Stanford W. Downs, MD

Dr. Wayne Downs’ Alaskan odyssey began with a series of vacations and backpacking trips from the late 1970’s through the early 1990’s. The pivotal moment came in the spring of 1993 when he met Dr. Shirley Fraser, a neurologist practicing in Anchorage since the 1960’s. Through her, he met the other Anchorage neurologists and in late 1994 he moved to Alaska to open his own practice. Born and raised in West Texas, Dr. Downs attended college at Rice University in Houston Texas where he graduated with honors with a Bachelors degree in physics. He then went on to obtain a masters degree in physics at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. He returned to Texas to attend medical school at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, and was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society his junior year. He remained there for his Internal Medicine Internship and Neurology residency. Entering private practice in Great Falls, Montana, after 15 months he moved to Alaska. Dr. Downs finds Anchorage the ideal place to live. In the summer he enjoys hiking and backpacking, as well as car touring and camping. In the winter he spends time cross country skiing, attending the symphony, the opera and other musical performances. Year round he is an avid photographer, also enjoying music, amateur astronomy, and reading history. He currently has a dog and three cats, all rescues.