Deondra Montgomery is a third-year medical student at Michigan State University College of Human Medicine with research interests spanning neurology, neurosurgery, neurocritical care, cerebrovascular disease, neuro-oncology, and health disparities. Her scholarly work has contributed to multiple peer-reviewed publications across the neurosciences and related surgical specialties, in addition to several ongoing manuscripts and research projects.
She has worked closely with Dr. Michael Karsy on numerous manuscripts and research projects and is currently leading a national database study examining acute stroke outcomes and disparities. As a member of Dr. Brandon Lucke-Wold's research group, she is also contributing to a systematic review involving continuous EEG (cEEG) in neurocritical care. Through her research, she hopes to better understand disparities in neurological outcomes and contribute to improving care for historically underserved patient populations.
Beyond research, Deondra is actively involved in several national medical and neurosurgical organizations. She serves as Co-Chair of the National Association of Medical Spanish (NAMS) Student Coalition, having previously served as Director of Social Media, and as External Affairs Committee Co-Chair on the Student National Medical Association (SNMA) National Board of Directors. Within Women in Neurosurgery (WINS), she serves as Senior Website & Media Coordinator. She is also a member of the American Society of Black Neurosurgeons (ASBN) Research Committee and serves as Co-Coordinator of the ASBN Research Initiative.
Through her research and leadership, Deondra is passionate about advancing health equity, improving outcomes for patients with neurological disease, and increasing representation, mentorship, and opportunities for historically underrepresented communities in medicine and the neurosciences.