Benjamin Solomon "Ben" Carson, Sr. (born September 18, 1951) is an American author and retired Johns Hopkins neurosurgeon. On May 4, 2015, Carson announced he was running for the Republican nomination in the 2016 presidential election at a rally in Detroit, his hometown.Carson was the first surgeon to successfully separate twins conjoined at the head. In 2008, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George W.