Ross Zafonte, DO, is a nationally and internationally recognized physician-scientist who currently serves as the interim Hugh E. and Sarah D. Stephenson Dean of the University of Missouri School of Medicine. He is also a professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation and the Richard Sheldon Professor of Anesthesiology.

Dr. Zafonte first joined the Mizzou School of Medicine as executive vice dean in October 2024. He came to mid-Missouri from Harvard Medical School and Mass General Brigham, where he served as the president of the Spaulding Rehabilitation Network, and as the Earl P. and Ida S. Charlton Professor and chair of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Dr. Zafonte remains a professor emeritus at Harvard Medical School.

Under Dr. Zafonte’s leadership, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital consistently achieved top rankings in U.S. News & World Report, reflecting the highest standards of clinical care and patient outcomes. Additionally, research funding tripled under his guidance, enabling Spaulding to become the only center nationally to host three model research centers funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research.

Dr. Zafonte played a pivotal role in the establishment and leadership of the Mass General Brigham/Red Sox Foundation Home Base Program, dedicated to serving veterans with traumatic brain injuries and psychological health conditions. As the principal investigator of the landmark Football Players Health Study at Harvard, he has been at the forefront of research aimed at improving the health and well-being of athletes.

In April 2026, Dr. Zafonte was elected to the Association of American Physicians, one of the highest distinctions in academic medicine. As only the second physician at Mizzou to hold the honor, his selection underscores the growing national influence of the School of Medicine’s research enterprise and its mission to translate discovery into better care for patients and communities.

As an internationally recognized researcher, Dr. Zafonte has published more than 400 peer-reviewed journal articles, abstracts and book chapters on traumatic brain injury, spasticity and other neurological disorders. His textbook, “Brain Injury Medicine,” is regarded as the premier text and go-to clinical reference in the field of brain injury care.