Dr. Deborah Lee | Bio Materials | Best Researcher Award

Assistant Professor | University of Michigan | United States

This individual is an accomplished Critical Care Nurse Practitioner, educator, and healthcare leader with nearly three decades of experience in critical care nursing, emergency medicine, rapid response, and advanced practice. Beginning their career in the coronary care unit, they advanced through supervisory and clinical management roles before transitioning to advanced practice in critical care. Their expertise spans patient management in high-acuity settings, invasive procedures, palliative care, and simulation-based education. At the University of Michigan, they serve as Clinical Assistant Professor and Director of the Clinical Learning Center, where they advance pedagogy in simulation and prepare future nurse practitioners. They also practice as a Critical Care Nurse Practitioner at Henry Ford Health System. Their leadership has influenced rapid response programs, sepsis protocols, simulation training, and interdisciplinary education. With a career blending clinical excellence, innovation, and teaching, they continue to shape both patient outcomes and the next generation of critical care clinicians.

Professional Profile

Scopus

Education

This individual is an accomplished Critical Care Nurse Practitioner, educator, and healthcare leader with nearly three decades of experience in critical care nursing, emergency medicine, rapid response, and advanced practice. Beginning their career in the coronary care unit, they advanced through supervisory and clinical management roles before transitioning to advanced practice in critical care. Their expertise spans patient management in high-acuity settings, invasive procedures, palliative care, and simulation-based education. At the University of Michigan, they serve as Clinical Assistant Professor and Director of the Clinical Learning Center, where they advance pedagogy in simulation and prepare future nurse practitioners. They also practice as a Critical Care Nurse Practitioner at Henry Ford Health System. Their leadership has influenced rapid response programs, sepsis protocols, simulation training, and interdisciplinary education. With a career blending clinical excellence, innovation, and teaching, they continue to shape both patient outcomes and the next generation of critical care clinicians.

Experience

The foundation of this professional’s career is built upon comprehensive education in nursing and advanced practice. After completing initial nursing training and gaining clinical expertise in critical care and emergency nursing, they advanced to graduate-level education as an Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AG-ACNP). Their academic training emphasized pathophysiology, pharmacology, critical care management, and advanced procedures such as intubation and central line insertion. In addition to clinical preparation, their education included curriculum design, clinical instruction, and simulation pedagogy, which later informed their faculty role at the University of Michigan School of Nursing. Their advanced academic preparation has allowed them to function across multiple domains—direct patient care, clinical leadership, palliative care consultation, and academic teaching. Their commitment to lifelong learning is demonstrated by continuous certification in life support programs such as ACLS, PALS, and BLS, and by staying engaged in evidence-based practice, ensuring their knowledge translates to both patient care and student learning.

Research Focus

This professional’s research interests center on critical care nursing, rapid response systems, and simulation-based education. In clinical research, they have focused on the optimization of rapid response protocols, sepsis recognition tools, and early-warning vital sign systems to reduce in-hospital cardiac arrests and improve survival outcomes. Their work also explores palliative care integration into critical care, emphasizing quality of life, symptom management, and transitions to hospice or rehabilitation. In nursing education, they are committed to advancing simulation pedagogy, including psychological safety, scenario development, and the integration of simulation across graduate nursing curricula. As Director of the Clinical Learning Center, they lead initiatives to evaluate the impact of simulation training on clinical readiness, interprofessional teamwork, and patient outcomes. Their scholarship bridges practice and education, reflecting a dual focus on improving both bedside care and the preparation of future advanced practice nurses for complex, high-acuity healthcare environments.

Awards and Honors

Healthcare experience, this professional has held diverse roles spanning clinical, administrative, and academic settings. They began in the coronary care and emergency departments at Hillsdale Community Health Center, advancing to supervisory and clinical management roles. From onward, they served in high-acuity environments at Bronson Methodist Hospital, including the Rapid Response Team, later directing the multidisciplinary rapid response program at Borgess Medical Center. Their advanced practice career includes critical care nurse practitioner roles at Borgess Medical Center, University of Michigan Health System, and most recently, Henry Ford Health System. Alongside clinical practice, they have built an academic career at the University of Michigan School of Nursing, first as Clinical Instructor and later as Clinical Assistant Professor, where they teach and mentor advanced practice nursing students. As Director of the Clinical Learning Center, they oversee simulation pedagogy, faculty development, and accreditation, bridging practice and education seamlessly.

Publication Top Notes

Conclusion

The researcher demonstrates a strong clinical, leadership, teaching, and administrative profile, with a focus on critical care and nurse practitioner education. Their expertise in patient care, leadership, and education make them a strong candidate for the Best Researcher Award. With further research publications, research funding, and interdisciplinary collaboration, they could become an even stronger candidate for this award. Their contributions to the field of nursing and healthcare, and their potential for future research, make them a strong contender for this award.