Live, Learn, (Apologize)
A native of Memphis, Tennessee, Bryan Vincent Redmond is a summa cum laude graduate of Xavier University of Louisiana who is working to restore the independence, self-esteem, and humanity of stroke survivors.
Original Artwork by David A. Paul, MD.
Photo Credit: Marké Anderson. Formless Photography.
Copyright Bold & Gritty, LLC 2021. All rights reserved.
A native of Memphis, Tennessee, Bryan Vincent Redmond is a summa cum laude graduate of Xavier University of Louisiana in New Orleans and is currently a fourth year MD/PhD student at University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry. There in the Department of Neuroscience, he focuses on psychophysical therapies to optimize visual recovery in patients who have suffered a stroke.
Patients suffering from sensory stroke are hard to identify and are often left in the dark, especially in the realm of rehabilitation. With more than fifty percent of the brain’s cortex devoted to processing vision, eyesight is arguably the most important function of the nervous system. Some neuropsychologists even argue that eighty percent of what we perceive comes through eyesight. However, following a stroke of the occipital lobe, a person experiences a phenomenon called homonymous hemianopia, where they lose sight of half of their environment in each eye.
Photo Credit: Marké Anderson. Formless Photography.
Bryan finds his research to be extremely rewarding, as he sees the positive results it can have in people’s lives, especially where it involves basic daily activities. “This pathology is debilitating, impacting a patient’s ability to read, drive, socialize—[and] if it includes vision, my patients find the activity difficult or near impossible. This research isn’t just restoring portions of a patient’s visual field, it is restoring their independence, self-esteem, and humanity.”
In addition to his participation in a dual doctorate program, Byran is also a member of White Coats for Black Lives (WC4BL), which serves as a voice within the medical community in response to the Black Lives Matter movement. He fully supports the mission of WC4BL to dismantle racism as it relates to the health, well-being, and self-determination of Black and indigenous people and people of color.
Bryan describes his success as being multifaceted. “I heard once, that your 20’s are just adolescence all over again, but with emotions, or maybe a better understanding of them, plus some spirituality. I’m here to confirm that that prophecy is extremely true. I think that the most important factor in my success has been combining that message with the scaffolds produced from my many mistakes. The old notion ‘you live and you learn’ is incomplete. I think you live, learn, (apologize), persevere, then transform. That is the secret to my success.”
Photo Credit: Marké Anderson. Formless Photography.
“I heard once, that your 20’s are just adolescence all over again, but with emotions, or maybe a better understanding of them, plus some spirituality. I’m here to confirm that that prophecy is extremely true. I think that the most important factor in my success has been combining that message with the scaffolds produced from my many mistakes. The old notion ‘you live and you learn’ is incomplete. I think you live, learn, (apologize), persevere, then transform. That is the secret to my success.”
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About Formless Photography:
Formless Photography is a Black and Veteran-owned photography studio in Rochester, NY founded by Marké Anderson. Together, Bold & Gritty and Formless photography are telling inspiring stories of Black and Brown men in Rochester, NY.
