WNFC Establishes First-Ever Medical Advisory Group, Setting a New Standard for Women’s Pro Tackle Football

The Women’s National Football Conference (WNFC) proudly announces the formation of its first-ever Medical Advisory Group, an unprecedented milestone in the history of professional women’s tackle football.

For the first time in the sport’s existence, a medical body has been assembled specifically to serve women competing at the highest level of professional tackle football. This is not an adaptation of standards built for others. It is a purpose-built, women-centered medical and scientific infrastructure designed to advance outcomes, elevate safety, and redefine the standard of care in contacts sports.

This initiative represents a defining step forward in the professionalization of women’s football and reinforces the WNFC’s long-standing commitment: when the level of play rises, the level of protection, research, and care must rise with it.

A Proactive Approach to Athlete Health

The WNFC Medical Advisory Group has been created to provide independent, evidence-based medical guidance to the League Office and Commissioner. Organized and led by Stephanie Balochko and Andrea Snead, the group will strengthen and unify medical standards across the league.

Its work will focus on:

• Advancing women-specific sports science research

• Enhancing injury prevention and return-to-play protocols

• Informing rule, equipment, and safety evaluations

• Building a comprehensive league-wide medical data framework

• Establishing consistent standards for athlete wellness and long-term performance

The mandate is clear: protect and elevate the health, safety, and performance longevity of every WNFC athlete while positioning the league at the forefront of medical excellence in women’s football.

A Cross-Disciplinary Powerhouse

To meet the complex realities of professional tackle football, the WNFC assembled a founding group of nationally respected leaders across psychiatry, sports medicine, endocrinology, surgery, performance science, and athlete wellness. This diversity ensures that athlete health is addressed holistically from acute injury response to long-term resilience and career sustainability.

Dr. John Dougherty III, DO

A board-certified psychiatrist with expertise in traumatic brain injury, sports psychiatry, and sports psychology, Dr. Dougherty works with athletes at every level, including professionals, to optimize mental and metabolic performance. He completed his psychiatry residency at Johns Hopkins Hospital and trained in family medicine at Bryn Mawr Hospital, earning the Resident Mental Health Award. He holds a master’s degree in Genetics from Thomas Jefferson University and earned his medical degree from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine.

A member of the International Society of Sports Psychiatry and former board member of the American Society of Ketamine Physicians, Psychotherapists & Practitioners, Dr. Dougherty brings critical leadership in concussion care, neuropsychiatric recovery, and the psychological demands unique to collision sports.

Dr. Erin King-Mullins, MD

A double board-certified general and colorectal surgeon, Dr. King-Mullins is founder of the Colorectal Wellness Center and a summa cum laude graduate of Xavier University of Louisiana. She earned her medical degree from Emory University and completed surgical training at Orlando Health, followed by fellowship training in colorectal surgery in Georgia.

Her expertise strengthens the league’s approach to trauma-informed care, surgical readiness, and systemic health considerations within a high-contact sport environment.

Dr. Justin Lockrem, MD, CAQSM

Dr. Lockrem currently serves as Head Football Team Physician at Purdue University and previously held team physician roles at Boston College, West Virginia University, and UNC-Chapel Hill. He has also consulted with the New England Patriots.

Board-certified in Sports Medicine with a Certificate of Added Qualifications, Dr. Lockrem brings elite football experience, including diagnostic ultrasound and position-specific concussion protocols. His background ensures WNFC medical standards align with the highest levels of football performance and safety.

Dr. Farah Tejpar, MD

Dr. Tejpar is a board-certified sports medicine physician and Section Head of Sports Medicine at Cleveland Clinic Florida. She served seven seasons as team physician for the NHL’s Florida Panthers and currently serves as Regional Medical Director for The Trust, supporting the long-term health of former NFL athletes.

Her expertise in longitudinal athlete care, recovery systems, and professional sports medicine leadership strengthens the WNFC’s commitment to sustainable, evidence-based athlete support.

Dr. Shamita Trivedi, MD

A nationally recognized endocrinologist and Medical Director of Casad Health and Wellness, Dr. Trivedi specializes in hormone optimization and metabolic performance. An athlete herself, she brings nearly two decades of experience in women’s endocrine health, resilience science, and longevity medicine.

Her leadership ensures that menstrual health, hormone balance, metabolic performance, and female physiology are integrated into football medicine standards, areas historically overlooked in contact sports.

Dr. Jessica Zarndt, DO, FAAFP

Dr. Zarndt currently serves as Head Team Physician for the WNBA Champion Las Vegas Aces and as a Team Physician for the Las Vegas Raiders. Her previous experience includes roles with the University of Texas Longhorns, Los Angeles Dodgers, and UCLA Bruins.

With expertise in injury prevention, performance optimization, and return-to-play decision-making, Dr. Zarndt also serves on the Advisory Board for Who We Play For, advancing heart screening and sudden cardiac death prevention, a critical component of oversight in high-intensity collision sports.

A Historic First for Women’s Tackle Football

No professional women’s tackle football league in history has built a medical advisory body solely dedicated to women competing in the sport. The WNFC is not waiting for standards to be handed down. It is building them.

By integrating concussion science, endocrine health, trauma-informed care, performance analytics, mental health expertise, and research-driven policy, the WNFC is establishing the most comprehensive medical framework ever created for women in football.

As competition intensifies and the game continues to evolve, athlete protection must evolve in equal measure. This Medical Advisory Group represents more than oversight, it represents ambition.

The WNFC Medical Advisory Group marks the beginning of a new era, one where performance and protection rise together, and where the future of women’s professional football is defined not only by championships, but by care.