Thomas J. Papouin, PhD

2024 Dean’s Impact Award Recipient

Thomas J. Papouin, PhD, goes above and beyond to support the career development of trainees at WashU Medicine. He takes a holistic approach to mentoring students in his lab — recognizing their talents beyond science and fostering their interests in science outreach, communication and leadership. Papouin devotes considerable time to mentoring, providing each trainee individual one-hour meetings each week, in addition to weekly group lab meetings. Outside of his own lab, Papouin has taken on the role of organizing the Department of Neuroscience trainee seminar series, which features presentations by two graduate students or postdocs each week followed by one-on-one feedback sessions from faculty members. His extraordinary efforts in guiding the career development of trainees extends to his dedication as an educator, and he recently assumed the role of leading the neuroscience NanoCourses. He has clearly demonstrated a dedication to mentoring the next generation of neuroscience leaders and ensuring they achieve well-rounded professional development. As Papouin states in his lab philosophy on his website, he seeks to “cultivate an environment that fosters a positive and engaging experience for everyone on the team, and values mentorship and personal development in hopes that each member will reach their full potential.”