Rachel Kelz

MD, MBA, MS

Director, Core for Precision Research Utilization

Rachel Kelz is the director of the Core for Precision Research Utilization. She is also the William Maul Measey Professor of Surgery and executive vice chair of the Department of Surgery at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine.

Using advanced statistical methods including AI, Rachel works to address problems at the intersection of clinical operations, surgical outcomes, and education with attention to health equity. She has received private and public grant support for her work and published more than 300 peer-reviewed papers.

Her many accolades include the Buzby Leadership Award and the Mentorship Award from the Department of Surgery, the Lindback Award for distinguished teaching from the Provost’s office, the Martin Health Evaluation Sciences Award from the Perelman School, and the FOCUS Award for the Advancement of Women in Medicine from the University of Pennsylvania.

Rachel attended medical school at Yale University and earned both an MBA and MS in clinical epidemiology from the University of Pennsylvania.

Publications

Prevalence of serious diagnoses and disposition among older adults presenting with a chief complaint of constipation Journal of Geriatric Emergency Surgery | November, 2024

Comparison of simulated outcomes of colorectal cancer surgery at the highest-performing vs chosen local hospitals JAMA Network Open | February, 2023

Simulated data-driven hospital selection for surgical treatment of well-differentiated thyroid cancer in older adults Surgery | October, 2022