Earl R. Dorsey

Ray Dorsey serves as the David M. Levy Professor of Neurology at the University of Rochester's School of Medicine and Dentistry, holding a part-time faculty appointment in the Department of Neurology and the Center for Health and Technology (SMD). His pioneering work focuses on identifying and eliminating the root causes of Parkinson's disease through innovative care delivery models and digital health technologies.

Dr. Dorsey's educational background includes:

• BS in Biological Science from Stanford University (1994)
• MD from University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine (1999)
• MBA in Health Care Management from The Wharton School at The University of Pennsylvania (1999)
• Neurology Residency at Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (2002-2005)

His research program centers on addressing what he terms the "Parkinson pandemic" - the rapidly growing global burden of Parkinson's disease. Dr. Dorsey has revolutionized neurological care through telemedicine applications, conducting the first national randomized controlled trial of virtual house calls for Parkinson's disease. His work demonstrates that remote consultations can effectively deliver specialized neurological care regardless of geographic location, addressing critical shortages of movement disorder specialists. He has pioneered the use of smartphones, wearable sensors, and machine learning algorithms to continuously monitor disease symptoms in real-world settings, enabling more frequent and objective assessments than traditional clinic visits.

Analysis of Dr. Dorsey's publication record reveals a strategic progression from foundational epidemiological studies documenting the growing burden of neurological disorders toward innovative solutions using digital health technologies. His recent work increasingly focuses on practical implementation of virtual care models, patient-centered outcome measurement, and leveraging big data analytics for disease progression modeling. The interdisciplinary nature of his research bridges clinical neurology, health services research, data science, and healthcare policy.

Among his notable recognitions:

• White House "Champion of Change" for Parkinson's Disease (2015)

Dr. Dorsey plays a pivotal role in the University of Rochester's Center for Health + Technology (CHeT), which has coordinated over 150 clinical research studies involving 45,000+ participants that have led to 12 FDA-approved treatments. His work extends to advising on clinical trial design, data analysis strategies, and implementation of digital health tools in research settings. He has contributed to numerous studies examining healthcare resource utilization, drug development economics, and policy implications of neurological disorders.

As a leader in CHeT Innovation, Dr. Dorsey oversees initiatives that deploy smartphones, wearables, and radio-wave sensors in fully virtual studies to enable trial participation from anywhere. His team has conducted over 30 studies involving virtual assessments with more than 3,500 participants, demonstrating these approaches are feasible, effective, and well-liked by both patients and providers.