Matilda Nicholas graduated from UC Davis and joined a biotech company in San Diego, conducting research on G-protein Coupled Receptors for four years before returning to school. She completed the MD/PhD program at UNC where she studied the role of B cells in lupus, obtaining her doctorate in immunology. She completed a preliminary year in pediatrics and a residency in dermatology at UNC. She is now a Professor of Dermatology and Rheumatology, Vice Chair of Clinical Operations for Dermatology, and Co-Director of the Immunodermatology Clinic at Duke.