As founder and guiding force behind the Nilssen Ankle and Foot Center, in Pensacola Florida, Dr. Nilssen devotes his passion for service to building the most premier center in the world. In addition to his practice, he also devotes time to mentoring both Sports Medicine and Foot & Ankle Fellows through the AREI Dual Fellowship Program.
Dr. Nilssen graduated cum laude from Auburn University in 1996. He completed USF School of Medicine in 2002 then went on to achieve his orthopaedic residency at McGill University in 2007. He is the only person to have completed fellowships in both Sports Medicine and Foot & Ankle at the American Sports Medicine Institute under the Direction of Dr. James R. Andrews.
Dr. Nilssen is board certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. He is an Associate Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of South Alabama College Of Medicine. Currently, he serves as the Medical Director of Under Armour, the National Volleyball League, Multisport Performance Institute, and Athletes’ Performance Gulf Breeze. He also serves as a team physician for Intercollegiate Sports at Auburn University, as well as an orthopaedic consultant for the athletic teams of West Florida University and Pensacola State Junior College. In addition, Dr. Nilssen consults for various professional teams throughout the NFL, NBA, and Olympic Sports.
Dr. Nilssen has called Gulf Breeze home since 2009. He enjoys the beach, boating, college sports, and Paleo-Indian artifacts.