PROJECT: As a student from an underserved background, I have observed that despite ongoing advances in neuro-oncological care, underserved patients remain especially at risk for worsened morbidity and mortality. Since these patients are still underrepresented in neurosurgery, their community contexts are often overlooked during the development of innovative research and cutting-edge diagnostic and treatment protocols. My project seeks to amplify the voices of community members affected by brain tumors and create space for their expertise within the academic environment in order to increase access to essential neuro-oncological care.

Amani Carson is a third-year medical student at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA in the Charles R. Drew Medical Education Program, training to improve neurosurgical care access and outcomes, as well as increase research participation for marginalized patients.

Prior to medical school, Carson attended Duke University, majoring in psychology and minoring in theatre studies. After graduating, Carson worked with the Weisz Lab for Youth Mental Health to conduct community-based participatory research on youth and caregiver mental health and develop a school-based coping skills training. As a program assistant for the Family Van Mobile Clinic and the Department of Pediatric Neurology at Boston Medical Center, Carson focused on health literacy, mobile and virtual health, social support programming, and shared decision-making.

Since starting medical school, Carson has participated in several health equity-centered research initiatives. As a first-year medical student, Carson was an inaugural fellow for the CDU-UCLA Dana Center for Neuroscience and Society. Through this fellowship, she co-created alongside clinicians, researchers, students, and community members from South Los Angeles to develop neuroscientific research that would directly address a pressing community need.

Most recently, Carson has been exploring neurosurgical community health research with UCLA’s Patel Lab and Massachusetts General Hospital’s Neurosurgical Equity and Wellness Lab. She is also a Global Food Initiative fellow working with Dr. Wendelin Slusser to improve access to healthy drink options on UCLA’s campuses. Lastly, as part of her discovery year, Carson is collaborating with the UCLA Simulation Center and Dr. Kenneth Wells to develop a community health initiative to improve access to care for underserved brain tumor patients.

Outside of work, Carson enjoys playing with her puppies, family movie nights, culinary experimentation, learning needle arts, following Duke basketball and Formula 1, and trying to curate the perfect playlist.