GET TO KNOW US
Our expert team with over 120 years experience treating injured runners
Our team is a collaboration of surgeons, physiotherapist and runners. We are based in "Track Town USA", Eugene, Oregon. We are all runners at some level and we have all experienced injuries ourselves. Most of us regularly take care of runners. We understand the frustration of injuries and the confusion around the best way to resume running after an injury. We developed a protocol to return to running that we regularly use with our athletes. The Return to Running app is our attempt to share our protocol with all runners.
Stan James, MD
Dr. Stan James is a founding member of the American Society for Sports Medicine. He is perhaps best known for his landmark research on tendon healing in the 1970's. His clinical practice focused on knee injuries and running injuries. He collaborated with the legendary University of Oregon track coach and Nike co-founder, Bill Bowerman. He was a member of Bowerman's select think-tank for shoe design and was involved with biomechanical studies at University of Oregon on the design and effect of shoes/orthotics on running gait. He served as the medical director for the US Olympic Trials in ’76, ‘80, and ‘2008 and was on the medical staff for the 2012 and 2016 trials. He co-authored the article, “Injuries to Runners", published in an early edition of The American Journal of Sports Medicine, in 1976. It has become a noted reference for runners’ injuries. James has authored 57 publications both in peer-reviewed journals and requested contributions in books.
David Campbell, PT CSCS
"DC" currently serves as Physical Therapist for Oregon Track Club Elite a professional track and field program based in Eugene, where he is responsible for the management, treatment and prevention of sports injuries. OTC Elite athletes include Olympic and World Championship medalists. Before coming to the US he has worked with over 30 Olympic medalists from around the globe. DC was an elite runner himself, running sub 4 minutes for the mile and 1.45 for 800 meters. He competed for his home country, Ireland in the 2007 World Championships in Osaka Japan. His running career finished prematurely in 2009 due to injury and it is such experiences that has led him to see his running days as an apprenticeship for his current career as a physical therapist and performance facilitator. He is passionate about helping runners of all levels overcome obstacles preventing them from reaching their full potential.
Nick Strasser, MD
Dr. Strasser is a foot and ankle specialist at The Slocum Center for Orthopedics and Sports Medicine in Eugene. He ran competitively in college before attending medical school. He completed his orthopedic training at the Mayo Clinic and his fellowship in Charlotte, North Carolina. He serves as one of the team physicians for the University of Oregon and was co-medical director for the US Olympic Track and Field Trials in 2016 and 2021. He published several articles related to foot and ankle injuries in athletes.
David Tsai, MD
Dr. Tsai specializes in musculoskeletal and trauma radiology in Eugene. He received his medical degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. He trained in diagnostic radiology at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Medical Center. Dr. Tsai completed his fellowship training at Washington University’s Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology in musculoskeletal imaging. He also completed a second fellowship at University of Washington, Harborview Medical Center in Trauma and Emergency Imaging. He is an expert in the imaging and treatment of running injuries. His expertise is unparalleled in the treatment of many of the runners in Eugene. He has been a vital member of the medical team for the US Olympic Track and Field Trials. He has 3 children who run in Division 1 Cross Country/ Track and Field programs.
Luke Puskedra
Luke is a professional runner based in Eugene. He ran for the University of Oregon Cross Country and Track and Field programs where he earned 12 NCAA Division I All-American awards and was a 10,000 meter finalist at the NCAA level four years running from 2009 to 2012. He ran professionally after his university career and holds a personal best of 2:10 in the 2015 Chicago marathon. He competed in the 2016 and 2020 Olympic Marathon Trials, finishing 4th in 2016. Luke has a deep understanding of training methods and was instrumental in developing the RTR program from an athlete's point of view.
Dan Fitzpatrick, MD,MS
Dr. Fitzpatrick originally trained in biomechanical engineering, earning a masters degree before changing course and attending medical school. He currently practices at the Slocum Center for Orthopedics and Sports Medicine in Eugene. He completed his orthopedic surgery training at the University of Iowa before beginning practice in Eugene. He currently specializes in fracture care. Dr Fitzpatrick ran middle distance in college. He continues to be engaged with running injuries and technology development. He has published over 30 peer review articles and several book chapters. He was a member of the medical staff for the 2012, 2016 and 2021 Olympic Track and Field Trials.