ACLM Board of Governors 2024-2025 - American College of Legal Medicine

Officers

Michael Vinluan, MD, JD, FCLM

President

As President of ACLM, Dr. Vinluan is deeply committed to advancing academic scholarship and advocacy in the dynamic field of legal medicine, while nurturing the professional growth of ACLM members. Collaborating closely with esteemed Officers and members of the Board of Governors, they collectively steer ACLM towards its mission of excellence in legal medicine. He is on the Editorial Committee of the forthcoming 8th edition of the preeminent textbook “Legal Medicine” and is also an author of several textbook chapters on medical malpractice and product liability. Dr. Vinluan chaired the 2023 ACLM 63rd Annual Conference in Orlando, Florida. Beyond his ACLM responsibilities, Dr. Vinluan serves as a medical-legal consultant and consulting medical expert for various plaintiff and defense law firms throughout the U.S. He has provided consulting on various complex multimillion-dollar litigation matters, ranging from medical malpractice and medical product liability to wrongful death cases, and has worked on some of the recent biggest multidistrict litigations cases. With a JD and Health Law Certificate from the University of Maryland Carey School of Law, his experience includes pragmatic research and writing on emerging healthcare issues for policy development, at both hospital and national levels. His dynamic background encompasses work experience at CDC, FDA, and Johns Hopkins Medicine.

Jennifer Unis Sullivan, DMD, JD, FCLM

President-Elect

Dr. Sullivan is the first female dentist in Pennsylvania to earn a law degree and pass the bar. She received her D.M.D. from Temple University Kornberg School of Dentistry in Philadelphia, and J.D. from the Thomas Kline School of Law at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh. She cofounded Unis Dental Associates, and continues to practice general and cosmetic dentistry as she has over the past 37 years. She has been routinely named one of Pittsburgh’s “Top Dentists” in Pittsburgh Magazine as voted by her patients and dental peers. Dr. Sullivan was appointed to the Pennsylvania State Board of Dentistry by Governor Tom Wolfe, and was recently unanimously elected to serve as Chair of the State Dental Board. She is a dental board examiner for CDCA-WREBCITA, and serves on their Steering Committee. As an Adjunct Assistant Professor at Temple University Kornberg School of Dentistry, she teaches the Legal Aspects of the Practice of Dentistry, Dental Licensing, Risk Management, and Ethics. She is also Chair of the Membership and Credentials Committee, and during her tenure has been instrumental in approving over 160 new members. She served as Co-Chair of the ACLM Dental Conferences in 2022 and 2023, and was the Co-Chair of 2024 ACLM 64th Annual Conference in San Diego, California. Dr. Sullivan serves on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Legal Medicine, the only dentist currently serving on the Board. Most importantly, Dr. Sullivan is a recipient of the ACLM Gold Medal Award. She is the first female dentist, and only the second dentist to receive this highest honor.

Richard Kelly, MD, JD, MPH, FASA, FCLM

Treasurer

Dr. Kelly is a full professor in the Department of Anesthesiology as well as a Senior Associate of the Health Policy Research Institute at the University of California in Irvine. His academic credentials include degrees from Harvard, Stanford, and Berkeley. His career has been characterized by a deep commitment to advancing knowledge in the areas where medicine and law overlap. With invitations to speak at conferences around the world, Dr. Kelly has been instrumental in shaping the discourse on critical issues of healthcare policy and medical ethics. His participation as a medical expert witness has helped shape the way the law approaches issues of medical negligence. Dr. Kelly’s current research interests include the medical, medicolegal, and scientific implications of marijuana and psychedelics. He is Emeritus Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Legal Medicine and a member of the Bar of the Supreme Court of the United States. Dr. Kelly was the Co-Chair of ACLM’s 2024 64th Annual Conference in San Diego, California.

