Nicolas Nelson, MD

Dr. Nicolas Nelson, a native Californian, studied English and biochemistry at UCLA. He taught middle school science before earning his M.D. at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. In medical school, his research focused on circadian rhythms in cancer biology and equitable cancer screening for LGBTQ+ patients.

His dedication to helping patients fight cancer with physics began with an interest in space, culminating in research experience with Johnson Space Center and NASA Space Radiation Laboratory. He has published on a range of space medicine topics, including the effects of cosmic radiation on the female reproductive system.

He returned to California for his Internal Medicine Internship at Kaiser Permanente LA Medical Center. Now he is deeply honored to be serving cancer patients at UCLA and offering compassionate, state-of-the-art care. Beyond medicine, Dr. Nelson enjoys hiking, scuba diving, spicy foods, and books about the physics of space and time.