Dr. Alexa Canady

Dr. Alexa Irene Canady became the first Black female neurosurgeon in the United States in 1981. In a field dominated by white men, she broke through with skill, composure, and an unshakable commitment to her patients — most of them children.

Born in Lansing, Michigan, Canady initially doubted whether medicine was for her after experiencing racism during her undergraduate studies at the University of Michigan. But she persevered, graduating from the College of Medicine at Michigan and completing her neurosurgery residency at the University of Minnesota.

She spent the bulk of her career at Children's Hospital of Michigan, where she became chief of neurosurgery. She specialized in hydrocephalus, traumatic brain injuries, and congenital spine abnormalities. After retiring in 2001, she came out of retirement to serve patients in Pensacola, Florida because the need was too great to ignore.