Josanne (Jan) O’Dell, DDS, MFS, JD, FCLM

Secretary

Dr. O’Dell is currently an Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Endodontics at the University of Mississippi School of Dentistry. She completed both her BS and Masters in Forensic Science before Dental School and received advanced training in general dentistry, implant dentistry and her specialty in Endodontics. After 20+ years in private practice she pursued her JD. She has held leadership positions in multiple local, state and national organizations.

Eli N. Avila, MD, JD, MPH, FCLM, DABLM

Immediate Past President

Dr. Avila is a nationally recognized public health executive, physician, attorney, and academician. For twelve years he taught anterior segment and corneal transplant surgery at Columbia University’s Department of Ophthalmology and currently serves as the Distinguished Visiting Professor in Public Health at the School of Health Sciences of the New York Medical College. As the 26th Secretary of Health of Pennsylvania (the first Latino and second physician/attorney to hold this role), he presided over the health and welfare of 13 million lives. He served as the Governor’s Health Policy Advisor and as the Commonwealth’s public health liaison to the U.S. DHHS and the White House. During this tenure, he mediated Gubernatorial and Presidential differences regarding the constitutional right to vote among marginalized and insular residents of the Commonwealth. He has co-authored more than twenty-two public health laws. As a fiduciary of the public trust, he has identified almost $100M in fraud, waste, and abuse during his government roles, which include serving as the 9th Commissioner of Health of Orange County, NY and as the Chief Deputy Commissioner of Health of Suffolk County, NY. He and his health departments have been awarded $85 million in grants for health equity, public health research, community engagement, lifestyle medicine initiatives, best practices in chronic medicine, emergency preparedness/crisis management, and Tactical Emergency Medical Support.

Board of Governors

Santos Ruiz-Cordero, MD, JD, FCLM

Governor (2025)

Dr. Ruiz-Cordero was born in Mayagüez and lived in Añasco, Puerto Rico. He went to University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez campus where he obtained a BS in Biology, Cum Laude. He then went to the Univesidad Autónoma de Guadalajara (UAG), Mexico, where he obtained his MD degree and returned to Puerto Rico where he did his rotational internship at Hospital Comunitario Buen Samaritano in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. Since 2002, Dr. Ruiz-Cordero had been working as a primary care physician and ER screener physician. Dr. Ruiz–Cordero also earned a JD degree in Puerto Rico in 2009 and is admitted to practice law at the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico, Federal Court for the District of Puerto Rico, 11th Circuit Federal Court of Appeals, and the Supreme Court of the Unites States. In 2016, he and his wife Maria Zayas-Vazquez, Esq. co-founded Zayas and Ruiz Immigration Attorneys LLC, a law firm dedicated to immigration law in Fort Pierce, Florida. Dr. Ruiz-Cordero is Board Certified in Legal Medicine by the American Board of Legal Medicine.

John (JD) Daniels, JD, DO, MBA, MPH, MT (ASCP), FCAP, FCLM

Governor (2025)

Dr. Daniels is dually certified by the American Board of Pathology in Clinical Pathology and Transfusion Medicine and is an Assistant Professor at the University of Texas Health San Antonio (UTHSA). In addition to being a Fellow of the American College of Legal Medicine, he is a Fellow of the College of American Pathologists (CAP) serving on the CAP Federal and State Affairs Committee. Dr. Daniels’ professional interests include optimizing graduate medical education and medical ethics.

Adam McLaughlin, MD, JD, FRCSC, FCLM

Governor (2025)

Dr. McLaughlin is a practicing ophthalmologist and retinal surgeon in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. He is an assistant professor within the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Ottawa Eye Institute/L’Institut de l’œil de l’Université d’Ottawa. As a dual-certified physician who has practiced in both Canada and the United States, his interests include understanding and explaining the different models of healthcare delivery between these two countries. Within the ACLM he has been involved in the Student Writing Competition Committee. 

