Michael Nirenberg

Michael S. Nirenberg (born October 4, 1965) is an American podiatric surgeon, researcher and forensic expert who has made substantial contributions to the development of forensic medicine, walking kinesthetics and the promotion of bare foot and minimalist footwear use. He has appeared on national radio and television broadcasts, including Fox News, PBS and the History Channel; as well as magazines including FIRST for Women, Whole Living, Vim & Vigor and Women’s Adventure Magazine; and various newspapers including The Wall Street Journal.
Education and career
Michael Nirenberg was born on October 04, 1965, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, to Harvey Nirenberg, a real estate developer, and Marlene Nirenberg, a homemaker. He graduated from A.Y. Jackson Secondary School in Toronto. He went on to attend the University of Western Ontario where he was granted a Bachelor’s degree and later received his Doctor of Podiatric Medicine degree from William M. Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine in 1991. He then completed a residency in foot and ankle surgery at St. Mary Medical Center in Hobart, Indiana. He is Board Certified in Podiatric Medicine and Surgery.
Starting in 1993, Nirenberg served for 15 years as a Podiatric Residency Instructor, teaching new podiatrists the art and science of treating patients. He has lectured on podiatry at Indiana University Northwest, Valparaiso University, cosmetology schools (to future pedicurists), hospitals, and for the Chicago Chapter of the Arthritis Foundation, Kiwanis, and other community groups.
Medical achievements
Nirenberg has made many contributions to basic and clinical research on podiatric conditions, diseases, and surgical procedures. In addition, Nirenberg has been recognized for delineating the mechanisms whereby severe pain in the foot can be generated by tumors elsewhere in the body, as published in the Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association.
Nirenberg has played an important role in developing strategies for the practice of forensic podiatry and has assisted with criminal investigations involving foot-related evidence, and lectured on the subject of forensic podiatry to law enforcement, forensic scientists, podiatrist, as well as at universities and colleges throughout the United States.
He has been a pioneer in the field of human forensic podiatry, coining the term with regard to medical/legal criminal investigations involving foot-related evidence and he originated the concept which later became the American Society of Forensic Podiatry. He also published a high-tech method for performing forensic examinations on the inside of footwear.
His writings include articles published in the Journal of Foot Surgery, Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association and the Journal of Forensic Identification. He is a strong advocate of barefoot activity and serves as podiatry consultant to the Barefoot Runners Society.
In 2010, Nirenberg developed FloWalking which has been termed by Terry Borsook, Ph.D. Cand. Pain Researcher at the University of Toronto as "a fantastic way to quickly reap the tremendous benefits of exercise." Daniel Howell, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Biology at Liberty University has stated "with the development of FloWalking, Dr. Nirenberg has once again proven that he is one America’s most forward-thinking podiatrists."
Memberships
Nirenberg is a member of the board of the American Society of Forensic Podiatry, and a member of the American Podiatric Medical Association, the America College of Forensic Examiners International, the International Association for Identification, and the Indiana Podiatric Medical Association. Nirenberg served on the 2008 Forensic Podiatry Subcommittee for International Association for Identification and served on the American Podiatric Medical Association Podiatric Seal of Approval Committee, 2008-2010.
Awards
Distinguished Podiatric Writing Award for “Forensic Methods and the Podiatric Physician,” published in the Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association while still a medical student. This marked the first and only time that the Journal published a paper by a student without a physician as a co-author.
Best Podiatrist in Crown Point, Indiana by the Northwest Indiana Times and the Post-Tribune newspapers in 2010 and 2011.
Selected publications
* Nirenberg M.S., "New Method of Examining the Inside of Footwear," Journal of Forensic Identification, June 2008, Volume 58, Number 3, pp. 297-304.
* Nirenberg, M.S., “Forensic Methods and the Podiatric Physician,” The Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association, May 1989, Volume 79, Number 5, pp. 247-252.
* Nirenberg, M.S., Leavitt, K.M., Wood, B., Yong, R.M., “Titanium Hemi-Great Toe Implant: A Preliminary Study of Its Efficacy,” The Journal of Foot Surgery, May/June 1991 Volume 30, Number 3, pp. 289-293
* “Pigmented Villondodular Synovitis: A Case Study and Literature Review” Presented at the 66th Annual Indiana Podiatric Medical Association Convention, October 20, 1992.
* Nirenberg M.S., "Foot Notes" NW Indiana Parent Magazine, July 2008, page 20.
* Walk Better To Get Fit Faster, WalkAbout Magazine, Colorado, January 2012.
* Barefoot Running: A Podiatrist’s Perspective in The Barefoot Running Book, 2nd Ed., August, 2010.

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