J. Richard Romaniuk is a researcher, social worker and educator who brings a unique blend of medical research and clinical practice to his teaching at the Mandel School. Originally from Warsaw, Poland, he began his career as a neuroscientist at the Polish Academy of Sciences, studying . After immigrating to the U.S. in 1988, he worked at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine while earning his graduate degree in social work at the Mandel School.
Romaniuk鈥檚 early research experience continues to inform his teaching, including lectures on the neurobiology of addiction and mind-body interventions in mental health. He collaborates with CWRU neuroscientists and the Cleveland VA on research involving electrical spinal cord stimulation to restore respiratory function in quadriplegic patients.
His social work practice includes roles at the Cleveland VA, Cleveland Clinic and the Free Medical Clinic of Greater Cleveland. He has served on national VA committees and held leadership roles with the National Association of Social Workers in Cleveland. He also served on the ADAMHS Board of Cuyahoga County and as vice president of the John Paul II Polish-American Cultural Center.
Romaniuk is active in international academic exchange, particularly with Adam Mickiewicz University in Poland. He has helped organize conferences on addiction and vulnerable populations and has taught English as a form of global social work engagement in Poland, Brazil, India, Tanzania and Guatemala.
He has published extensively in neuroscience, addiction and social work, and was in 2024 for his perspective on cross-cultural connection in virtual volunteerism.
Biosketch | Curriculum Vitae |
Why I Teach
My professional beginnings were in the Polish Academy of Sciences. Education was a part of the Academy's mission. Learning different approaches in international social work motivated me to share what I learned across borders. Mental health and addiction disorders were the focus of my social work practice, and so these became the topics of my educational career.
Why I Chose This Profession
I developed an interest in social action for change as a result of my experience in Poland's 鈥淪olidarity鈥� movement. An interest in the biological basis of mental health and addiction disorders directed me to studies of the best practices to help people on their roads to recovery.