Nya Nelson, MD, PhD

2023 F. Stephen Vogel Award

Nya Nelson, MD PhD is a pathologist at Seattle Children’s Hospital where she practices pediatric and molecular genetic pathology. Her research on congenital pulmonary airway malformations with her mentor Dr. Jennifer Pogoriler identified mosaic KRAS variants within these lesions and redefined them as a mosaic RASopathy that is typically limited to the lung. Through this work she developed a strong interest in the histologic and genetic features of pediatric mosaic disorders such as vascular anomalies and is continuing to pursue that interest through both her clinical work and research. She has published multiple manuscripts on topics including congenital pulmonary airway malformations, dyskeratosis congenita, and the use of ancillary tests to define more specific diagnoses.

Dr. Nelson received her BA in Biology-Chemistry from Scripps College. She then joined the Medical Scientist Training Program at Baylor College of Medicine, where her PhD in Molecular and Human Genetics focused on understanding the pathogenesis of dyskeratosis congenita. Her work as a graduate student in the laboratory of Dr. Alison Bertuch cemented her interest in the complex interplay between pediatric genetic disease and development, and inspired her to become a pediatric and molecular pathologist. Following receipt of her MD PhD, she joined the Anatomic and Clinical Pathology Residency Program at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, where she served as chief resident. She then completed fellowships in Pediatric Pathology at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and Molecular Genetic Pathology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania before joining Seattle Children’s Hospital in the summer of 2022.

Dr. Nelson has been the recipient of multiple awards, including a National Cancer Institute Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research service F30 Award, the Lotte Strauss Prize (2021) and Gordon F. Vawter Pathologist-in-Training Award (2019) from the Society of Pediatric Pathology, and the International Society of Bone and Soft Tissue Pathology Award for Best Poster at the United States and Canadian Academy of Pathologists Conference (2018).