NASS DFNS CLASS OF 2026
Stanley Herring, MD
UW Medicine Sports & Spine Physicians
Seattle, WA
PM&R
NASS Member Since 1985
What originally drew you to the field of spine care?
Dating back to my college days, I had an interest in clinical biomechanics, exercise and fitness-in short how to maximize function. That interest carried over through medical school and led me to choose a residency in physiatry. As my career moved into the world of sports medicine, I saw the spine as both the engine for musculoskeletal performance as well as a structure susceptible to injury and pain. Approaching the spine both as a critical part of any physical training program, and as a structure which needs comprehensive care remains a focus of my practice today.
Is there a NASS volunteer experience that had a lasting impact on you?
I was fortunate to serve on the NASS Board of Directors including being President of NASS in 2001-2002. During my presidential year, I was able to work with many others to develop the code of ethics and professional conduct for NASS including disclosure rules and management of conflicts of interest. These tenets of professionalism continue as one of the most robust set of principles of any major medical organization.
If you could go back and give your younger self one piece of career advice, what would it be?
Listen more and say less. Do not be swayed by any distractors, power, fame, or financial, that come between you and doing what is best for the patient and only for the patient.