Mert N. Aksu, DDS, JD, MHSA, Cert. DPH, FCLM

Governor (2026)

Dr. Aksu has been serving as Dean of the University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry since July 1, 2008, making him the longest-serving dean in the school’s history. At the UDM School of Dentistry, he has been a faculty member and administrator since 1993. Dr. Aksu earned a B.S. in Biological Sciences and Psychology from the University of Michigan-Dearborn, a D.D.S. from the University of Michigan School of Dentistry, a J.D. from Wayne State University, and a Master’s in Health Services Administration from the University of Michigan. Most recently, he completed his specialty certificate in Dental Public Health at Case Western Reserve University. He is also a Diplomate of the American Board of Dental Public Health. Dean Aksu has served as a national consultant, working on cases involving both professional liability and criminal misconduct. He has been a highly regarded regular contributor to the American College of Legal Medicine as a program presenter for over 10 years. Additionally, Dr. Aksu serves on numerous boards and advisory committees, most notably as a non-executive board member for Great Expressions Dental Centers/Roark Capital Group.

B. Chandler May, MD, JD, FCLM

Governor (2026)

Dr. May is a clinical scientist in private practice in Santa Barbara, California. His practice encompasses more than thirty-five years of experience in General Otolaryngology with an emphasis on respiratory medicine, infectious disease, and trauma. Dr. May is a past of Chairman of Otolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery at Cottage Health, Santa Barbara, CA. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Fellow of the American Academy of Otolaryngic Allergy, Council Member of the American College of Legal Medicine, member of the California State Bar and an Agreed Medical Evaluator for the California Workers’ Compensation system. As a recognized international speaker, he has delivered hundreds of lectures to health-care audiences over the past twenty-five years. The past ten years have been increasingly involved in the research and development of the combination of levocetirizine and montelukast to treat a myriad of inflammatory diseases and conditions. Dr. May has authored original science in eight different medical disciplines. He presently holds 72 issued patents across 15 countries.

Elizabeth Valencia, MD, JD, FCLM

Governor (2026)

Dr. Valencia is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Radiology and Division of Breast Imaging and Intervention. She also served as the immediate past inaugural Enterprise Associate Dean of Diversity Equity and Inclusion for Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine across its campuses in Arizona, Florida, and Minnesota. She obtained her medical and law degrees from SIU School of Medicine & School of Law, and fellowship at the University of Washington Seattle Cancer Care Alliance. She serves on the AMA Minority Affairs Section as Chair of Engagement and is a Wellness through Equity Leadership Scholar. Dr. Valencia served as a health policy Dunn Fellow for the Governor of Illinois and is a recipient of the Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award and Illinois Women’s Bar Foundation Service Award. She created after-school programs for at-risk youth in San Diego, was appointed as City of San Diego Delegate for the U.S. Presidents’ Summit for America’s Future and is a recipient of the City of San Diego’s Volunteer of the Year Award. Dr. Valencia authored the 2004 American Medical Association Code of Medical Ethics, published in peer-reviewed journals, and a national speaker on breast cancer, women’s health, migrant health, health law, bioethics, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. Previously, she worked for Legal Aid on migrant worker occupational health rights. She continues to teach and mentor students and fellows. She is the daughter of migrant workers and is an advocate for the underrepresented in medicine (URiM) and underserved communities.

Michael Lee Brooks, MD, JD, FCLM

Governor (2027)

