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Final Program


AT-A-GLANCE PDF

John Ross Rizzo, M.D., M.S.C.I., F.A.C.R.M

Health System Director of Disability Inclusion
NYU Langone Health

I am the Health System Director of Disability Inclusion at NYU Langone Health and Associate Professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine. I also serve as Vice Chair for Innovation and Equity, with cross-appointments in Neurology, Ophthalmology, Biomedical Engineering, Mechanical / Aerospace Engineering and Electrical and Computer Engineering (last 3 from NYU Tandon School of Engineering). I direct two research laboratories and oversee a research program that is intrinsically transdisciplinary. I combine my medical training in disability medicine with a broad background in neuroscience, translational medicine, assistive technologies, and technology management. My work is both theoretical and also applied. In my basic research, I study the intersection of visuomotor processing, executive functioning, and biomechanics/motor control. This research focuses on interference patterns between coordinated effector systems and how pathologic breakdowns or dyscoordination may lead to greater functional impairment. In my applied research, I develop and evaluate bio-inspired, multi-sensory assistive technologies that support inclusion, access, and functional independence for people with disabilities. As a legally blind advocate who works in academic medicine and science, travels constantly, and adopts assistive technologies, I am sensitive to and cognizant of the particular access gaps and ergonomic needs of the blind and low vision (BLV) population. My phenomenology provides critical and direct lived experience that complements my research program and also the programs of my collaborators. Our research has influenced other investigators both domestically and internationally in varied health and science domains. My dedication to improving healthcare accessibility demonstrated as PI or Co-PI on multiple NIH, NSF, DOD, FDA, and NIDILRR grants, and as author or co-author of over 150 publications in relevant research domains, combined with our investigatory team's national, transdisciplinary collaborations on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) initiatives, drives our health system's commitment to disability inclusion and will significantly enhance the success of this proposal.

Poster(s):