Marsden named new director of Postdoctoral Affairs

Returning to the institution where she once trained as a postdoctoral fellow, Autumn Marsden, PhD, has been named director of the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs at UTHealth Houston, bringing both firsthand experience and a passion for building community among early-career researchers.

“It’s kind of wild to me that I am the director of the office that I utilized so much as a postdoc and really enjoyed my time here,” Marsden said. “When I think back about my postdoc experience, I think about what the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs did for me, and the community building that we have here is unmatched at any of the other institutions. I’m very excited to be here to continue to build on what was such a great aspect of my postdoctoral time.”

Since joining the Gulf Coast Consortia in 2021, Marsden has played a key role in developing and managing multi-institutional research initiatives, leading trainee and scholar programs, and supporting research teams through grant development, scientific writing, and program coordination.

Most recently serving as interim director of research at the Gulf Coast Consortia, she demonstrated collaborative leadership while advancing initiatives that support researchers and trainees across institutions.

A scientist by training and a former postdoctoral fellow, Marsden brings firsthand understanding of the postdoctoral experience. She earned her PhD in genetics from the University of Iowa and completed postdoctoral training at UTHealth Houston. Her combined research and administrative background positions her to advocate for postdoctoral scholars and faculty mentors while advancing professional development and career growth across the postdoctoral community.

Marsden said one of her priorities is continuing to strengthen the sense of connection that has become a defining part of the postdoctoral experience at UTHealth Houston.

“I hope to continue building on the community aspect that we do so well here,” Marsden said. “We do such a good job encouraging postdoctoral research fellows to come together, work together, get to know each other, and build a community that otherwise they may not have. When you start your postdoctoral research, you just come to a new place, a new institution, maybe a new state or country, and you’re kind of just dropped into your institution, and it’s nice that we have this program that has an orientation where they can meet other new postdocs.”

Marsden assumes the role following the retirement of longtime Office of Postdoctoral Affairs director Leslie Beckman in February. For Marsden, returning to lead the office carries personal significance. After relocating from the Midwest to Houston for her postdoctoral training, she experienced firsthand the value of finding connection in an unfamiliar environment. She now hopes to continue building on the foundation Beckman established.

“I’m really excited that I can come back and lead this program,” Marsden said. “When I came to UTHealth Houston, I had moved across the country from the Midwest, and I didn’t know anyone here. Coming into a program that has this setup where you can build community with people in the same situation as you was so meaningful to me. So, coming back to this program where it had been so meaningful to me and my time here in Houston is kind of magical, and I’m very excited to use my experiences to continue building on the amazing legacy that Leslie Beckman left.”