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Dr. Nelson is Professor of Rheumatology at the University of Washington Medical School and a Researcher at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. She has been doing basic immunology research for the past 20 years and is an expert on microchimerism. This is the unexpected phenemonon in which the fetus and expectant mother transfer immune competent cells to each other. These cells can differentiate into various tissues and remain identifiable for years later. She was the first to propose the hypothesis that rheumatoid arthritis improves during pregnancy due to the immunological consequences of fetal cells transferring into the maternal circulation. This hypothesis has found increasing support over the past decade.