L. Lane, Ph.D., CPT, FNS, GFI, is the Director of Program Development and Board of Directors member for The Vert Mooney Research Foundation (dba U.S. Spine & Sport Foundation). Dr. Lane obtained a Doctorate in Health and Human Performance from Concordia University, Chicago and holds a Master of Science degree in Exercise and Nutrition from the University of Tampa, and a Master of Arts degree in Human Relations from the University of Oklahoma. Dr. Lane has been a fitness focused professional since 1999 and is a Certified Personal Trainer (CPT), Fitness Nutrition Specialist (FNS), and Group Fitness Instructor (GFI). She has spearheaded innovative injury prevention initiatives for application in various high risk and tactical athlete populations including the DoD, Fire Service, and the general population. She recently served as Co-Principal Investigator on a hybrid based, 36 month, and FEMA-funded behavioral change initiative in Southern California firefighters and has previously served as Project Leader and Manager on other FEMA and externally funded innovative initiatives focused on injury and risk prevention. She has also been instrumental in developing interprofessional teams that have cultivated and implemented highly innovative, real world, and evidence based treatment applications. Her expertise includes lifecycle project management, program development, educational, implementation and research initiatives and establishment of innovative projects working with tactical athletes, first responders, targeted civilian populations, professional athletes, and fitness competitors. Her areas of focus include injury prevention, pain and inflammation management, nutrition and supplementation education, obesity and stress management, and energy enhancement. Dr. Lane enjoys presenting to, and mentoring, Chiropractic and other clinical and health focused students on various topics. She is also an IFBB Pro.

Charity Lane’s CV / Resume (click here)

Phone: (813) 503-7109
Email: CharityLane@usssf.com

Leonard N. Matheson, PhD

Leonard N. Matheson, PhD

Board of Directors

Dr. Leonard Matheson is a psychologist who is a pioneer in the field of occupational rehabilitation. He is the originator of work hardening and has participated in setting national standards of practice. He designed many of the tests and treatment models that are in use in this field. His tests have been translated into more than two dozen languages. Among more than 50 peer-reviewed scientific papers and 100 invited papers and chapters in textbooks are the chapters on functional capacity evaluation in the American Medical Association’s Disability Evaluation handbook. He has testified before the United States House of Representatives in Washington, DC. He currently serves as an associate editor of the Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation and is on the editorial board of Work. He retired after fifteen years as an Associate Professor of Occupational Therapy and Neurology at the Washington University School of Medicine. He maintains an active consulting and counseling practice working with people who have physical, neurological and psychological disabilities, with businesses on employee selection, and with executives and professionals on career optimization.

Scott Leggett, MS

Scott Leggett, MS

Board of Directors

Mr. Legget has over 12 years experience in the field of orthopedics and rehabilitation. Most notably, he developed and operated the OrthoMed Spine & Joint Conditioning, and WellStrong Centers, for the Department of Orthopaedics at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). He also managed the Orthopedic Outpatient Practice at UCSD. After his experience at UCSD, Mr. Leggett served in a development role for USOrthopedics, at that time a start up company specializing in the development of orthopedic surgical centers. He is presently the Regional Director for USOrthopedics, now a wholly owned subsidiary of National Surgical Hospitals, Inc., and the Executive Director for C.O.A.S.T. Surgery Center in San Diego and the Orthopaedic Surgery Center of La Jolla. Here, Mr. Leggett has played a leadership role in creating and managing comprehensive treatment programs for musculoskeletal problems utilizing multidisciplinary teams. Mr. Leggett earned his Masters of Science in Exercise Physiology from the University of Florida (UF) in 1987. After graduation, he joined the faculty of the College of Medicine at UF, serving as Research Coordinator at the Center for Exercise Science. Mr. Leggett’s areas of clinical and research expertise include muscle physiology, the aging process, the role of exercise in the treatment of low back pain, neck pain and other soft tissue injuries, and outcomes research. He has worked with top collegiate and professional athletes to design rehabilitation, strength, and conditioning programs. He has co-authored over 80 articles and abstracts in peer reviewed journals and has traveled extensively as a lecturer in the area of musculoskeletal rehabilitation and wellness. Mr. Leggett is actively involved in the community of San Diego. He serves on the local Board for the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame Foundation as well an active member of the La Jolla Golden Triangle Rotary.

Ted Dreisinger, PhD, FACSM

Ted Dreisinger, PhD, FACSM

Board of Directors

Dr. Dreisinger received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Fairmont State College, his Master of Science degree from University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse, and his Doctoral degree in exercise physiology from the University of Missouri. Currently, Dr. Dreisinger is managing partner for Progressive Spine Care & Rehabilitation in Columbia. From 1987 to 1997, he was research director for the Columbia Spine Center, an affiliate of the Columbia Orthopaedic Group. From 1996 through 2000, he was Vice President for Cumulative Trauma Injury Prevention of Prevention First, Inc. a consulting firm dedicated to the reduction of upper extremity cumulative trauma incidents and low back injuries in industry with clients like United Airlines and Tyson Foods. Dr. Dreisinger’s background spans 28 years of clinical experiences in rehabilitation, orthopedics and physical medicine. He has taught at the university level, presented a number of scientific papers, and published articles in numerous biomedical journals including Spine, Orthopedics, Journal of Rheumatology, Sports Medicine, Paraplegia, and the Journal of Cardiac Rehabilitation. Dr. Dreisinger is a fellow in the North American Spine Society, the American Back Society, and the American College of Sports Medicine. He sits on the Non-Operative Committee for the North American Spine Society, the Practice Board for Clinical exercise Physiology of the American College of Sports Medicine and is past chairman of the Board of Directors of the McKenzie Institute, USA an organization whose mission is the non-operative management of individuals with back pain.

Mark Mooney

Mark Mooney

Board of Directors