2026 Winter Symposium: Elevating Care Under Pressure: Medicine at the Crossroads of Safety, Compliance, and Performance

Annette L. Sobel (MD’83, MS’92, BS’79)) is currently an adjunct professor in Electrical and Computer Engineering and Medical Education at Texas Tech University, with specialization in Aerospace and Hyperbaric Medicine, Family Medicine, and Human Factors Engineering.

She is an IEEE Senior Member, recipient of NATO recognition for career contributions to the understanding the science of CBRNE weapons, and YWCA’s and Antidefamation League’s distinguished government and public service awards, respectively. She is a retired Major General in the Air National Guard and has published widely in the fields of emergency management and advanced medical training platforms and far-forward medical technologies. She established the telemedicine enabled hyperbaric chamber capability at McMurdo Base, Antarctica Station. She is the CEO of a service-disabled veteran owned small business, BlankSlateInnovation, LLC. She jointly holds one U.S. Patent and has several other patents in process.

Bonnie Dunbar, PhD, is a retired NASA astronaut, engineer, and educator with a PhD in Mechanical/Biomedical Engineering from the University of Houston. She flew on five space shuttle missions, logged over 1,200 hours in space, and has since held leadership positions in STEM education at the Museum of Flight and as a professor at Texas A&M University. She is a recipient of numerous awards, including the NASA Distinguished Service Medal and election to the National Academy of Engineering.

DWIGHT HOLLAND, MALS, MS, MSE, MD, PhD is an award-winning former USAF Officer, Faculty member, Antarctic Field Geophysicist, Home Office Investor/Consultant, Higher Education advocate, coach of skiing and avid tennis player/coach/regional Hall of Fame member. He is the co-author of the acclaimed NASA book "Breaking the Mishap Chain" -- relating to Human Systems Integration (HSI)/Allied Medical challenges and similar problems in the testing of complex aerospace systems. That book was a finalist for the International Airbus Safety Award and recommended as a “book to buy” by the Smithsonian Air and Space Magazine. He has lecturedand published in geophysics, allied psychology, aerospace medicine, leadership/group dynamics, systems engineering and enhancing human performance. He has been recognized as an Academician in the International Academy of Aviation & Space Medicine, is a Fellow of the Aerospace Medical Association (AsMA) and Royal Aeronautical Society, among others. He has over 130 abstracts, proceedings, papers, book chapters and other academic works to his credit. He is a subject matter expert that utilizes allied medicine and organizational science to improve HSI within a systems perspective to reduce injuries and enhance human performance in many areas from sports to workplaces using allied medicine, aerospace/space medicine and human performance. His expertise also involves consideration of leadership and group dynamics to aid in improved decision-making, situation awareness and resilience in a variety of systems. Through the years, he has been selected as a Fellow in multiple professional organizations and been awarded entry into 8 academic honorary societies.He has a courtesy Professor of Medical Education position at a large university in Florida to help advise a new program in Aerospace Medicine and Human Performance.

 An oft-invited speaker and scientific panels Moderator, Dr. Holland has chaired or moderated65+ academic panels at various national and international professional meetings with many more on the docket and served as the Technical Co-Chair/Leadership Track Chair for the largest-to-date international Systems Engineering Scientific Conference. He was personally selected by the Office of the Secretary of the USAF/AQ to lead a national team of systems engineering experts to recommend improvements to the Systems Engineering Process of the USAF Acquisitions system and was personally sponsored after 9/11 by the Secretary of the USAF for being in a “dual-hatted role” at the Navy Test Pilot School (USN TPS) and International Office of the USAF Office for Scientific Research as an IMA (Individual Mobilization Augmentee) on and off active duty for specialized assignments, and Officer of the Quarter or Year several times.

Dr. Félix Porras, MD brings over four decades of distinguished medical experience to Longevity Medical Institute, where he leads with an unwavering dedication to patient outcomes. He earned his medical degree from Universidad Veracruzana and went on to complete advanced surgical residencies at Yale Hospital in the United States and the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital in England. Over the course of his career, Dr. Porras has managed tens of thousands of patient cases and surgeries, ranging from routine procedures to highly complex conditions.

