Lisa Schwartz Associate Professor of Biomedical Laboratory Sciences Office Phone: 571-553-0137 Email: Email Department: Biomedical Laboratory Sciences

Education

• B.S., Cornell University, 1990
• M.S., University of Pittsburgh, 1992
• EdD, George Washington University, 2010

Biography

Dr. Lisa Schwartz is an education professional with more than 25 years of experience in the higher education and healthcare industries conducting program, curriculum, student, and faculty development, marketing, grant writing, and quantitative and qualitative research. Since joining the SMHS faculty, she has served in a number of leadership roles, including as founding director of the Post-baccalaureate Pre-medicine Certificate Program and as the Associate Director of the Research Education, Training and Career Development (RETCD) component of the Clinical and Translational Science Institute at Children’s National (CTSI-CN), an NIH-funded, $20 million collaborative initiative between The George Washington University and Children’s National Medical Center (CNMC).

Previously, Dr. Schwartz was a Senior Education Specialist with the College of Professional Studies (CPS) at The George Washington University where she supported the marketing and recruitment of graduate programs within CPS and the Graduate School of Education and Human Development.

Prior to coming to GW, Dr. Schwartz was the director of the Master’s in Genetic Counseling (MGC) Program at the University of Maryland School of Medicine where she led the planning, organization, administration, evaluation, and delivery of the educational and clinical activities of the training program. She was also the co-principal investigator on two HRSA-funded grants, Interdisciplinary Healthcare Training and Delivery and Genetic Interdisciplinary Faculty Training Program (GIFT) of Duke University. Dr. Schwartz is certified by the American Board of Genetic Counseling (ABGC).
 
 

Research

Dr. Schwartz's research interest focuses on health professional advising and development.  She co-led a national, qualitative study of mentored to independent investigator transition.  She is also a member of a collaborative team of investigators developing a psychometric tool to measure individual collaboration readiness. She has published her work on a program for interprofessional communication for students in the Post-bac Pre-med Program and Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) Program conducted with faculty members in the GW School of Nursing and an industry coach in GW's Center for Career Services. 

Grants

1. Principal investigator, June 1, 2021 – May 31, 2022; 2% in kind
Impact of English Language Proficiency on Online Science-based Examination Performance.
Funded by the Center for Faculty Excellence, GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences ($9,995)
Prospective study of relationship between English language proficiency and background on performance on online science-based examinations, including qualitative interviews of ELL on learning strategies and barriers in an online environment.
 
2. Principal investigator, January 1, 2021 – June 30, 2022; 9% effort
Exploration of the Need for Additional Credentialing for Laboratory-based Genetic Counselors.
Funded by the American Board of Genetic Counseling ($30,000)
Using a two-phase, mixed method approach, the practice-based competencies needed for entry-level genetic counselors working in a laboratory setting will be explored, as well as the preferred method of obtaining these competencies.
 
3. Principal investigator, Spring 2017; 5% effort, in kind
Lights, Camera, Action Developing Pre-Health Professional Student
Career Development through Film
Funded by the GW Faculty and Staff Innovation Grant – Shenkman Career Services Fund, The George Washington University ($1,469)
Collaborating with faculty from the GW School of Nursing and GW Disability Support Services, launched a Pre-health Professional Film Series on the GW Virginia Science and Technology Campus.
 
4. Co-investigator, November 2015 – June 2016 – 5% effort, in kind.
What’s Your Style: Enhancing Interprofessional Communication using the Communication Wheel
Funded by the GW Faculty and Staff Innovation Grant – Shenkman Career Services Fund, The George Washington University Practice ($1,307)
In collaboration with faculty of GW School of Nursing (SON) and an industry coach from GW’s Center for Career Services (CCS), developed, implemented and evaluated an interactive, interprofessional program to enhance interprofessional communication among pre-medicine and nursing students

5. Co-investigator, November 2014 – October 2015; 5% effort, in kind per year
Assessing Collaboration Readiness: A Model for Understanding Individual Motivation and Deterrents to Team Collaboration (the Motivation Assessment for Team Readiness, Integration, and Collaboration MATRICx survey)
Funded by GW Health Sciences Emerging Scholars Pilot Grant Program, George Washington University ($10,004).
Collaborating with investigators in the SMHS Department of Clinical Research and Leadership, developed instrument to assess an individual’s level of motivation to participate in teams, the MATRICx, which has been converted into a self-scoring instrument and mobile application.

6. Principal investigator, June 2013- May 2014 - 5% effort in kind, for year. 
Mentored Experience To Expand Opportunities in Research (METEOR) Program,
Funded by GW Office of Diversity and Inclusion, Innovation in Diversity and Inclusion (IDI) Grant ($3,000).
With investigators from GW’s SMHS Dean’s office (Student Services, Diversity and Inclusion, and Admissions) and the Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute at Children’s National (CTSI-CN), sponsored a one-day Mentoring the Diverse Trainee Workshop. Interviewed first cohort of METEOR students.

7.  Principal investigator, March 2014 – May 2014 - 5% effort, in kind
GW Students for the Prevention of Jewish Genetic Diseases
Funded by Genzyme Corporation ($2,500).
Mentored pre-medicine student to conduct a university-wide screening of carrier status for genetic diseases prevalent in individuals of Jewish ancestry, as well as a half-day (1-5 pm) educational program regarding the prevention of Jewish genetic diseases at the GW Hillel.  

Awards

National Alpha Eta Honor Society, The George Washington University Chapter Inductee, June 2016

Early Career Women’s Leadership Seminar, American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC), Invited Attendee, July 2012

Ralph O. Mueller Best Paper in Research Design, The George Washington University Graduate School of Education and Human Development Award recipient, February 2008

Outstanding Student Award, University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, Award recipient, April 1992

Teaching

HFR 8116: Academic and Clinical Leadership in the Health Professions
HSCI 6271: Research Methods for the Health Professional II                                           
HSCI 6261: Foundations in Translational Research                                                           
MLS 3001W: Professional Ethics for Medical Laboratory Scientists        
MLS 4171: Human Genetics     
MLS 6159: Leadership in Laboratory Medicine
MLS 6218:  Genetics       

Community Service

• Vice Chair (2021-2022), School of Medicine and Health Sciences Executive Committee, 2020-present
• Member, University Hearing Board, 2019 - present
• Member, Faculty Senate Committee on Education Policy and Technology, 2018 – present
• Member, Benefits Advisory Committee, 2020-present
• Chair (2021-2023), Member-at-large (2019-2021) Executive Committee, GW Clara Bliss Hinds Women in Medicine and Science (WIMS) Society, 2019 – present
• Chair (2020-2022), Vice Chair (2019-2020), Health Sciences Student Evaluation Committee, 2018-present
• Admissions Committee (Member), PhD in Translational Health Sciences, January 2016 – present
• Reviewer/Site Visitor, Accreditation Council for Genetic Counseling (ACGC), 2020-present
• National Association of Advisors for the Health Professions (NAAHP), 2014 – present
• Executive Board Member (2018-2021), Northeast Association of Advisors for the Health Professions (NEAAHP), 2014-present              

Programs

• Clinical and Translational Research
• Medical Laboratory Sciences

Industry Relationships and Collaborations

This faculty member (or a member of their immediate family) has reported a financial interest with the health care related companies listed below. These relations have been reported to the University and, when appropriate, management plans are in place to address potential conflicts.

• None