Rebecca D. Henkel, MD

My clinical specialty is neonatology, caring for newborns in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) on the inpatient side and in the NICU follow-up clinic. I love watching our "graduates" grow and develop while supporting families to help them reach their full potential. I involve parents as members of the team as much as possible. I’m a NICU mom myself, so I understand how stressful this time is for families.

My interest in neonatology developed when I applied to medical school. A good friend entered labor early and delivered her son at 24 weeks gestation. I have watched him grow into a happy, healthy boy and hope to help other families have similarly positive outcomes. I love that working in the NICU allows me to care for patients and families when they are initially very sick and as they grow. Infants are very resilient and can overcome a great deal.

I'm also a researcher working to understand how to optimize growth and developmental outcomes for children born prematurely. My main focus is on nutrition and early intervention.

I am honored to be a member of Alpha Omega Alpha, a national medical honor society I was inducted into during my fourth year of medical school. I also received the Reginald Tsang Award, awarded during my second year of NICU fellowship for research and clinical achievement, and the Arnold W. Strauss Fellow Award that funded my NICU fellowship to support my early protein intake and neurodevelopmental outcomes research.

My hobbies include yoga, knitting, traveling and hanging out with my family.