Ivania Rizo, MD

Clinical Associate Professor, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine

Biography

Dr. Rizo specializes in obesity medicine, diabetes, and cardiometabolic health equity. Her research focuses on obesity medicine, post-bariatric weight regain, cardiometabolic health equity and the social determinants of health. Following a national search, Dr. Rizo was appointed director of obesity medicine at Boston Medical Center (BMC) in 2021. In 2025, she was named co-medical director of the Endocrinology, Diabetes, Nutrition & Weight Management Clinic. She also serves as diabetes clinical co-lead for BMC's Health Equity Accelerator, where she develops programs to improve equity in diabetes care in high-risk populations at BMC. In addition, Dr. Rizo is the endocrinology lead for Heart of Communities, a collaboration among BMC, Mass General Brigham and Mattapan Community Health Center focused on improving cardiovascular, kidney and metabolic health in the Mattapan community.

Her clinical and academic interests include obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular–kidney–metabolic disease. She is triple board-certified in Internal Medicine, Endocrinology, and Obesity Medicine, and is an active member of the Endocrine Society, the American Diabetes Association, and The Obesity Society.

Publications

  • Published 4/9/2026

    Bassatne A, Rizo I. Future Directions in the Medical Treatment of Obesity: A Narrative Review. Adv Ther. 2026 Jun; 43(6):2387-2407. PMID: 41954863.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 6/6/2025

    Campos A, Fantasia KL, Rizo I. Knowledge, attitudes, and practices in obesity among trained and in-training primary care providers in an urban safety-net hospital system. Obes Pillars. 2025 Sep; 15:100185. PMID: 40546447.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 4/25/2025

    Mohanty A, Austad K, Bosch NA, Long MT, Nolen-Doerr E, Walkey AJ, Drainoni ML, Rizo I, Fantasia KL. Assessing Clinician Engagement With a Passive Clinical Decision Support System for Liver Fibrosis Risk Stratification in a Weight Management Clinic. Endocr Pract. 2025 Jul; 31(7):899-905. PMID: 40288606.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 8/15/2022

    Ryan TJ, Heyman AS, Mulvey EN, McLaughlin A, Rizo IM, Assoumou SA. Factors associated with inpatient complications among patients with obesity and COVID-19 at an urban safety-net hospital: A retrospective cohort study. Obes Sci Pract. 2022 Aug 15; 8(6):794-800. PMID: 35938065.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 3/10/2021

    Fantasia KL, Wirunsawanya K, Lee C, Rizo I. Racial Disparities in Diabetes Technology Use and Outcomes in Type 1 Diabetes in a Safety-Net Hospital. J Diabetes Sci Technol. 2021 09; 15(5):1010-1017. PMID: 33719610.

    Read at: PubMed

Education

  • Georgetown University, MD
  • University of Maryland, BS