Dr. Nicole Kusnik is joining our division as an assistant professor. Dr. Kusnik graduated from our ID fellowship in June 2026. She will be seeing patients at our Bellevue Medical Center community hospital. During her fellowship, Dr. Kusnik published several peer-reviewed articles and received many local and national awards for her teaching and research contributions. Read on to learn more about Dr. Kusnik.
Tell us a little about your background in medicine.
I am originally from Canada and have had the opportunity to live and train in several countries throughout my medical journey. I attended medical school in Poland and completed a master’s degree in Germany before moving to the United States for postgraduate training. I completed my Internal Medicine residency at Rochester Regional Health – Unity Hospital in Rochester, NY and an Infectious Diseases fellowship at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Throughout my training, I developed a strong interest in infectious diseases, medical education, and clinical research, and I have been fortunate to be involved in a variety of projects focused on antimicrobial stewardship, HIV care, STI prevention, and healthcare-associated infections.
Tell us about your new position.
I recently joined the Division of Infectious Diseases and the Division of Hospital Medicine at UNMC as faculty in a 50/50 clinical position. In this role, I care for patients across both infectious diseases and hospital medicine services while continuing to pursue my passions for medical education and research. I enjoy working with learners at all stages of training and look forward to contributing to educational initiatives, mentoring students and trainees, and advancing research that improves patient care and health outcomes.
Why did you want to work at UNMC?
UNMC has been my academic home for the past couple years, and it was an easy decision to stay. The strength of the Infectious Diseases program initially brought me here, but the people are what made me want to build my career here. I’ve been fortunate to have incredible mentors, supportive colleagues, and opportunities to grow as a clinician, educator, and researcher. UNMC feels like home, and I’m excited to give back to the institution and community that invested so much in me.
What about ID makes you excited?
My passion for infectious diseases is both personal and professional. When I was 17, I was hospitalized in the ICU with septic shock caused by Fusobacterium necrophorum. The experience was life-changing, and I witnessed firsthand how antibiotics and advances in infectious diseases transformed what could have been a devastating outcome into a full recovery. That experience sparked my interest in medicine and ultimately influenced my decision to pursue infectious diseases.
What continues to excite me about the field is its incredible breadth. Infectious diseases is often viewed as a consultative specialty focused on antibiotics, but it encompasses so much more, including HIV care, transplant and immunocompromised hosts, antimicrobial stewardship, public health, infection prevention, global health, biopreparedness, medical education, and research. There are countless opportunities to build a career that aligns with your interests while making a meaningful impact on both individual patients and populations.
As an educator, I am particularly passionate about helping learners discover the depth and diversity of infectious diseases. I hope to inspire the next generation of physicians to consider careers in ID and to continue growing our amazing workforce.
Tell us something interesting about yourself unrelated to medicine.
I like to joke that I’m a stereotypical Canadian. I grew up playing hockey and even worked at Tim Hortons before pursuing a career in medicine. One of the biggest adventures of my life was moving to Poland for medical school. I had never been to the country before and didn’t speak a word of Polish when I arrived. Looking back, it was a leap of faith that taught me resilience, adaptability, and a love for experiencing new cultures. Outside of work, I’m a certified advanced scuba diver and enjoy staying active through fitness and exercise.