Candidate bio: Ben Carson

-- Age: 64Born: DetroitWork: Retired neurosurgeonCollege: Yale University, University of Michigan Medical SchoolWebsite: bencarson.com

--

--

--

--

The soft-spoken doctor, a relative newcomer to politics, was a neurosurgeon at Baltimore's Johns Hopkins Hospital, where his achievements included separating conjoined twins.

In 1985, he became the hospital's director of pediatric neurosurgery — at age 33, the youngest U.S. physician to hold such a position. Carson won the Presidential Medal of Freedom — the nation's highest civilian honor — in 2008. He retired in 2013, entering the politics that year with a speech at a National Prayer Breakfast critical of President Barack Obama — with Obama in attendance.

Carson met his future wife, Lacena 'Candy' Rustin, at Yale; they have been married since 1975 and have three sons — Murray, Benjamin Jr. and Rhoeyce.