Education & Advocacy

The URNI is training the next generation of clinicians and researchers who will become leaders in the field of neurorestoration. We plan to utilize our academic infrastructure to offer clinical and research fellowships, a master of science degree in medical devices, and PhD candidacy from the departments of biomedical engineering, biomedical genetics, brain and cognitive science, neurosciences, pathology, pharmacology and physiology, and other University of Rochester and School of Medicine and Dentistry programs.

We are partnering with the community to establish programs to provide education, raise societal consciousness, advance patient and family centered care, and stimulate government and philanthropic support.

Faculty member Rondy Lazaro, M.D. is a physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist who will develop a new research education program for residents. His research focuses on the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System. He recently published an article in The Journal of Spine on outcomes of spinal cord injections of lidocaine. In addition to his clinical and research efforts, Dr. Lazaro, alongside Dr. Berk, mentors our junior faculty members.

Our newest physical medicine and rehabilitation physician specialist is Jordan Adler, M.D. who was appointed an Assistant Professor of Clinical Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation on July 1, 2021. He completed a residency in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation at Virginia Commonwealth University, and then completed a Fellowship in Spinal Cord Injury Medicine at Virginia Commonwealth University.

In the coming year, we plan to fund a clinical fellow trained on the broad and unique set of issues involved with restoring brain function. The URNI seeks to ultimately endow this fellowship to secure the sustained support needed to inspire the next generation of researchers.