Joseph C. Licata, MD

I was born on the beautiful island of Sicily, where my grandfather worked as a shepherd and my father cultivated his vineyards. When I was 4 years old, my parents made the difficult but important decision to leave our family home and move to America.

I studied hard and fell in love with the sciences. I knew I wanted to be a doctor. After graduating college, my parents and I returned to Italy, so I could continue my studies at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, which is the Vatican’s medical school.

I have always loved caring for children. Even in my youth, I had an uncanny ability to soothe a crying baby, so specializing in pediatrics seemed the next logical step. What better way to change the world than by having a positive effect on the children under my care? Each day at NYU Langone Global Pediatrics, I have the opportunity to teach new parents and empower them by uncovering instinctual skills they were unaware they possessed. These are techniques I have acquired and honed through my 40 years as a pediatrician. One of my greatest joys is being able to watch my patients grow up, almost as if I were part of their family.

I try to live my life by savoring every moment, and I am an avid outdoor sportsman. I also love to draw, paint, sculpt, and invent things. I hold a patent on a tick removal device and have been honored as one of the top pediatricians in New York Magazine’s “Best Doctors in New York” issue.