Keynote Speakers
John P. Patalak, PhD, PE
Vice President, Safety Engineering | NASCAR
Owner | Blue Blinker LLC
Adjunct Faculty | University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Dr. John Patalak is a recognized authority in occupant crash protection, biomechanical engineering, and motorsport safety. Currently serving as the Vice President of Safety Engineering at NASCAR, Dr. Patalak leads initiatives in driver safety, crash and injury investigation, safety equipment research, and the development of test methods and specifications that advance industry standards.
His passion for mechanical systems and automotive technology began early, leading him to earn a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from The Pennsylvania State University in 2001. Early in his career at ARCCA, Incorporated, he focused on accident reconstruction, vehicle crash testing, and human injury analysis. This experience sparked a career-long commitment to crash safety and injury prevention. In 2005, he joined NASCAR, where he has spent the last 20 years advancing the science and implementation of motorsport crash safety.
In 2015, Dr. Patalak returned to graduate studies to deepen his understanding of crash biomechanics. He earned both a Master of Science (2017) and a Ph.D. (2019) in Biomedical Engineering from the Virginia Tech – Wake Forest University School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences, where his research focused on injury biomechanics in high-speed crashes.
At NASCAR, Dr. Patalak’ s role encompasses leadership of safety rulemaking, testing and evaluation of safety equipment, crash and injury investigation, and computer modeling efforts. He has developed and implemented numerous quasi-static and dynamic testing procedures, some of which have been adopted as new industry standards. His innovative work has resulted in multiple U.S. patents, more than 20 peer-reviewed scientific publications, and high-profile recognitions, including the prestigious Ralph H. Isbrandt Automotive Safety Engineering Award from the Society of Automotive Engineers.
Dr. Patalak also contributes to the broader engineering and motorsport communities through roles on the Snell Foundation Board and as a research peer reviewer for the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA). He has been a licensed Professional Engineer in North Carolina since 2007 and maintains a National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying Record.
In addition to his work at NASCAR, Dr. Patalak is the owner of Blue Blinker LLC and an adjunct faculty member at UNC Charlotte’s Department of Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Science, where he shares his expertise with the next generation of engineers. He teaches a course titled Motorsport Driver Crash Safety, which integrates biomechanics and mechanical engineering principles to explore crash injury prevention and driver protection for both consumer and motorsport vehicles. Through Blue Blinker LLC, Dr. Patalak provides consulting services in occupant protection, injury investigation, and testing and analysis, employing a range of tools—from physical testing to computational modeling—to develop robust understandings of restraint system performance and injury mechanisms.
Julia Vaizer, MD
Assistant Professor of Clinical Emergency Medicine
Medical Director Indianapolis Motor Speedway and INDYCAR
Deputy Medical Director IU Health Lifeline
Program Director Motorsports Medicine Fellowship Network
In 2023, Dr. Julia Vaizer became the first female medical director for INDYCAR and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, bringing a deep expertise and leadership to one of the world’s largest single-day sporting events. In this role, she oversees medical operations for one of the most high-stakes environments in sports—the legendary Indianapolis 500. Dr. Vaizer leads a team of over 200 physicians, nurses, and paramedics responsible for the care of drivers, pit crews, staff, and more than 300,000 fans on race day.
Dr. Vaizer graduated from the University of Florida in 2011 and earned her medical degree from UCF in 2016. She was the first graduate of the Motorsports Medicine Fellowship at IU School of Medicine, a university-based postgraduate fellowship in motorsports medicine founded by motorsports medicine pioneer Geoffrey Billows, MD, in 2020.
During this captivating keynote, Dr. Vaizer will provide a global overview of motorsports medicine, INDYCAR medical and safety, and medical prep for the INDY 500. Prepare to think outside the box of what is “typical” for automotive safety.
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Special Interest Group Speakers
Jchanet Tan, PhD, BSc (Hons), CIT
Certified Child Passenger Safety Technician, Instructor, and Advisor
Presenting: Global Child and Youth Safety Special Interest Group Special Session
Jchanet Tan is a Certified Child Passenger Safety Technician Instructor and Advisor, certified from USA and UK. She is also a founding member of Child Passenger Safety Malaysia (CPSM). She is a trainer and coach by profession with many years’ experiences in the hospitality industry.
Dr. Tan has been a strong advocate in child safety for more than five years prior to setting up Child Passenger Safety Malaysia with three other partners. Together they are a group of individuals passionate about road safety especially for children. Their aim is to reduce the number of serious traffic injuries of children by being advocates of road safety focusing on children through creating awareness on usage of child safety seats and seat belts. Their vision is ZERO death of children resulting from riding unrestrained in motor vehicles.
Dr. Tan holds a doctorate in Business Administration from Southwest State University, The Russian Federation Federal State Budget Educational Institution of Higher Education. She is also the only person in Malaysia that is both a Child Passenger Safety Technician Instructor by SafeKids Worldwide and a Child Safety Seat Advisor by IOSH UK. Jchanet’s passion for child safety has driven her to take up the calling of being an advocate and certified instructor for child passenger safety.