Ronald J. Ross is a Cleveland, Ohio

radiologist Radiology ( ) is the medical specialty that uses medical imaging to diagnose diseases and guide treatment within the bodies of humans and other animals. It began with radiography (which is why its name has a root referring to radiation), but tod ...

known for research on brain injury in professional and amateur

boxer Boxer most commonly refers to: *Boxer (boxing), a competitor in the sport of boxing * Boxer (dog), a breed of dog Boxer or boxers may also refer to: Animal kingdom * Boxer crab * Boxer shrimp, a small group of decapod crustaceans * Boxer snipe ee ...

s and for the first clinical use of

nuclear magnetic resonance Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is a physical phenomenon in which nuclei in a strong constant magnetic field are disturbed by a weak oscillating magnetic field (in the near field) and respond by producing an electromagnetic signal with a ...

imaging (NMR later known as

MRI Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a medical imaging technique used in radiology to generate pictures of the anatomy and the physiological processes inside the body. MRI scanners use strong magnetic fields, magnetic field gradients, and rad ...

) on human patients. Ross is also credited with the first use of head and whole body

computed tomography A computed tomography scan (CT scan), formerly called computed axial tomography scan (CAT scan), is a medical imaging technique used to obtain detailed internal images of the body. The personnel that perform CT scans are called radiographers or ...

imaging (CT) in a private clinical setting in the United States.

Biography

Early life and education

Ross is one of three children born of Lithuanian and Russian immigrants. He grew up and attended school in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. Ross earned his undergraduate degree from

Case Western Reserve University Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) is a Private university, private research university in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It was established in 1967 by a merger between Western Reserve University and the Case Institute of Technology. Case ...

in 1956 and received his medical degree from

Albert Einstein College of Medicine The Albert Einstein College of Medicine is a Private university, private medical school in New York City. Founded in 1953, Einstein is an independent degree-granting institution within the Montefiore Einstein Health System. Einstein hosts Doc ...

in 1960.

Career

After completing his internship and residency in radiology in Cleveland, Ross was awarded a Fulbright scholarship and Government of Sweden Award in 1964 to complete his fellowship studies in radiology at

Karolinska University Hospital The Karolinska University Hospital () is a teaching hospital affiliated with Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden, with two major sites in the municipalities of Solna and Huddinge. The hospital network is the second largest in Sweden, after ...

. In the mid-1970s, he opened the first U.S. based private diagnostic imaging center that featured a whole body

CT scanner A computed tomography scan (CT scan), formerly called computed axial tomography scan (CAT scan), is a medical imaging technique used to obtain detailed internal images of the body. The personnel that perform CT scans are called radiographers or ...

for clinical use. In 1981, he performed the world's first MRI clinical studies on patients. Ross's medical research includes brain damage in boxers and the MRI evaluation of diseases of the breast. Ross was as an abstractor for radiology journals. In 1983, his study of brain injuries in professional and amateur boxers was published by the

Journal of the American Medical Association ''JAMA'' (''The Journal of the American Medical Association'') is a peer-reviewed medical journal published 48 times a year by the American Medical Association. It publishes original research, reviews, and editorials covering all aspects of ...

; the study drew global attention, stirred up controversy in the boxing world and spurred the

American Medical Association The American Medical Association (AMA) is an American professional association and lobbying group of physicians and medical students. This medical association was founded in 1847 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Membership was 271,660 ...

to call for stricter medical supervision of the sport in the United States. In 1998, Ross was elected to the National

Fulbright Association The Fulbright Association is an American 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose members are Fulbright Program alumni and friends of international education. Established on February 27, 1977, the association supports and promotes international edu ...

Board of Trustees in Washington, D.C., and served as its national president from 1998 to 2000. Ross retired from the practice of medicine in 2000 after a career that spanned 40 years. He is currently the Director Emeritus of the Department of Radiology and Chairman of the Board of Trustees at

Hillcrest Hospital Cleveland Clinic Hillcrest Hospital is a comprehensive-care hospital on Mayfield Road in Mayfield Heights, Ohio, United States. It is part of the Cleveland Clinic Health System. The hospital currently has 500 registered beds, and serves as a le ...

- Cleveland Clinic Health System and serves on the Board of Directors and Board of Trustees of the

Cleveland Clinic Cleveland Clinic is an American Nonprofit organization, nonprofit Academic health science center, academic Medical centers in the United States, medical center based in Cleveland, Ohio. Owned and operated by the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, an O ...

Personal life

Ross is married to Helen Manas Ross and they have 3 grown children.

Bibliography

* * * * * * * *

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ross, Ronald J. Living people Year of birth missing (living people) Physicians from Cleveland American radiologists Case Western Reserve University alumni Albert Einstein College of Medicine alumni History of medical imaging