Dr. Susan Mendrysa, professor and interim head of the Department of Basic Medical Sciences, has been selected as the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine’s new associate dean for research and graduate programs, effective March 1. The appointment was announced last week by Dean Bret Marsh.
“Dr. Mendrysa will work closely with me to further our college’s research mission and vision,” Dean Marsh said. “She is excited to assume this important leadership opportunity, and I look forward to working with her in this new capacity.” Dean Marsh also thanked Dr. Sanjeev Narayanan, professor of diagnostic medicine and pathobiology and head of the Department of Comparative Pathobiology, for serving as interim associate dean for research since August when Dr. Harm HogenEsch stepped down to return to the Comparative Pathobiology Department faculty.
Dr. Mendrysa has served as a member of the Basic Medical Sciences Department (BMS) faculty since 2005, when she was appointed as an assistant professor. Rising through the academic ranks, she became a full professor in 2023. During that time, Dr. Mendrysa developed a significant research program with multi-million-dollar funding from external sources, while also launching entrepreneurial initiatives designed to help build a robust biomedical workforce complete with talented people who have different perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds, which is a hallmark of highly innovative teams.
“Inspire, innovate and impact” are words Dr. Mendrysa uses to characterize her vision as she steps into her new role as associate dean for research and graduate programs. “My goal is to support faculty, postdoctoral scholars, and students by fostering an environment of collaboration, innovation, and excellence,” Dr. Mendrysa said. “By enhancing research opportunities and building strong academic programs, we can drive impactful discoveries and nurture the next generation of scientific leaders. I am particularly excited about the new opportunities for One Health discoveries at Purdue’s West Lafayette campus and in partnership with Elanco in the One Health District in Indianapolis . By integrating research across human, animal, and environmental health, we can uncover innovative solutions to complex health challenges.”
Dr. Mendrysa completed undergraduate study at Cornell University and earned her PhD in cancer biology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Prior to joining the Purdue faculty, she served as a post-doctoral associate at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. She also previously worked as an associate research specialist in the Institute for Molecular Virology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Prior to embarking on her career in science, Dr. Mendrysa served two years as a volunteer and one year as a regional project coordinator for the US Peace Corps Lesotho/US AID in Southern Africa.
Dr. Mendrysa’s cancer biology research focused on the role of the MDM2 protein in development and disease, with a particular emphasis on pediatric tumors of the cerebellum. Her research program was supported by more than $1.6 million dollars that she obtained as a Principal Investigator (PI) or Co-investigator from federal and internal Purdue sources as well as foundations, including the American Cancer Society. She also has trained undergraduate, post-baccalaureate, graduate, and veterinary students, as the major professor or as an advisory committee member at Purdue, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.
In recent years, Dr. Mendrysa led the effort to establish the Purdue University Post-baccalaureate Research Education Program (Purdue PREP) for Translational Biomedical Sciences and has served as the program director since 2020. The program provides a year-long in-depth research experience that includes graduate coursework, professional development, and career planning for post-baccalaureate students from backgrounds underrepresented in the biomedical sciences. The goal is to support participants on their paths for admission to a PhD, DVM-PhD, or MD-PhD program and then a successful career in biomedical research.
Dr. Mendrysa also co-developed and served as assistant director of the Institute for Accessible Science (IAS), which was established at Purdue in 2010 to increase the entry and retention of students with disabilities (with an emphasis on individuals with mobility and/or low vision impairments) in biomedical research careers. Funded by the NIH, the IAS sought to address the specific and highly individualized needs of people with disabilities in biomedical research or STEM fields.
Since July, Dr. Mendrysa has served as interim head of the Basic Medical Sciences Department – a role she assumed when the former head, Dr. Laurie Jaeger, stepped down in advance of her retirement in December. A search for a permanent successor is underway.