Biography
Jessica M. Faupel-Badger is the chief of the Education Branch within NCATS’ Office of Policy, Communications and Education, where she is directing education efforts across the Center, as well as creating new opportunities for scientists and the public to learn about the discipline of translational science. She and her staff collaborate Center-wide to develop and disseminate evidence-based tools and best practices to improve understanding of translational science, the skills necessary to become a translational scientist, and the translational science spectrum. Previously, Faupel-Badger served as the director of training and education in the Center’s Division of Preclinical Innovation (DPI), where she focused on identifying the skills necessary to succeed in a preclinical translational science environment and creating opportunities for early-career scientists in the NCATS intramural community to gain this skill set. In addition, she oversaw the summer, postbaccalaureate and postdoctoral training curricula and provided additional professional development opportunities to all DPI staff.
Prior to joining NCATS in 2018, Faupel-Badger directed the Postdoctoral Research Associate (PRAT) program at the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS); she also managed a portfolio of research and training grants. Before this, she was the deputy director of the Cancer Prevention Fellowship Program at the National Cancer Institute. Faupel-Badger is active at both the local and national levels on committees addressing biomedical research training. She has received several recognitions for her training and mentoring efforts, including a National Institutes of Health Merit Award for outstanding contributions to advancing postdoctoral fellowship training in cancer prevention. In 2016, she was the inaugural recipient of the NIGMS Mentoring Award for outstanding mentoring in the career development of NIGMS PRAT Fellows.
Faupel-Badger received her Ph.D. in tumor biology from the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, her M.P.H. from the George Washington University, and her B.S. from Gettysburg College.
Research Topics
Faupel-Badger’s research interests focus on developing cohort models of training in biomedical research and determining the effectiveness of these programs by assessing the alignment of the training curriculum with skill development and career outcomes.