Dr. Sliney received his B.S. in physics from Virginia Polytechnic Institute, his M.S. in physics and radiological health from Emory University, and his Ph.D. in biophysics and medical physics from the University of London, Institute of Ophthalmology.  He was the Manager of the Laser/Optical Radiation Program at the US Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine for many years until retiring in 2007. His research interests focus on subjects related to UV effects upon the eye, optical hazards from intense light sources and lasers, laser-tissue interactions, laser hazards and laser applications in medicine and surgery.

He served as member, advisor and chairman of numerous committees and institutions, which are active in the establishment of safety standards for protection against non-ionizing radiation in particular from lasers and other high-intensity optical sources (ANSI, ISO, ACGIH, IEC, WHO, NCRP, and ICNIRP). 

He was a Fulbright Scholar to Yugoslavia in 1977 and received the Wilkening Award and the Schawlow Award from the LIA in 2005 and the Award for Distinguished Scientific Achievements from the Health Physics Society in 2009.  He served as President of the Laser Institute of America in 1992 and as President of the American Society for Photobiology during 2008-2009.