Movement & Exercise

Hi, I’m Joanne Donoghue, Ph.D., ACSM-CEP, and I serve as the Director of Clinical Research and a Professor at the New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine (NYITCOM). Since joining NYITCOM in 1998, I’ve dedicated my career to advancing clinical research, exercise physiology, nutrition, and human performance—while supporting faculty, clinicians, and trainees in building scholarship that is both impactful and realistic within the demands of academic medicine.

Over the past 27 years, I’ve authored 30+ peer-reviewed publications and delivered 29+ keynote and invited presentations nationally and internationally. I’m especially recognized for my work in esports health and performance, where my research has helped bring global attention to the unique physiological demands, injury risks, and prevention strategies needed to support competitive gamers and emerging digital athletes.

I also understand firsthand the challenges clinicians face in academic research—limited time, competing responsibilities, gaps in training, and the heavy burden of paperwork and administrative tasks that can slow progress at every stage of a project. Because of this, I’ve increasingly focused on integrating artificial intelligence into clinical research, using practical and responsible workflows to help close these gaps. My goal is to make research more efficient and approachable by teaching streamlined strategies for literature synthesis, study design, statistical planning, grant alignment, writing, and dissemination—while maintaining scientific rigor and academic integrity.

Ryan Wexler, ND, MSCR, is a naturopathic physician-scientist and Assistant Professor at the Helfgott Research Institute at the National University of Natural Medicine. His research focuses on developing and evaluating multicomponent, mind-body interventions for patients with chronic pain, with particular emphasis on conditions involving nociplastic pain and central sensitization, such as chronic back pain and lumbosacral radiculopathy. Dr. Wexler uses mixed methods to examine how mind-body interventions affect physical function and psychosocial outcomes – including motivation, autonomy, and self-efficacy. His work also utilizes objective assessments including inertial measurement units, quantitative sensory testing, and actigraphy. He is particularly interested in the potential of digital health tools to increase accessibility and scalability of mind-body therapies. His research centers community and patient engagement by integrating stakeholder feedback throughout the research process from intervention development to dissemination.