{"id":23782,"date":"2026-09-28T15:37:53","date_gmt":"2026-09-28T19:37:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/newsroom\/?post_type=purduetoday&p=23782"},"modified":"2026-09-28T15:39:01","modified_gmt":"2026-09-28T19:39:01","slug":"purdue-shines-a-light-on-postdoctoral-scholars-and-their-efforts-impact-their-work-matters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/newsroom\/2026\/Q3\/purdue-shines-a-light-on-postdoctoral-scholars-and-their-efforts-impact-their-work-matters","title":{"rendered":"Purdue shines a light on postdoctoral scholars and their efforts, impact: \u2018Their work matters\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. \u2014 Isabella Bramatti has been a postdoctoral scholar at Purdue University for two years, advancing her research in neurotoxicology and the human health impacts of manganese and mercury exposure. The native of Brazil also is making a concerted effort to develop her soft skills and increase connections and career options by leaning on resources provided by the university and facilitated by the Purdue Postdoctoral Association (PPDA).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For those reasons, she\u2019s now leading the PPDA<\/a> as president, helping her 600 fellow postdocs \u2014 who represent more than 50 nations \u2014 balance the challenges of scholarship and research with life and the career choices that await.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt can be a struggle for postdoctoral scholars in their desire to transition to industry or a faculty position to juggle things like networking, funding and personal issues,\u201d said Bramatti, who is working in the research laboratory led by Aaron Bowman, professor of health sciences and dean of the College of Health and Human Sciences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMaintaining that life balance is just as important, and tapping into social events and activities, in the end, can be just as helpful in advancing your research and scholarship. As president of the PPDA this year, I\u2019m here to stress that we\u2019re here to ensure all of your voices are heard,\u201d said Bramatti, who earned her PhD in toxicology from the University of Lisbon in Portugal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bramatti and hundreds of her fellow Purdue postdocs marked National Postdoc Appreciation Week last week by joining with major U.S. universities in partaking in activities and social gatherings. The theme for the event, now in its 17th year, celebrated 150 years of the U.S. postdoc position<\/a>, beginning with the first postdoc at Johns Hopkins University in 1876.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Purdue\u2019s postdoc party tent was a fixture on the south lawn of Memorial Mall along Mitch Daniels Boulevard. Prize<\/a> drawings also handed out 10 seats to an all-day grant writing seminar and tickets to upcoming Purdue Convocations productions. Other activities included a pizza party; social time with ice cream and cookies sponsored by the College of Engineering; and a gathering with coffee, tea and doughnuts sponsored by the PPDA. The organization also hosted its annual meeting at the tent on Wednesday (Sept. 23).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur postdoctoral scholars do so much for Purdue. Not only are they the human research engines of this university, but they also play essential roles for individual and institutional achievements \u2014 as mentors, coaches, teachers, collaborators and lab culture-makers,\u201d said Rachelle Swan, director of postdoctoral affairs at Purdue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTheir work matters. Their ideas matter. Their development matters. Purdue is stronger because of our postdoctoral scholars,\u201d Swan added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In support of their efforts, Purdue continues to increase its investment in the Office of the Vice Provost for Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Scholars<\/a>, bolstering the number of staff assisting postdocs and their research, which spans over 80 departments campuswide. The division of Postdoctoral Affairs<\/a> empowers postdocs to advance their careers and contributions by connecting them to resources and community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Haley Oliver-Jischke\u2019s postdoc was cut slightly short after she decided to join the Purdue food sciences faculty in 2010. She\u2019s been at Purdue since and is now the senior vice provost for academic and student success in addition to serving as the 150th Anniversary Professor of food science.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Describing her postdoc days as a \u201cmagical time,\u201d she encourages postdocs to tap into the Purdue resources available to them. \u201cWe want to hear from you \u2014 what you need, how your postdoc is going, how we can better support you,\u201d Oliver-Jischke said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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