Dr. Rachel Niec
Dr. Rachel Niec, a fourth-year fellow in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, has received the prestigious 2021 Career Award for Medical Scientists from the Burroughs Wellcome Fund.
The Career Award for Medical Scientists (CAMS) supports medical doctors who are pursuing research careers in biomedical investigation. It focuses on the transition of the physician-scientist from postdoc/fellow to independent researcher. In an effort to address the shortage of physicians entering the research workforce, the award supports training that will enable physician-scientists to conduct discovery research.
For the 2020-21 CAMS cycle, Burroughs Wellcome received 118 proposals from early-career physician-scientists from 31 institutions. Dr. Niec was among 12 recipients to be honored with the prestigious award. Her research will use 3D imaging and genomic assays to study how stem cells in the intestine interact with their niche in health and how this is altered in diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease. Over the long-term, Dr. Niec seeks to understand how the intestinal epithelium adapts when faced with infection or other environmental challenges and how these adaptations contribute to disease states.
“Ultimately, I hope these studies will suggest novel therapies for inflammatory bowel disease and other inflammatory disorders,” says Dr. Niec.
Board certified in Internal Medicine, Dr. Niec completed her training in the Weill Cornell Medicine/Tri-Institutional M.D./Ph.D. Program in 2015 and her residency training at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medicine in 2017. She is finishing her fourth year of a fellowship in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Weill Department of Medicine, and is also currently in the M.S. Rockefeller University KL2 Clinical Scholars Program (Clinical and Translation Research). Dr. Niec has published papers in the peer-reviewed journals and her other recent awards include a Pilot Grant from the Center for Clinical and Translation Science (CCTS) at Rockefeller University and the Arnold Weg Prize for Best Resident in Gastroenterology.