What led to your interest in medicine?
Carlos: My interest in the study of cerebrovascular diseases began when I was a medical student in my native city of Trujillo, in the northern part of Peru. It was during my rotation in Neurology when I saw many patients with stroke and enthusiastically reviewed their clinical records. After my graduation from Medical School I decided to do my Residency in Neurology at Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos at the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Neurologicas (INCN) in Lima, where I currently work. In 2006 with a group of colleagues, founded Peru Stroke Group, an organization dedicated to stroke training and prevention. In 2012, we founded The Cerebrovascular Diseases Research Center at INCN.
How did you come across the EL program and what made you think it was relevant for you to apply?
Carlos: I heard about the Emerging Leaders Programme through emails forwarded by the Peruvian chronic diseases research leader, Dr. Jaime Miranda and by my mentor Dr. Joseph Zunt from the University of Washington. I applied to the Emerging Leaders Program because I wanted to improve my abilities to begin a career in stroke research and specially because I wanted to be part of a stroke research global network.
Who among the faculty you met inspired you the most and what did you enjoy most about the programme?
Carlos: We felt at home at the host University, Duke Kunshan University in Shanghai, China. What I enjoyed most about the program was the team working. Students, faculty and staff, all from different parts of the world but with a common goal: to fight against stroke through stroke research.
I learned so much from all the faculty. I was specially inspired by the passion and commitment that Professor Mark Huffman puts to get the goals and from the intelligence and experience of Professor Craig Anderson.
As a neurologist, I have close contact with patients with cerebrovascular diseases. I think my role is to better understand cerebrovascular disease profiles in my country – and the best way to do this is through research and the Emerging Leaders Programme was very useful to begin this goal.