When a Movie Saves a Life

Renyu Liu, an award-winning filmmaker and anesthesiologist, brings his vision to Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

An eight-minute movie that Robert Rizzo watched during a film festival saved his life three months later.

Wakeup Stroke, a short produced by Renyu Liu, an anesthesiologist at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, follows an independent older adult living alone who experiences a life-changing stroke.

"He texted me, 'Renyu, can you believe I'm having a stroke? Because I watched the film, I knew what to do," Liu recalled; "Your film saved my life."

While working at his desk in August 2021, Rizzo, the founder of the New York City International Film Festival, suddenly experienced numbness and weakness on the left side of his body. Remembering the warning signs he had learned from the film, Rizzo immediately called 911. He recovered without any lasting disabilities.

"When we submitted the film to the festival, Mr. Rizzo told me he was moved to tears because his brother had died from a stroke at the age of 50," Liu said.

Liu, an award-winning physician-scientist, educator and filmmaker, joined Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School this spring, as professor and vice chair for academic affairs in the Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine. He said compelling stories can transform complex medical concepts into memorable lessons that inspire action and improve health outcomes.

Beyond raising awareness about strokes, the film addresses a rising societal challenge: the increasing number of older adults living alone and the unique health risks they face. Wakeup Stroke received the Best Short Narrative Film Award and the Humanitarian Award at the 2021 New York City International Film Festival (NYCIFF) and was later selected for the World Health Organization Health for All Film Festival.

Life Imitating Art

Rizzo's experience later inspired another film My Stroke Story: This Movie Saved My Life, which received the Best Educational Film Award and the Humanitarian Award at the 2025 NYCIFF. It's part of a series in which patients recall their journey before and after a stroke.

The first episode in the series My Stroke Story: I Want to Tell You My Big Mistake, a documentary that Liu also produced, highlights how strokes can affect people of all ages - and how delaying a call to 911 can have devastating consequences. The film received three awards at the 2023 New York City TV Festival and was later selected for the World Health Organization Health for All Film Festival.

Advancing Innovation and Improving Health Outcomes

Liu joins Rutgers after a 25-year career as a physician-scientist and educator at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, where he held appointments in both anesthesiology and critical care and neurology.

He texted me, 'Renyu, can you believe I'm having a stroke? Because I watched the film, I knew what to do. Your film saved my life.'

Renyu Liu

Professor, Vice Chair for Academic Affairs, Dept. of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine

His research spans neuroscience, stroke, pain medicine and opioid pharmacology. His team has investigated how opioids interact with diverse receptor systems and demonstrated that salvinorin A, a naturally occurring compound found in the perennial plant Salvia divinorum, can selectively dilate cerebral blood vessels without significantly affecting systemic blood pressure and may offer a novel approach for potential stroke treatment.

Beyond the laboratory, Liu has tailored his stroke action awareness programs to diverse language environments and communities worldwide, including Stroke 120, Stroke 112 and Stroke 911. By linking stroke signs and symptoms to emergency medical phone numbers, these initiatives simplify the recognition of stroke symptoms and encourage rapid activation of emergency medical services.

His contributions to global stroke awareness earned him the 2025 World Stroke Organization's Stroke Service Award.

"I've devoted much of my time to promoting stroke action awareness because every second matters," Liu said. "When people know what to do and act quickly, lives can be saved, and disabilities can be prevented."

A New Chapter

As vice chair for academic affairs, Liu will help lead the department's academic mission, strengthen research and scholarly activity, support faculty development and foster innovative educational initiatives. His vision centers on three priorities: people, purpose-driven scholarship and integration.

"My role is to listen, learn, and support, helping create an environment where every member of the team feels respected, empowered, and able to succeed," he said. "By strengthening connections across disciplines and roles, we can amplify what we can achieve together."

Looking ahead, Liu hopes to help lead innovative initiatives that bridge science, education, and the arts to advance patient care, research, and public health.

"I see this as a unique opportunity at Rutgers to build on the strong foundation already in place and further elevate our shared impact through innovative research and educational programs," he said. "This is an exciting and important moment, and I am honored to be part of it."