Carolyn Kaufman, M.D., Ph.D.

Professional Background

I was born and raised in Kansas City, MO. I attended Tulane University in New Orleans, LA, for my Bachelor of Science. I completed my undergraduate Honors Thesis with Dr. David Corey for which I measured areas of interest in brain MRIs of adult volunteers with the goal of better understanding the etiology of developmental stuttering. I graduated Summa cum laude from Tulane and returned to Kansas City to further explore career path options. I secured a position as a full-time research technician in the lab of Dr. Alejandro Sanchez Alvarado at the Stowers Institute for Medical Research, studying a species of flatworm called Schmidtea mediterranea that has a remarkable ability to regenerate. During the summers, I joined Dr. Sanchez and other experts from around the world in Woods Hole, MA, to work as an assistant for the Embryology Course at the Marine Biological Laboratory.

Having cemented my passion for science but wondering about the world of medicine, I later transitioned to a full-time position at the University of Kansas Medical Center working with Dr. Larry Carver and Dr. Merlin Butler. I cared for clinic patients with these physician-scientists while also working in their laboratories, researching schizophrenia and medical genetics. I ultimately decided to pursue a combined MD-PhD degree and joined KU’s MSTP in 2016.

I completed my PhD research in the laboratory of Dr. Sandra Billinger. We utilized transcranial Doppler ultrasound to measure middle cerebral artery velocity, a surrogate for cerebral blood flow, in older adults with and without dementia. I investigated the connection between Apolipoprotein E4 - the strongest known genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease - and both cardiovascular and cerebrovascular health in these individuals. My dissertation work energized my continued passion for conducting impactful research with clinical populations. 

 I matched in Internal Medicine at Stanford for residency training, where I plan to continue my pursuit of excellence in both the research and clinical realms. 

Outside of the hospital and lab, I can be found spending time with my partner and daughter. We especially enjoy traveling to new places (and are looking forward to hiking around the Bay Area!), gardening in our backyard, and cheering on our favorite sports teams - the Chiefs, Royals, Current, & Sporting. 

 PhD Mentor: Dr. Sandra Billinger, Department of Molecular & Integrative Physiology

June 2023 - Current: Residency - Internal Medicine, Stanford