Meet the Staff

Center for Faculty Development (CFD) Executive Staff:

Anne Klibanski, MD
Director, Center for Faculty Development
Tel: 617.724.0818
aklibanski@partners.org

Donna M. Lawton, MS
Executive Director
Tel: 617.726.2152
dlawton@partners.org

Theodore A. Stern, MD
Director, Office for Clinical Careers
Tel: 617.724.1382
tstern@partners.org

Dennis Brown, PhD
Director, Office for Research Career Development
Tel: 617.643.1606
dbrown9@partners.org

Nancy Rigotti, MD
Director, Office for Women's Careers
Tel: 617.724.5229
nrigotti@partners.org

Ann Skoczenski, PhD
Program Manager
Tel: 617.643.1170
askoczenski@partners.org

CFD Administrative Staff:

Brenda I. Vega
Office Manager
Tel: 617.724.3114
bvega@partners.org

Denisse Peña
Administrative Coordinator
Tel: 617.724.0818
dpena1@partners.org

Emily Marshall
Staff Assistant
Tel: 617.724.1382
emarshall@partners.org

Deana Marzullo
Staff Assistant
Tel: 617.643.1606
dmarzullo@partners.org

(in alphabetical order)

Dennis Brown, PhD
Dr. Brown is the Director of the ORCD as well as a Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, Director of the Program in Membrane Biology at MGH. He also serves as the Associate Director of the MGH Center for Systems Biology and as the Associate Chief for Research of the MGH Nephrology Division. Dr. Brown is a cell biologist/physiologist who specializes in the use of state-of-the art imaging techniques to follow and dissect physiologically-relevant membrane protein trafficking events in epithelial and non-epithelial cells. An elected member of the MGH Executive Committee on Research (ECOR), he serves as Chair of the MGH Research Council. Dr. Brown joined the MGH in 1986 as an Assistant Professor. He has a long standing interest in mentoring and has been associated with the Office for Research Career Development since its inception and is deeply committed to advancing the interests of our research community.

Anne Klibanski, MD
Dr. Klibanski is the Director of the CFD as well as a Laurie Carrol Guthart Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, Chief of the Neuroendocrine Unit and Director of the multi-disciplinary Neuroendocrine Clinical Center at MGH. An internationally renowned clinical investigator on the pathogenesis of pituitary adenomas and the neuroendocrine regulation of bone mass, Dr. Klibanski heads the Harvard Catalyst CTSA Clinical Research Center. Dr. Klibanski has been dedicated to faculty development for many years and is the recipient of numerous mentoring awards, including the Clifford Barger Excellence in Mentoring Award and is the 2009-2010 William Silen Lifetime Achievement in Mentoring Award recipient. Dr. Klibanski has taken on this new role in addition to her current Institutional and Harvard Medical School responsibilities.

Donna Lawton Donna M. Lawton, MS
Donna is the Executive Director of the CFD. She is responsible for all administrative and programmatic efforts on behalf of the Center and her main areas of focus since coming to the Center in 2007 include creating and executing the Faculty Mentoring Program and the Annual Career Conferences Initiative for faculty. In addition, she is currently serving as the Dean’s Liaison to the Joint Committee on the Status of Women at HMS and is a member of the MGH Multicultural Affairs Office Advisory Board. Donna also served as an Ambassador on the HMS Faculty Development and Diversity Task Force and Mentoring Subcommittee. Donna received a Bachelor of Science in Health Services Administration from Providence College and a Master of Science in Leadership from Northeastern University.

Emily Marshall
Emily is a member of the CFD's administrative team. She is a graduate of University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. In addition to her studies, she worked in several different work environments and gained substantial administrative experience.

Deana Marzullo
Deana is a member of the CFD's administrative team with a focus on the ORCD and OWC communities. She previously worked in the financial services industry, specializing in Tax/Property Reporting, Risk Management and Compliance. Deana is a graduate of Suffolk University, with a Bachelors in Science in Management.

Denisse Peña
Denisse is a member of the CFD's administrative team with a focus on the general CFD community and the OCC community. Joining Partners HealthCare in November 2006, she served as the Device Clinic Coordinator for the Cardiac Arrhythmia Service at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. She is currently pursuing a degree in Communications with a concentration in Public Relations. Denisse enjoys helping others and is committed to being a dynamic resource for the healthcare community. Denisse is also fluent in both English and Spanish.

Nancy Rigotti, MD
Dr. Rigotti is the Director of the OWC as well as a Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. A member of the General Medicine Division of the Medical Service and Mongan Institute for Health Policy, Dr. Rigotti is a national leader in general medicine and primary care and she is currently serving as President of the Society of General Internal Medicine. She has practiced primary care at MGH Women's Health Associates since that practice was founded. Dr. Rigotti has a long-standing interest in women's health and careers and mentoring in general and serves on the MGH Women in Academic Medicine Committee. She is also Associate Director of MGH's General Medicine Research Fellowship. An internationally renowned expert in tobacco use and dependence and directs the MGH Tobacco Research and Treatment Center.

Ann Skoczenski, PhD
Dr. Skoczenski is the Program Manager of the CFD with the focus on the ORCD and OWC communities. She came to us from the University of Massachusetts Medical School, where she was an Associate Professor of Psychiatry, faculty member of the Program in Neuroscience, and Director of the Infant Vision Laboratory at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center. Her research focused on visual neuroscience, human development and developmental disabilities. She has served on the Women’s Issues Committee and the Diversity Committee for the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology; the Women’s Faculty Committee at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, and an ad hoc women in science discussion group at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study.

Ted Stern Theodore Stern, MD
Dr. Stern is the Director of the OCC as well as a Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, Chief of the Avery D. Weisman Psychiatry Consultation Service, Past-President of the Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine and the Editor-in-Chief of Psychosomatics. An author of more than 300 scientific articles and book chapters and the editor of many books, Dr. Stern has a demonstrated interest in faculty development, as shown by his participation on many promotions’ committees and as a leader of a highly successful writing course taken by many of our faculty.

Brenda Vega Brenda I. Vega
Brenda is the Office Manager of the CFD. She has worked at the Massachusetts General Hospital since January 2000 where she began as a Patient Care Coordinator. She then worked with the Geriatric Research Laboratory before starting at the Office for Women's Careers in 2002 and now her role has expanded to include the Center for Faculty Development. Brenda brings many skills and accomplishments to the Center, including graphic design, organizational skills and strong interpersonal skills. Brenda is a graduate of Westwood College Online where she earned an Associate of Applied Science in Graphic Design and Multimedia. She is also fluent in both English and Spanish which adds to her repertoire.