Dr. Michele Diaz Nelson, PhD, MS, RN is a Nurse Scientist at Stanford Health Care in the Center for Education, Research, and Professional Development (CERPD), and a clinical affiliate with the Design, Innovation, and Clinical Entrepreneurship (DICE) program at Stanford’s Clinical Excellence Research Center (CERC) at Stanford School of Medicine. She also serves as an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Community Health Systems at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) School of Nursing.
Dr. Nelson leads applied research efforts that use scientific and implementation methods to advance patient care, improve health outcomes, and support organizational priorities. In her role at Stanford Health Care, she collaborates with interdisciplinary teams to integrate evidence-based practice into clinical operations, mentor frontline staff in research and quality improvement, and align innovation with system-level goals. Her work includes securing grant funding, sharing findings through publications and presentations, and mentoring clinicians across roles in translating research into practice.
She holds a Master of Science in Nursing with a concentration in adult-gerontology and palliative care and a PhD in Nursing from UCSF. Her career began with a focus on caring for older adults with complex health needs, which inspired her to pursue research that could transform care delivery for vulnerable populations. Dr. Nelson has held fellowships at the San Francisco VA Medical Center, UCSF, and Stanford School of Medicine. She serves as Principal Investigator on several grants, including a previously NIH-funded study focused on improving care for older adults with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and their caregivers.
Her research and clinical initiatives prioritize health equity by addressing unmet needs among historically underserved populations—especially older adults with TBI, neurodegenerative diseases, and stroke. Using mixed methods approaches, Dr. Nelson works to close care gaps, reduce disparities, and create innovative, cost-effective solutions that improve both patient and caregiver outcomes.
