U of M Professor Earns Top Women's Leadership Spot in Academic Medicine

Seaquist selected to join 2008-09 class of fellows for ELAM program for women

MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (June 4, 2008) — Elizabeth Seaquist, M.D., Medical School, was selected as a member of the 2008-09 class of fellows for the Hedwig van Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM) Program for Women.

ELAM offers an intensive one-year program of leadership training, with extensive coaching, networking, and mentoring opportunities through Institute for Women’s Health and Leadership at Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Penn. Its primary goal is to prepare senior women faculty at schools of medicine, dentistry, and public health to become institutional leaders in their field and influence positive change.

“Physicians are provided with training to become good doctors but often are not trained in how to become an effective leader,” Seaquist said. “I am excited about this award because it will allow me to receive training in leadership and learn how to motivate individuals in the academic environment.”

Throughout the year, fellows will gain a deeper knowledge of the challenges that are facing academic health centers through meetings with national leaders in the field, interactions with their peers in the program, and interviews with a wide range of senior officers at their own institutions. Fellows will also undertake a long-term action project that addresses institutional needs or goals.

Seaquist is a professor in the Division of Endocrinology and Diabetes, director of the General Clinical Research Center, director for the Center for Diabetes Research, and interim director of the Office of Clinical Research. Seaquist’s primary research interest is the complications of diabetes. Her experimental work focuses on the effect of diabetes on brain metabolism, structure, and function.

The Academic Health Center is home to the University of Minnesota’s six health professional schools and colleges as well as several health-related centers and institutes. Founded in 1851, the University is one of the oldest and largest land grant institutions in the country. The AHC prepares the new health professionals who improve the health of communities, discover and deliver new treatments and cures, and strengthen the health economy.

Contact: Melissa Ritter, Academic Health Center, 612-626-7027, ritt0114@umn.edu
Nick Hanson, Academic Health Center, (612) 624-2449, hans2853@umn.edu