John-Ross Rizzo

John-Ross (JR) Rizzo, M.D., M.S.C.I., is an American physician-scientist known for his contributions to the field of healthcare and rehabilitation. He holds the Melamid Professorship in Rehabilitation (Disability) Medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center. Dr. Rizzo has made strides in the areas of disability inclusion, innovation, and equity within the medical community. At NYU Langone Medical Center, Dr. Rizzo serves as the first Health System Director of Disability Inclusion, which seeks to increase accessibility and inclusivity within healthcare. Additionally, he holds the position of Vice Chair of Innovation and Equity for the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine. His affiliations include the Department of Neurology, where he contributes to the advancement of neurological sciences, as well as the Departments of Biomedical & Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at New York University Tandon School of Engineering. Within Tandon, he also contributes to the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department as the associate director of Healthcare for the NYU Wireless Center. Dr. Rizzo has published 125 peer-reviewed publications, contributed to 12 textbooks, and co-authored many conference proceedings. He has been funded by 5 federal agencies and lead/co-lead grants exceeding $10M.

Dr. Rizzo is the founding director of the Visuomotor Integration Laboratory (VMIL). Within this innovative research space, his team explores the dynamics of eye-hand coordination and its relevance to neurological conditions. He also leads the REACTIV Laboratory (Rehabilitation Engineering Alliance and Center Transforming Low Vision) which seeks to address the challenges faced by individuals with visual impairments. He and his team focus on developing low- and high-tech assistive technologies, with a special emphasis on wearables.

In addition to his academic and research pursuits, Dr. Rizzo was appointed in 2023 by Governor Kathy Hochul to the Board of Directors of The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). Provided by Wikipedia