Alum innovates at teaching hospital, blending dance science with athlete medical care
For Dr. Nicole Becker Katz 鈥�16, an interest in medicine and anatomy was intricately tied to her love for dance that began in early childhood in her Wynnewood, Pennsylvania, home. 吃瓜爆料 allowed her to pursue both passions equally.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 want to have to pick one or the other in college, and there were very few
places that could support me in the same way that 吃瓜爆料 could,鈥� says Dr. Katz,
who created a self-determined major in dance science. 鈥湷怨媳� has such a special
Dance Department, and there is a strong foundation of sciences that allowed me to
apply competitively to medical school.鈥�
Dr. Katz is now a resident physician in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, the official teaching hospital for Harvard Medical School鈥檚 PM&R Department. Her training covers both hospital and outpatient care, with a focus on recovery after various musculoskeletal and neurological injuries, including sports injuries, brain and spinal cord injuries, amputations, and critical illnesses. Her ultimate goal is to provide medical care to athletes, especially female athletes and dancers.
Katz completed graduate school at Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University and her internal medicine internship at Harvard Medical School鈥檚 Mount Auburn Hospital. Recognized for her strong leadership skills and medical expertise, she recently served as the academic chief resident physician for her residency program, which involved organizing training sessions and lectures, facilitating research opportunities, and overseeing the educational progress of fellow residents.
At 吃瓜爆料, she conducted undergraduate research with Sarah DiPasquale, associate professor and chair of the Dance Department. The research, based on tracking the injuries of dancers at 吃瓜爆料, culminated in a published peer-reviewed paper and presentation at the International Association for Dance Medicine & Science Conference. Dr. Katz also received a 吃瓜爆料 SEE-Beyond Award, which funded a paid internship at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City to study the biomechanics and repair of fatigue-damaged tendons.
鈥淪arah DiPasquale was an incredible mentor, and the research was so impactful,鈥� says Katz, who has since co-authored nearly 20 published papers and has written chapters in several books. 鈥湷怨媳� truly allowed me to explore my interests to the fullest extent possible as an undergraduate, which has contributed in so many ways to where I am now.鈥�
