Elliot J. Roth, MD, FACRM

About Me

Elliot J. Roth, MD, is an Attending Physician in Shirley Ryan AbilityLab’s Brain Innovation Center and Program Director for the hospital’s accredited Brain Injury Medicine Fellowship. Additionally, he is the Paul B. Magnuson Professor and Chairman of PM&R at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and Chairman of the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at Northwestern Medicine. Previously, he served as Senior Vice President and Medical Director for the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (now Shirley Ryan AbilityLab). He is board-certified in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (PM&R) and Brain Injury Medicine.

Dr. Roth brings more than 30 years of experience in rehabilitation patient care, research, teaching and program leadership for patients with stroke, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury and other neurological conditions. His research and academic interests focus on novel methods to enhance recovery, improve functional outcomes and prevent associated medical conditions.

He currently is Project Director of a Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) on methods to enhance community living for people with physical disabilities. He recently completed RRTC grants on stroke rehabilitation, which he led for more than 20 years, and on health and function in physical disability. He is the Principal Investigator on several other research projects focused primarily on neurorehabilitation, including an NIH-supported project on stroke-induced hand dysfunction and a project focused on treatment of long COVID. He has published more than 180 papers on neurorehabilitation, and he holds a patent on a method and apparatus for artificially stimulating cough reflex in people with spinal cord injuries.

In addition to his research, teaching and administrative responsibilities, Dr. Roth has an active medical practice. A passionate supporter of the team approach to care and research, Dr. Roth emphasizes interdisciplinary collaboration in his clinical and academic activities. He is widely recognized as a leading expert in interdisciplinary neurorehabilitation and has received many awards from national organizations.

Dr. Roth earned his Doctor of Medicine from Northwestern University. He completed his internship at Cook County Hospital, and both his residency and fellowship through the McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University/Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (now Shirley Ryan AbilityLab). He serves on the boards for a number of nonprofit organizations and previously served on the board for Access Living.