Laura Schwendeman

Laura Schwendeman serves as an Assistant Professor in the College of Healthcare Professions at DeSales University, where she joined the faculty as a clinical coordinator in October 2022. A board-certified physician assistant since 2018, she maintains clinical practice one day per week in psychiatry while fulfilling academic responsibilities.

Education:

• Bachelor of Science, Fairleigh Dickinson University (2005)
• Masters in Physician Assistant Studies, DeSales University (2018)

Research and Clinical Focus: Laura specializes in severe mental illness treatment, particularly through her dedicated clozapine clinic for treatment-resistant schizophrenia. Her decade-long background in mental health crisis intervention informs her clinical approach, combining frontline emergency experience with specialized pharmacological management. She actively bridges clinical practice and academic training in psychiatric care.

Academic Contributions: For three years, she has precepted physician assistant students across diverse psychiatric settings including inpatient units, outpatient clinics, and liaison psychiatry services, shaping next-generation clinicians through hands-on mentorship.

Clinical Operations: She directs a specialized clozapine monitoring program, providing critical care for patients unresponsive to conventional antipsychotics while maintaining active clinical engagement alongside academic duties.