Bryan Cummings

Bryan is an MD candidate at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore. He received his bachelor's degree in Public Health Science from the University of Maryland, College Park. After graduation, Bryan spent one year working for a healthcare consulting firm in Washington, DC where he developed interests in healthcare policy, administration and quality improvement. 

During his undergraduate studies, Bryan began conducting research with Dr. Mark Travassos's Severe Malaria Expression Group at UMSOM, focusing on characterizing Plasmodium falciparum gene expression profiles in children with severe manifestations of malaria, including cerebral malaria, severe malarial anemia and concurrent infections. This initial research experience sparked his interest in global health, pediatrics, immunology and infectious diseases. 

While in medical school, Bryan has continued to pursue these interests by completing the global health elective and volunteering as a tutor for middle and high school students in Baltimore. 

As a Kean Fellow, he traveled to Tororo, Uganda, to investigate the link between P. falciparum gene expression and long-term neurocognitive impairment in children recovering from severe malaria. The goal of the ongoing project is to identify common genetic markers that could serve as biomarkers for neurocognitive outcomes or help identify children who might benefit from long-term cognitive therapy. 

Outside of his academic and research pursuits, Bryan enjoys distance running, pickleball, spikeball and golf.

What does the Kean Fellowship mean to you?
I am extremely grateful to have been selected as a Kean Fellow and would like to thank the ASTMH for their continued commitment to fostering young, enthusiastic tropical medicine physicians. Throughout my undergraduate and early medical career, I have been dedicated to learning about global health through the lens of malaria. To me, the Kean Fellowship means having the opportunity to put the skills and knowledge I have developed in the United States into practice by doing meaningful work in a malaria-endemic country. In addition to expanding my knowledge of malaria epidemiology and pathogenesis, the Kean Fellowship afforded me the opportunity to explore global models of care, learn from exceptional physicians on the ground, and better contextualize the challenges faced by healthcare personnel working in resource-limited settings. Moreover, it allowed me to fully engage with a new culture, fostering meaningful connections with the people I encountered along the way.

What do you anticipate learning?
Throughout my undergraduate and early medical career, I had the privilege of exploring global health through coursework and research. While classroom learning provided a solid foundation, the lessons gained from direct, person-to-person interactions on the ground truly contextualized and advanced that knowledge. Through interactions with patients, physicians, and other healthcare personnel at Tororo District Hospital, I gained insight into approaches to screening and diagnosing severe malaria, common non-malarial presentations in the hospital, and the barriers that hindered patients' ability to achieve optimal outcomes. While I have gained substantial experience studying and working within the privatized healthcare system in the United States, I had yet to observe other models of care. Uganda's decentralized healthcare system, which combined public and private facilities, offered a unique opportunity to explore these different approaches. Within this system, I gained insight into patients' motivations for seeking care in both settings and the obstacles faced when depending on limited government and overseas aid.

What interests you about tropical medicine and what problems are you interested in solving?
My interest in tropical medicine stems not only from a desire to treat patients' immediate healthcare needs but also from a commitment to addressing the systemic factors that sustain illness within vulnerable populations. Tropical medicine is grounded in the principle of interconnectedness, uniting healthcare providers, public health initiatives, policy adaptations, and patient perspectives. I am particularly drawn to creating system-wide healthcare solutions that extend beyond individual treatments. Traveling to Uganda this summer was pivotal in advancing this pursuit. Alongside my research on identifying biomarkers for neurocognitive impairment in children with severe malaria, I participated in broader systemic projects, including an initiative to assess community attitudes toward malaria vaccination in preparation for the 2025 rollout of the R21 vaccine. Solving emerging problems in tropical medicine demands extensive collaboration among global stakeholders. The Kean Fellowship was a crucial first step, enabling me to continue to pursue equitable and creative solutions to these challenges.