Office of graduate education announces assistant deans for biomedical sciences, graduate student affairs
Newly created positions at UF College of Medicine will emphasize student success
Feb. 17, 2025 — Two faculty members at the University of Florida College of Medicine recently assumed leadership roles in the office of graduate education, where they will oversee the largest of the college’s graduate programs and increase resources to help students thrive academically and personally.
Shannon Wallet, Ph.D.
Shannon Wallet, Ph.D., will serve as the assistant dean for biomedical sciences, where she will lead the largest doctoral program at the College of Medicine. More than 240 students are currently enrolled in the Biomedical Sciences, or BMS, Ph.D. program.
Wallet is the chair and Louis and Marge Atkins Endowed Professor in the Department of Oral Biology at the UF College of Dentistry, with an appointment as a professor in the College of Medicine’s Department Microbiology and Molecular Genetics.
She has been an active participant in the BMS program since 2005, contributing to didactic education, mentorship of trainees and service to the program and its research community. Her history of administrative experiences includes serving as an associate dean for faculty affairs and associate dean for research.
Wallet will remain engaged in her current administrative duties as chair, along with teaching, trainee mentorship, and running a productive research program.
Gemma Casadesus, Ph.D.
Gemma Casadesus, Ph.D., will serve as the assistant dean for graduate student affairs. In this new role, Casadesus, a professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, will serve all College of Medicine graduate students.
Her office will provide a new emphasis on wellness and well-being of the college’s students, as well as helping to foster student success. Casadesus will work closely with the office of student counseling and development, students, program directors, faculty and chairs to enhance communication and help students navigate challenges they may face during their training and to promote their professional development and success.
Casadesus’ research focuses on understanding how changes in hormone receptor signaling, related to age, lifestyle, sex or environment, impact central nervous system function and influence the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. She currently serves as co-director of the Biomedical Sciences pharmacology & therapeutics concentration and has 10 years of experience in graduate education and student affairs, having served in graduate studies leadership roles in two different institutions. To her new role she brings a strong foundation in student mentoring and student affairs, extensive experience in student recruitment and engagement, student wellness and community building.
Creating and filling these positions represents a milestone in the first phase of adapting the infrastructure of the College of Medicine office for graduate education to better serve students and programs.
