SpineHope Board & Team
Matthew J. Geck, MD, Co-Founder / Board Chairman / Co-Medical Director
Matthew J. Geck is a board certified, fellowship trained orthopedic surgeon who has a practice focused exclusively on spine and scoliosis surgery. His practice is a referral center for some of the most complex cases of adult and pediatric scoliosis, as well as other complex problems of the adult and pediatric spine. He is currently a Co-Chief at Texas Spine and Scoliosis Center in Austin, Texas. Dr. Geck’s medical proficiencies and aptitudes, coupled with his leadership skills make him a great fit for his role with SpineHope.
Hal Katz, J.D., Legal Counsel
Hal is a Partner at Husch Blackwell, LLP. Hal practices in many facets of general corporate and transactional areas, such as the purchase and sale of businesses, mergers and acquisitions, corporate restructurings, reorganizations, franchises, joint ventures, management arrangements, employment and healthcare matters. Numerous businesses, governmental entities and nonprofit corporations rely on Hal to represent their interests in strategic planning and corporate governance matters. Before joining the firm, Hal was a Partner at Brown McCarroll. He is board certified in healthcare law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and a member of the firm’s Healthcare, Life Sciences & Education team. Hal also serves as SpineHope’s legal counsel and is focused on its development and growth as an organization.
Ethan S. Lauer, CNIM, Co-Founder / Board Member
Ethan S. Lauer is CEO of ImplantBase.Com, a cloud-based mobile platform for medical device sales professionals, distributors, and manufacturers — providing field inventory visibility, sales reporting, and surgery management. Ethan was previously CEO of NeuroTechs, a multi-state intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring (IOM) company. His background in IOM, a vital service during the spine surgeries we provide, and start-up business development experience serves SpineHope in establishing its foundation and continued growth.
Ryan C. Murdock, MD, MS, Board Member
Ryan Murdock, MD, MS, is the Founder and CEO of ThinksWorks, an innovative and flexible bracing treatment for Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis. Dr. Murdock is a mechanical engineer that became a pediatric orthopedic spine surgeon, inventor, and entrepreneur. Dr. Murdock received his B.S. in mechanical engineering and M.S. in biomedical engineering from the University of Rochester. He received his M.D. from the University of Pittsburgh, completed his residency in Orthopedic Surgery at the University of Maryland, and completed his fellowship training in pediatric orthopedic surgery at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Since 2015, Dr. Murdock has been a committed SpineHope volunteer. He has served as a volunteer spine surgeon for Global Outreach trips and for the U.S. Hub Program.
Alec Stall, MD, MPH, FAAOS, Board Member / Co-Medical Director
Alec Stall, MD, MPH, FAAOS is a board certified, fellowship trained orthopedic surgeon who has a practice focused on pediatric spine deformity. He is currently an Associate Professor of Orthopedics at the University of Central Florida School of Medicine and Vice-Chairman of Orthopedics at Nemours Children’s Hospital, Orlando, Florida where he has a lead role in resident and fellow education. He has a long-standing interest in international medical outreach, rooted in time spent studying abroad in Nepal. In addition to his medical degree, he has earned advanced degrees in public health and tropical medicine with a focus on international health and development. Since 2015, Dr. Stall has been a committed SpineHope volunteer, serving as a volunteer spine surgeon for multiple Global Outreach trips.
Jason York, MBA, Board Treasurer
Jason’s professional background includes: CEO/Administrator of Orthopedic Associates of Central Texas P.A. Director of Sports Medicine at Georgetown Hospital in Texas, Associate Instructor at Southwestern University and Texas State University; Director of Marketing for HealthSouth Central Texas; and Researcher with an emphasis on sports injuries to the vestibular system. Jason completed a Bachelors of Science in Sports Medicine, Exercise Science, and Physical Education from Canisius College in NY; a Masters of Science in Sports Medicine from West Virginia University; and a Masters of Business Administration from Troy State in Alabama. In 2014, Jason joined the Board of Directors at SpineHope to assist with organizational growth and outreach.
Dawn Deakin, MA, PMP, Executive Director
Dawn is a service-focused and mission-driven organizational leader and is honored to serve as SpineHope’s Executive Director. Dawn’s background includes experience managing nonprofit operations, building impactful programs, fundraising, event planning, marketing, cultivating relationships with diverse sets of stakeholders, leading volunteer teams, and working collaboratively to deliver results. With a passion for helping children in need, Dawn is proud to be able to support SpineHope’s mission, raise awareness, and extend its global reach.
Ingrid Villarreal, BSA, Patient Advocate, Content Writer, Social Media, Translator and Special Projects (Intern)
Ingrid is a graduate student at the University of Oxford in the UK working on her MSc in Applied Digital Health. Ingrid is passionate about finding new solutions through technology to improve healthcare delivery and outcomes. She has been involved with SpineHope since 2021 as a student at the University of Texas at Austin where she obtained her bachelor's degree in Biology Honors. As a prior scoliosis patient who wore a back brace through her adolescent years, Ingrid is very passionate about SpineHope and its mission. She is dedicated to spreading awareness for scoliosis and supporting current patients.
Isabella Villarreal, Patient Advocate, Content Writer, Social Media and Special Projects (Intern)
Isabella is an undergraduate student at Rice University and a part of the Rice-Baylor Medical Scholars Program. She plans to attend Baylor College of Medicine after graduating from Rice in 2025. She is majoring in Health Sciences with a minor in Entrepreneurship. Isabella was diagnosed with scoliosis as a young girl and wore a scoliosis brace throughout middle and high school; as such, she is passionate about helping others with spinal conditions and spreading awareness.