Brissette named Assistant Dean for Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies at School of Medicine & Health Sciences
GRAND FORKS, N.D. – Dr. Catherine Brissette, professor in the UND School of Medicine & Health Sciences (SMHS) Department of Biomedical Sciences, has been named Assistant Dean for Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies at the School.
A veteran researcher focused on infectious disease – particularly the tick-borne Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria that cause Lyme disease – Brissette, who came to UND in 2010, has helped secure more than $25 million in research dollars for UND. Much of this funding is connected to the School’s Host-Pathogen Interactions (HPI) Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (CoBRE), a National Institutes of Health-sponsored project that allows institutions to focus their research efforts in a defined way. The HPI program is one of several NIH CoBRE program at the SMHS.
This growth in graduate and postdoctoral biomedical research at UND is part of why the SMHS sought a senior faculty member dedicated to guiding and mentoring junior researchers.
“Our graduate students and postdoctoral scholars are essential to the research and discovery mission of the School, and I’m excited to support their training, mentorship, and professional development,” said Brissette. “Graduate students and postdocs are the future of biomedical research, and I’m excited to help ensure that SMHS remains a place where they can do outstanding science and build fulfilling careers.”
While the title is new, the work of shepherding graduate and postdoctoral researchers is not. For years, this task was managed by a platoon of SMHS faculty across programs. The new half-time role will ease the loads of other faculty and allow Brissette to facilitate mentoring across SMHS departments and disciplines, fostering a supportive, inclusive, and high-quality learning environment that advances the school’s purposes in education, discovery, and innovation.
“I’m particularly committed to strengthening mentorship and building a supportive research culture where trainees feel empowered to develop as scientists, scholars, and future leaders,” said Brissette. “Effective mentorship and clear professional pathways are key to helping graduate students and postdocs reach their full potential.”
Among other tasks, in her new role Brissette will: provide academic leadership, oversight, and strategic guidance for graduate (M.S., Ph.D.) and postdoctoral education across SMHS; develop and maintain activities targeted at recruiting, admitting, and retaining an exceptionally high-quality cohort of graduate students; serve as a general academic advisor and advocate for graduate students and postdoctoral scholars; promote professional development opportunities among graduate students and postdoctoral scholars, including, but not limited to, grant writing, career exploration and preparation, teaching skills, and responsible conduct of research; and encourage interdisciplinary research and facilitate collaboration and networking between trainees and faculty principal investigator mentors.
“This new assistant dean position will help the SMHS to better centralize the resources and opportunities we provide to our graduate students and postdoctoral fellows,” explained Dr. Colin Combs, associate dean for research at the SMHS. “Dr. Brissette has a strong leadership and experiential background in this space and I am very excited about her vision for our researchers.”
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Brian James Schill
Director, Office of Alumni & Community Relations
UND School of Medicine & Health Sciences
701.777.6048 direct | 701.777.4305 office
brian.schill@UND.edu | med.UND.edu