Lauren Nassetta, M.D., has been named director of the Professional Development Office (PDO).
Nassetta currently serves as the associate director of the Pediatrics Residency Program and was named chief wellness officer for the Department of Pediatrics in 2020. She received her Bachelor of Science from Birmingham-Southern College. Nassetta is a graduate of UAB School of Medicine, where she also completed her internship and residency in the Department of Pediatrics.
Nassetta joined UAB faculty in 2009 as a clinical instructor in the Department of Pediatrics and is now dually appointed as an associate professor in both the Department of Pediatrics and the Department of Medical Education.
On her goals as director of the PDO, Nassetta says she is seeking out ways to build on collaboration and growth, while gaining new insight on how the PDO can meet the needs of School of Medicine faculty and learners.
“The PDO has been a wonderful resource for so many across the institution. I am eager to find new ways to foster interpersonal networking, offer cutting-edge services, and utilize existing resources,” Nassetta says.
“Personally and professionally, I am excited to work with and learn from the wonderful professionals who make up the PDO team—an excellent group who are already making a difference in their daily work.”
Nassetta says she also looks forward to working with other leaders at UAB Medicine and the School of Medicine to provide structures and systems to support people, while giving them tools to thrive.
“There are many opportunities for innovating new methods and systems to continue to garnering a culture of wellness at UAB. I am looking forward to helping our current and next generation of physicians and scientists flourish in their work. ”
David A. Rogers, M.D., MHPE, chief wellness officer of UAB Medicine says, “The PDO is committed to developing a diverse team to ensure availability of a broad range of services to provide a comprehensive approach to well-being. I am confident that Dr. Nassetta will be a great leader in the next chapter of the PDO, and will continue to provide exceptional services to faculty, advanced practice providers, biomedical post-doctoral and graduate trainees, fellows, residents, and medical students.”
The Professional Development Office serves faculty, advanced practice providers, biomedical post-doctoral and graduate trainees, and medical students in UAB Medicine and the School of Medicine. It offers one-on-one assessments, short-term counseling and coaching, group training sessions, and referral assistance. It is staffed with experts in coaching, counseling, and psychology.
Nassetta’s position became effective on June 1, 2021, following the retirement of the PDO’s founding director, Sandra Frazier, M.D.