[1] Upon graduating, she enrolled at Catholic University of America for her PhD in microbiology and her medical degree at Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.
[1] Following medical school, Nielsen established and worked at a private practice for over a decade while simultaneously serving as an Assistant Dean for Academic and Student Affairs at the University at Buffalo.
[2] In 2007, Nielsen became the second woman to be named president-elect of the American Medical Association (AMA) after serving in various leadership roles with the organization since 2000.
[3] The following year, Neilsen was named the recipient of the 2008 UB Distinguished Medical Alumnus Award and was selected to present the inaugural Oliver P.
[6] Her health policy efforts were recognized with the Henry I. Fineberg Award for Distinguished Service from the Medical Society of the State of New York.