Bio


Italo M. Brown, MD MPH is a Board-certified Emergency Physician, an Assistant Professor in Emergency Medicine, and Health Equity & Social Justice Curriculum Thread Lead at Stanford University School of Medicine. Throughout his career, Italo has been at the frontlines of social medicine and health equity. Italo is the current Chief Impact Officer of T.R.A.P. Medicine, a barbershop-based wellness initiative that leverages the cultural capital of barbershops to address the physical and emotional health of Black men and boys. He is a former board member of the Tennessee Health Care Campaign, an organization that spearheads statewide advocacy efforts in support of the Affordable Care Act and Medicare/Medicaid Reform. Italo trained at Jacobi Medical Center and Montefiore Medical Center, two Bronx Hospitals ranked among the top 20 busiest ERs in the country. In 2017, the National Minority Quality Forum named Italo among the 40 Under 40 Leaders in Minority Health. An avid writer, Italo served with the ABC News Medical Unit, and has contributed health equity & wellness commentary to The New York Times, NPR, USA Today, GQ, Men's Fitness, and Bloomberg. Recently, Italo was selected to be among clinician leaders in access to care for the recurring Health Equity Leaders Roundtable, a new initiative by the White House Office of Public Engagement.

Clinical Focus


  • Emergency Medicine
  • Social Emergency Medicine
  • Health Equity

Academic Appointments


Administrative Appointments


  • Social Justice & Health Equity Curriculum Thread Lead, Stanford School of Medicine (2020 - Present)

Professional Education


  • Board Certification: American Board of Emergency Medicine, Emergency Medicine (2021)
  • Fellowship, Stanford University School of Medicine, Social Emergency Medicine (2020)
  • Residency: Jacobi Montefiore Medical Centers Emergency Medicine Residency (2019) NY
  • Medical Education: Meharry Medical College Registrar (2015) TN

Research Interests


  • Curriculum and Instruction
  • Diversity and Identity
  • Economics and Education
  • Equity in Education
  • Motivation
  • Poverty and Inequality
  • Professional Development
  • Race and Ethnicity
  • Sociology
  • Technology and Education

All Publications


  • Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice - Are we Accountable? Peter Rosen Memorial Lecture - 2022. Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine Heron, S., Calderon, Y., Moll, J., Rotoli, J., Franks, N., Hassan, M., Ander, D., Brown, I., Lewis, J. 2022

    View details for DOI 10.1111/acem.14632

    View details for PubMedID 36420622

  • Experiences of Discrimination, Institutional Responses to Seminal Race Events, and Depressive Symptoms in Black U.S. Medical Students. Academic medicine : journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges Milam, A. J., Brown, I., Edwards-Johnson, J., McDougle, L., Sousa, A., Furr-Holden, D. 2022; 97 (6): 876-883

    Abstract

    PURPOSE: To examine the relationship between experiences of discrimination, institutional responses to seminal race events, and depressive symptoms among Black medical students.METHOD: This study collected data from a convenience sample of Black U.S. medical students via an anonymous electronic questionnaire in August 2020 that was distributed through the Student National Medical Association and Organization of Student Representatives listservs and an author's social media accounts. It included questions on demographics, institutional responses to seminal race events, experiences of discrimination, and symptoms of depression. Path models were used to examine the relationship between experiences of discrimination, institutional responses to seminal race events, and depressive symptoms among Black medical students.RESULTS: Of the 750 students completing the survey, 733 (97.7%) were Black. Experiences of discrimination and a lack of institutional responses to seminal race events were associated with more depressive symptoms (b = 0.19, 95% CI: 0.11, 0.26; P < .001 and b = 0.12, 95% CI: 0.04, 0.20; P = .01). After controlling for gender and clinical diagnosis of depression or anxiety before medical school, there was a relationship between experiences of discrimination and institutional responses to seminal race events such that students who reported more experiences of discrimination were more likely to report that their institution did not respond to seminal race events (b = 0.41, 95% CI: 0.34, 0.48; P < .001). Experiences of discrimination moderated the relationship between institutional responses to seminal race events and depressive symptoms (i.e., the relationship between a lack of institutional responses to seminal race events and depressive symptoms was stronger among students who reported more frequent experiences of discrimination).CONCLUSIONS: Institutions dedicated to supporting Black medical student wellness must be diligent in cultivating a culture intolerant of discrimination and deft in their responses to seminal race events in the larger culture.

    View details for DOI 10.1097/ACM.0000000000004638

    View details for PubMedID 35703911

  • Dear White People in Emergency Medicine. Annals of emergency medicine Brown, C., Brown, K., Brown, I., Daniel, R. 2021

    Abstract

    We, emergency physicians of color, are not okay. We are living and working through a pandemic that has disproportionately affected our communities and a year in which we cannot escape our lived experiences of police brutality. We see you, dear White people in emergency medicine, and are glad you want to support us. However, let us guide you in supporting our cause.

    View details for DOI 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2021.08.004

    View details for PubMedID 34598829

  • Bias in recruitment: A focus on virtual interviews and holistic review to advance diversity AEM EDUCATION AND TRAINING Otugo, O., Alvarez, A., Brown, I., Landry, A. 2021; 5: S135-S139

    View details for DOI 10.1002/aet2.10661

    View details for Web of Science ID 000701048000023

    View details for PubMedID 34616988

    View details for PubMedCentralID PMC8480505

  • COVID-19 Disparities and the Black Community: A Health Equity-Informed Rapid Response Is Needed. American journal of public health Brown, I. M., Khan, A., Slocum, J., Campbell, L. F., Lacey, J. R., Landry, A. M. 2020; 110 (9): 1350–51

    View details for DOI 10.2105/AJPH.2020.305804

    View details for PubMedID 32783709

  • The Role of An Academic Emergency Department in Advancing Equity and Justice. Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine Landry, A. M., Brown, I. n., Blomkalns, A. L., Wolfe, R. E. 2020

    Abstract

    In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, the chronic issue of police brutality directed toward Black Americans reached a tipping in late May with the brutal murder of George Floyd. The social response raised equity and justice awareness, kickstarting one of the largest movements in U.S. history. A national dialogue on systemic racism as a public health concern has reemerged. Though traditionally viewed as taboo within academic medicine, the dialogue surrounding racial inequality is unavoidable.

    View details for DOI 10.1111/acem.14164

    View details for PubMedID 33125762

  • Are Clinicians Contributing to Excess African American COVID-19 Deaths? Unbeknownst to Them, They May Be. Health equity Milam, A. J., Furr-Holden, D., Edwards-Johnson, J., Webb, B., Patton, J. W., Ezekwemba, N. C., Porter, L., Davis, T., Chukwurah, M., Webb, A. J., Simon, K., Franck, G., Anthony, J., Onuoha, G., Brown, I. M., Carson, J. T., Stephens, B. C. 2020; 4 (1): 139–41

    Abstract

    African Americans are overrepresented among reported coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases and deaths. There are a multitude of factors that may explain the African American disparity in COVID-19 outcomes, including higher rates of comorbidities. While individual-level factors predictably contribute to disparate COVID-19 outcomes, systematic and structural factors have not yet been reported. It stands to reason that implicit biases may fuel the racial disparity in COVID-19 outcomes. To address this racial disparity, we must apply a health equity lens and disaggregate data explicitly for African Americans, as well as other populations at risk for biased treatment in the health-care system.

    View details for DOI 10.1089/heq.2020.0015

    View details for PubMedID 32368712

  • Black Men's Perceptions and Knowledge of Diabetes: a Church-Affiliated Barbershop Focus Group Study JOURNAL OF RACIAL AND ETHNIC HEALTH DISPARITIES Balls-Berry, J., Watson, C., Kadimpati, S., Crockett, A., Mohamed, E. A., Brown, I., Valdez Soto, M., Sanford, B., Halyard, M., Khubchandani, J., Dacy, L., Davis, O. 2015; 2 (4): 465–72

    Abstract

    Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States and disproportionately affects racial and ethnic minorities. These disparities persist despite educational efforts to reduce the prevalence of diabetes. Receptiveness of educational efforts for Black men needs to be studied.This study assesses Black men's receptiveness to a barbershop-based program focused on diabetes prevention and awareness in a church-affiliated barbershop in Rochester, Minnesota.The pastor and barber of a church-affiliated barbershop and academic medical researchers designed a community-engaged research study to determine Black men's perception of diabetes. Recruitment for the 90-minute focus group included flyers (n=60), email, and in-person. Units of analysis included focus-group audio recording, transcripts, and field notes. Using traditional content analysis, we categorized data into themes and sub-themes.Thirteen Black men participated (Group 1, n=6; Group 2, n=7) having a mean age of 40.3 years (range 19 to 65), and employed full-time (77%). Themes included diabetes prevention, treatment, prevalence, risks, and health education. Participants identified diet and exercise as essential components of diabetes prevention. Additionally, participants mentioned that family history contributes to diabetes. Participants agreed that barbershops are an appropriate setting for data collection and health education on diabetes for Black men.Findings indicate that Black men are generally aware of diabetes. The community-engaged research process allowed for development of a culturally appropriate research study on diabetes. This study is the foundation for developing a culturally appropriate health education program on diabetes for Black men.

    View details for DOI 10.1007/s40615-015-0094-y

    View details for Web of Science ID 000218513500006

    View details for PubMedID 26594612

    View details for PubMedCentralID PMC4651172