His expertise spans both conventional and regenerative medicine. He is an active member of the Mexican Council of Stem Cells for Therapeutic and Research Purposes and the Mexican College of Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, and he holds certifications from the International Society for Stem Cell Applications (ISSCA), IIEMED, and the International Congress for Orthopedic Regenerative Medicine, among others.

In addition to his clinical and regenerative work, Dr. Porras serves as Vice President of the IATA Medical Group and is a recognized authority in aerospace and aeronautical medicine. In 2025, he received the George J. Kidera Lifetime Achievement Award—the highest honor bestowed by the International Airline Medical Association. His contributions in this specialized field have made him a sought-after consultant, advising on medical protocols that address the unique health requirements of aeronautical professionals, further cementing his reputation as a leader in clinical innovation and patient safety.

Outside of medicine, Dr. Porras is a lifelong musician who has dedicated much of his free time to conducting and leading local orchestras. His passion for music reflects the same creativity, discipline, and leadership that define his medical practice. By blending science and artistry, he brings a holistic perspective to healing that deeply resonates with his patients and colleagues alike.

At LMI, Dr. Porras continues to pioneer advanced regenerative therapies, fostering an environment that prioritizes innovation while remaining grounded in patient-centered care. His multidisciplinary expertise and humanistic approach enrich LMI’s vision of transformative healthcare.

Dr. Gelly has been involved in hyperbaric medicine and wound care since 1991. Past positions have included Medical Directorships at academic and community hyperbaric medicine and wound care programs. She started a non-hospital affiliated hyperbaric medicine center which was one of the first UHMS accredited centers. She has been actively involved in billing and reimbursement issues for both facilities and physicians. Until recently, she was the Medical Director of Hyperbaric Physicians of Georgia, a group of physicians dedicated to the practice of hyperbaric medicine and wound healing, with 5 subspecialty boarded physicians in its membership. In addition to lecturing nationally on hyperbaric medicine and wound healing for many years, she was the president of the Gulf Coast Chapter of the UHMS from 2005-2007. Currently, she serves as the Emeritus Medical Director of Hyperbaric Physicians of Georgia, and as C.E.O. for Regenerative and Hyperbaric Medicine.

James Muccio, MD, earned his medical degree from the University of Virginia School of Medicine & completed his residency at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. He is board certified in Orthopedic Surgery & Sports Medicine.

Dr. Muccio specializes in sports-related injuries including fracture care, reconstructive & joint replacement surgery, & arthroscopy.

In his spare time, Dr. Muccio enjoys scuba diving, snow skiing, and golfing.

Dr. Weaver received a BS in Engineering Science from Arizona State University followed by medical school from the University of Arizona. He served a rotating internship in the US Navy, then went through the medical officer’s course in Undersea and Submarine medicine and was an Undersea Medical Officer on the USS Canopis (AS-34) for two years. After discharged he served in the Naval Reserves with SEAL Team 1-3-5 for a few years.  After discharge from Active Duty he trained in Internal Medicine, with fellowship training in pulmonary and critical care at the University of Utah. After completion of fellowship he became the Medical Director of Hyperbaric Medicine and Co-director of the Shock Trauma Respiratory ICU at the Level One trauma center, LDS Hospital, Salt Lake City, Utah for 20 years. He was a co-investigator for the ARDSnet of the NIH and was the principle investigator of a randomized controlled trial of hyperbaric oxygen for acute carbon monoxide poisoning, published by the New England Journal of Medicine. He is a former president of the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society. He has authored and co-authored hundreds of papers, abstracts and book chapters. For 10 years he had a senior leadership role in the DoD effort to conduct blinded randomized trials of hyperbaric oxygen for post-concussive syndrome due to War-related mild traumatic brain injury. Research activities include study of neural auto-antibodies following carbon monoxide poisoning and a randomized trial of hyperbaric oxygen for sequelae months to years after brain injury. He enjoys off-road UTV and adventure motorcycle riding, SCUBA diving, and spending time with his family.

