Lauren N. Simpson is an Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery and a board-eligible neurosurgeon. Dr. Simpson provides neurosurgical care at Banner University Medical Center - Tucson. She is an active teaching faculty member in the Neurological Surgery Residency Program within the Department of Neurosurgery at the University of Arizona College of Medicine - Tucson Campus.
Dr. Simpson was born and raised in Michigan. She attended the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and concentrated her focus on the brain, behavior, and cognitive science. She completed her undergraduate education with a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree and continued her lifelong pursuit of a career of becoming a neurosurgeon. While earning her doctor of medicine (MD) degree at Duke University School of Medicine, she performed research and volunteer work in low and middle income countries. She witnessed the global health care crisis and began envisioning how to include her growing interests into an academic career. She enrolled in the global public health school at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and earned a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree. After graduation from medical school, she completed neurosurgical internship and residency at the Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) in Portland, Oregon, followed by completion of pediatric neurosurgery fellowship training at Children's of Alabama at University of Alabama Birmingham (UAB).
Dr. Simpson is passionate about providing patient-centered, value-based, therapeutic care for patients across the full spectrum of neurosurgical disease. She is an advocate for her patients and provides mentorship for learners of all levels. She cherishes any activity that allows her to spend time with loved ones. She thoroughly enjoys true crime, good food, leisurely travel, and exploration of the great outdoors.
As a practicing neurosurgeon, I take care of people with complex brain and spine disorders including but not limited to epilepsy, seizure disorders, brain tumors, congenital neurological abnormalities, spina bifida, tethered cord syndrome, hydrocephalus, Chiari malformations, idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH), craniofacial disorders, craniosynostosis, cerebrovascular disease, moyamoya disease, movement disorders, dystonia, spasticity, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, and pediatric-to-adult transitional care. I have participated in and written about sustainable global health care capacity building. Understanding disparities, removing barriers to healthcare access, and addressing social determinants of heatlh are required for this research. I appreciate the role of wellbeing and wellness, interpersonal relationships, and culture within the system. I am interested in further development of the pathways necessary to ensure patient access to comprehensive, effective, and highly valuable health care through performance evaluation, safety assessment, patient engagement, and quality improvement.