Deborah J. Lenschow, MD, PhD

2024 Dean’s Impact Award Recipient

Deborah J. Lenschow, MD, PhD, is noted by her department as an outstanding physician-scientist, a superb clinician and a dedicated teacher and mentor. Outside of her research endeavors, Lenschow has served as co-director of the Oliver Langenberg Physician-Scientist Training Program (PSTP) since 2014 and was instrumental in organizing the PSTP’s 20th reunion. She has also established the Stuart Kornfeld Physician-Scientist Lectureship and the Kornfeld Post-Baccalaureate Scholars Program. Recognizing that only about 5% of the applications to the PSTP come from students underrepresented in medicine (URiM) communities, Lenschow developed a post-baccalaureate program that targets underrepresented candidates for the physician-scientist pipeline. Lenschow has served as mentor for nine graduate students — seven have defended, and two are currently performing their thesis work — and she has mentored four post-doctoral fellows. She also has served on 68 thesis committees. Her mentees have gone on to academic positions, administrative jobs in government agencies (i.e. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), and leadership roles in the pharmaceutical industry. In summary, Lenschow’s enduring commitment to mentorship and sponsorship has advanced the careers of many WashU Medicine trainees. She truly embodies the school’s mission to train the next generation of scientists while building an inclusive workforce.