Della Crawford

Human Biology, Health, Society, and Aging/Global Health & Cultural Anthropology

My passion for aging is intimately close to me. Ever since the age of eight, I have been deeply interested in Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. Not only was I interested in the science behind these diseases but also how they affected those who suffered from them and their loved ones. At the age of 11, I became a caregiver to my grandmother who had previously suffered a stroke. Throughout my four years as a caregiver, I witnessed firsthand how aging in a low-income, rural community that lacked healthcare resources affected my grandmother. After seeing the positive change I made in my grandmother's life as a caregiver, I became a volunteer at my local nursing home. This experience opened my eyes to the many issues that aging people face. I also became aware of the fact that many of these issues were exacerbated by the lack of healthcare resources in my community. These experiences have inspired me to pursue a career as a rural primary care geriatric physician in my home community, Anson County. My goal is to provide high-quality and affordable healthcare to seniors. My passion for medicine stems from the love, compassion, and respect that I have for the aging community and the desire to make healthy and fruitful aging a reality for all people regardless of their race, socioeconomic background, gender, or sexual orientation. While at Duke, I want to explore my interest in human biology, health, society, and aging. Exploring these interests will help me understand the intersections of human biology, culture, and health in hopes of creating a better society for people to age in.