Cassandra Brown

Cassandra is a fourth-year medical student at Rocky Vista University in Colorado, with a strong interest in internal medicine, infectious disease and global health. She earned her B.S. in Physiology followed by a Master’s in Cellular and Molecular Medicine. The Benjamin H. Kean Travel Fellowship in Tropical Medicine has allowed her to work in rural Kenya through mobile outreach clinics and at Kilimanjaro Mission Hospital. There, she gained firsthand experience diagnosing and managing tropical diseases, addressing gaps in health literacy and collaborating with local providers. Her previous global health experiences include medical service work in Colombia, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua.

Beyond global health, Cassandra has pursued research in medical simulation, immunology and cardiac surgery. She enjoys teaching and mentoring medical and premedical students, and volunteering at free clinics for people experiencing homelessness. Her leadership roles have included organizing free health fairs, coordinating volunteer teams and developing simulation-based curricula. Looking ahead, she plans to pursue residency in internal medicine followed by a fellowship in infectious disease, with the goal of building a career that combines clinical practice, global health and innovation in medicine. Outside of medicine, I enjoy fostering animals, gardening, baking and tackling puzzles and escape rooms.

Global Medical Outreach - Kenya
Kilimanjaro Mission Hospital
Oloitokitok, Kenya

 

What does the Kean Fellowship mean to you?
The Kean Travel Fellowship has been transformative for me, providing the opportunity to practice medicine in a resource-limited setting while learning from Kenyan physicians and communities who navigate complex healthcare challenges with resilience and ingenuity. It deepened my understanding of how culture, health literacy and systemic barriers shape care, and reinforced my commitment to pursuing internal medicine and infectious disease with a focus on global health.

What do you anticipate learning?
I learned how to adapt clinical care to resource-limited settings, particularly in diagnosing and managing tropical diseases such as malaria and tuberculosis. I strengthened my ability to collaborate with local providers and translators, while gaining a deeper understanding of how cultural context and health literacy influence patient care.

What interests you about tropical medicine and what problems are you interested in solving?
I am drawn to tropical medicine because it combines the challenge of managing complex infectious diseases with the need to adapt care to cultural and resource-limited contexts. I am particularly interested in addressing problems such as antimicrobial stewardship, gaps in chronic disease education and barriers to follow-up. My goal is to contribute to sustainable, community-driven solutions that improve health literacy, expand access to diagnostics and strengthen outcomes for underserved populations.