McMullen named Sports & Spine head as Herring steps down

After 20 years of leading the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine's Sports & Spine Division, Clinical Professor Stan Herring, MD, will step down as division head effective July 1, 2026.

While stepping away from the leadership role, Dr. Herring will continue serving the department and the broader University of Washington community as medical director of the Sports Concussion Program, senior advisor to The Sports Institute, and a clinician providing musculoskeletal care within the division.

It is difficult to overstate Dr. Herring's impact on the division and the department. Under his leadership, the Sports & Spine Division grew significantly in both size and reputation. Dr. Herring helped establish a nationally recognized program known for clinical excellence and advanced musculoskeletal care.

Dr. Herring's decades of work with the Seattle Seahawks brought national visibility to UW Medicine. He also played a leading role in advancing concussion safety through the Zackery Lystedt Law, landmark legislation that helped reshape concussion awareness and protections for young athletes in Washington state and across the country.

The department is also pleased to announce that Associate Professor of Clinical Practice Chris McMullen, MD, will become the new division head.

Dr. McMullen has been a dedicated leader within the division and will continue serving as associate program director of the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation residency program. In that role, he has helped educate and mentor future physiatrists and sports medicine specialists.

"As we celebrate this transition, we are grateful for Dr. Herring's extraordinary leadership and lasting contributions to the division, the department, and UW Medicine," said Janna Friedly, MD, MPH, professor and chair of rehabilitation medicine. "We are equally excited to welcome Dr. McMullen into this new leadership role and look forward to the division's continued success under his guidance."