Dr. Brooks is a graduate of Hahnemann Medical College (now Drexel University College of Medicine) who completed a Diagnostic Radiology residency at Mercy Catholic Medical Center, in Darby, PA. Following residency, he completed a Neuroradiology fellowship at the Harvard Medical School/Brigham and Women’s Hospital and worked as an Instructor at Harvard Medical School and Staff Neuroradiologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. From 1988 to 1998, Dr. Brooks was Associate Director of the Graduate Hospital Imaging Center and Neuroradiologist for The Graduate Hospital in Philadelphia. From 1998 to 2020, Dr. Brooks was the Neuroradiology Section leader for Mercy Medical Imaging, now Mercy Diagnostic Imaging, and an instructor at Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital and Mercy Hospital of Philadelphia. In 2020, he joined Riverside Radiology and Lucid Solutions as a Neuroradiologist. In 2006, Dr. Brooks received his JD from the Temple University, Beasley School of Law and was admitted to the Pennsylvania Bar in 2007. He teaches medical topics and ethics to attorneys and is the Chair of the ACLM Ethics Committee. Dr. Brooks is a past Member of the Board of Directors of Mercy Health System, Co-Chair of the MFH Ethics Committee, and Chairman of the MCMC Bylaws Committee. He co-directs the Peer Learning Program for Lucid Health.

Stanley W. Fronczak, MD, JD, FAANS[L], FACS, FCLM

Governor (2027)

Dr. Fronczak is a retired neurosurgeon and a practicing attorney. He is a member of and Past-President of the Illinois State Neurosurgical Society. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, American Association of Neurological Surgeons (Lifetime) and the American College Legal Medicine. He is licensed to practice law in Illinois. His current interests are medical malpractice litigation, medical ethics, and neuroethics.

Amirala Pasha, DO, JD, FACP, FCLM

Governor (2027)

Dr. Pasha is an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of General Internal Medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. He currently serves as the Practice Chair for the Executive and Development Health Section. His research focuses on health law and policy with a special emphasis on FDA law and health policy education for clinicians. He is the editor of the recently published book titled Laws of Medicine: Core Legal Aspects for the Healthcare Professional and currently serves as the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Legal Medicine.

Robert Buckman, PhD, FCLM

Ex Officio Board Member – Education Fund Committee Chair

Dr. Buckman is a practicing Clinical Pharmacologist who served the State of Illinois as the Chair of the Drug Formulary for the Department of Public Aid for 25 years. He served as a Senior Consultant for the Illinois State Medical Society Drug and Therapeutics Committee. He also served as Senior Vice President, Director of Medica Affairs Worldwide, for the global Interpublic Advertising Group of Companies. Dr. Buckman was privileged to be one of the Navy’s first Medical Scholars named under the Health Professions Scholarship Program whereby he was able to complete his Clinical Pharmacology training. During active duty, Dr. Buckman was on the adjunct faculty of the Naval Academy with an adjunct clinical appointment at the National Naval Medical Center as he served as the Clinical Pharmacologist for the 3rd and 7th Naval Fleets. Dr. Buckman is an adjunct faculty member of the University of Wisconsin and lectures in the area of pharmacological therapeutics. Dr. Buckman is the second recipient of the ACLM President’s Distinguished Service Award in the 50-year history of the College.

Peter Rheinstein, MD, JD, MS, FAAFP, FAPCR, FCLM

Ex Officio Board Member – ABLM Chair

Dr. Rheinstein has chaired the American Board of Legal Medicine since 2011. As an ACLM Fellow since 1973, he has been a BOG member for 21 years and Gold Medal awardee. Since 2012, Peter has chaired the USAN Council which assigns all US generic drug names. He represents Maryland at the US Pharmacopeia. In AMA, he represents Academy of Physicians in Clinical Research where he is Treasurer and a past President. He is past President of Drug Information Association and Academy of Medicine of Washington, DC. Peter is a medical researcher and consultant on medical law and regulation. He publishes Discovery Medicine. He has practiced and taught medicine and been an executive and board member in the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries. He was an FDA executive for 25+ years. Peter has a BA and MS from Michigan State, MD from Johns Hopkins, and JD from the University of Maryland where he serves on the Alumni Board. He is licensed to practice medicine and law and board certified in legal medicine, family medicine, and geriatrics.

Amirala Pasha, DO, JD, FACP, FCLM

Ex Officio Board Member – JLM Editor-in-Chief

[Year after name denotes end of term at Annual Meeting.]