Dr. James Rizkalla was born and raised in Indianapolis, Indiana. He attended Indiana University, where he obtained his medical degree from Indiana University School of Medicine and was inducted into the Gold Humanism Honor Society. While in medical school, Dr. Rizkalla obtained a prestigious research fellowship at the University of Oxford, England to perform orthopedic research at the Botnar Institute for Musculoskeletal Sciences.
Dr. Rizkalla completed his orthopedic surgery residency at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. During his time there, he served as chief resident and received both the Resident Teaching Award and was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society. Following residency, he was awarded a position at the University of Utah Complex Spine Fellowship, regarded as one of the most selective and top fellowships in the country. After his complex spine fellowship at the University of Utah, Dr. Rizkalla was granted a minimally-invasive AO Spine Fellowship position at the Spine Ortho Clinic in Melbourne, Australia focusing on motion preservation, endoscopy, and robotics.
Dr. Rizkalla has a strong interest in advancing the field of spine surgery through basic science and clinical research and is the recipient of research grants and awards. He has authored numerous publications, book chapters, abstracts, and presents regularly at national and international meetings on topics related to diseases of the spine. He serves as associate professor of Orthopedic Surgery, as well as the Medical Director for orthopedic research, for the Texas A&M school of Medicine and Baylor University Medical Center, Dallas, TX.