Marc Robins, DO, MPH, FUHM was the Intermountain Health Senior Medical Director for Wound & Hyperbaric Medicine Shared Services, now retired. He is a Past President of the UHMS and has served as Co-Chair for the Quality Utilization, Authorization and Reimbursement Committee and on the Education Committee for the UHMS.  He is an Associate Fellow of the Aerospace Medical Association (AsMA) and has served on the Science and Research committee AsMA since 2001-20. He is boarded in Hyperbaric Medicine, Aerospace Medicine, Occupational Medicine and Family Practice and retired as a Colonel from the USAF after a 20-year career in Aerospace Medicine.

After growing up in Michigan, Dr. Kelly went to medical school at Ross University, on the island of Dominican the West Indies.  He did his residency in emergency medicine at Charity Hospital, Louisiana State University in New Orleans.  Dr. Kelly did a fellowship in Undersea and Hyperbaric medicine/Wound Care at Charity Hospital, LSU finishing in 2004.  After his fellowship training, he spent several years in the San Francisco/Bay area working at several hospitals working in emergency medicine, and hyperbaric medicine/wound care.  He missed academic medicine, and was recruited to come to the University of Alabama at Birmingham to initiate a hyperbaric and wound care program in 2008.  The hyperbaric and wound care program at the University of Alabama was initiated 2012.  In 2014 he was recruited to the University of Pennsylvania, and he spent 5 years acting as Chief of Undersea and Hyperbaric medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. In 2020 he decided to return back to UAB.  Since that time, he has been acting as Co-medical director of the Hyperbaric and Wound Care program.  He also work in the Emergency Department at UAB and has been active in developing the Snakebite Program at UAB.

As commercial spaceflight opportunities increase in volume, a wider range of non-traditional astronauts will engage in spaceflight activities that have only ever been performed by professional astronauts. This includes living and working for a prolonged period in a microgravity environment in an orbiting space station or on the surface of a celestial body with the possibility of engaging in extravehicular activities (i.e. spacewalks). Human spaceflight support requires an understanding of hyperbaric and hypobaric medicine and barometric factors have contributed to a number of spaceflight events that resulted in lessons learned through either a near miss or a catastrophic event. As commercial companies develop space suits, perform EVAs on their missions, and build space stations, understanding the historical lessons learned and looking towards the future opportunities is vital in creating safe industry practices.

Dual board certification in Preventive as well as Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine. He is a lifetime member of the Wilderness Medical Society and fellow of the Academy of Wilderness Medicine. He has completed the Aviation Medical Examiner training from the Federal Aviation Administration. He is faculty for the UHMS Program for Advanced Training in Hyperbaric Medicine (PATH) program.

Robert V. Duncan is a physicist at Texas Tech University, Texas and previously served as vice chancellor for research at the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri.  Prior to his current posting he held various assignments while serving as a professor of physics at UNM, including associate dean for research in the college of arts and sciences there, professor of physics and astronomy at the University of New Mexico, was named as the Gordon and Betty Moore Distinguished Scholar in the division of physics, mathematics and astronomy at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), and is a fellow (and life member) of the American Physical Society "for pioneering advances in experimental studies of dynamic critical phenomena near the superfluid transition in 4He, and for the development of novel instrumentation and measurement techniques for use on earth and in space".

Dr. Gorenstein completed his undergraduate degree at Washington University and then Medical School at New York Medical College.  He then completed an Internship in Internal medicine at Winthrop Hospital and Emergency Medicine at Mt. Sinai Medical Center.  He has been involved in wound healing and regenerative medicine for over two decades. He is as Associate Professor in the Department of Surgery and is Clinical Director of the NYU Langone—Long Island Hospital Center for Advanced Wound Healing, he currently leads a staff of physicians, nurses, physician assistants, and other healthcare professionals providing advanced wound therapy for patients with complex chronic wounds is also director the hyperbaric medicine program. He hasserved as the President of the NE Chapter of the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine Society and sits on the national committee for accreditation for hyperbaric facilities.  He has published extensively on the subjects of wound care and regenerative medicine, and is actively involved in clinical trials.