Mentorship in Motion: Revolutionizing the Future of Medicine

By Tanya Dev

Walk the halls of Tufts University School of Medicine (TUSM), drop in on a cutting-edge medical conference, or talk to patients at Tufts Medical Center—and one name will keep surfacing: Dr. Brent Forester. A powerhouse in psychiatry, he wears many hats—psychiatrist-in-chief and chair of psychiatry at Tufts Medical Center, director of behavioral health at Tufts Medicine, and professor and Dr. Frances S. Arkin Chair of Psychiatry at TUSM. These titles only tell part of the story. 

Beyond campus, Dr. Forester is a nationally recognized leader in Alzheimer’s research, pushing boundaries to revolutionize dementia care. His work sparks dialogue at the highest levels of medicine, drives innovation in treatment, and catches the eye of major media outlets. No matter where you look, Dr. Forester is leading the way—improving care, advancing research, and helping shape the future of medicine.

But sit down with him for even a few minutes, and you’ll find his real legacy lives in something far more personal: connection. Ask him what matters most, and he won’t talk about titles or awards. He’ll talk about the mentor who changed his life. The students who challenged him. The colleagues who made him better. These connections are what give his work meaning. They have shaped his journey and continue to light the path ahead.

Dr. Forester’s journey began at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, where he stepped into the world of medicine with curiosity as his compass. He was drawn to the precision of primary care and the complexity of neurology. But it was psychiatry that stopped him in his tracks—not just as a specialty, but as a calling.

What captured his heart wasn’t just the science. It was the people. “I loved psychiatry,” he says. “I loved human interaction, relationship building, and getting to know people extraordinarily well.” The turning point came when he began working directly with patients. “That’s when the lightbulb went off,” he recalls. “I realized, this is what I love—being with patients, caring for them. The passion was in the patient care.”

This emphasis on human connection became the cornerstone of Dr. Forester’s career. After earning his degree, Dr. Forester took on roles at Dartmouth, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard, and McLean Hospital, steadily building a reputation for both clinical excellence and compassionate leadership. Then, about five years ago, something unexpected happened. Leadership offers began rolling in. Several institutions asked him to serve as chair of psychiatry. “Honestly, I never thought about it as a goal,” he admits.

As he began to consider these opportunities, something clicked. He realized the role offered a rare and powerful intersection: a chance to shape both the future of mental health care and the academic landscape. “It wasn’t just about leadership in the health system; it also offered a chance to lead academically,” he explains. For Dr. Forester, that blend was magnetic, drawing him back to what had always mattered most: not just treating patients, but guiding people.

You can see that commitment come to life in one of his favorite places: a quiet memory care facility where he runs a small psychiatric practice, working closely with patients living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. But recently, his visits have taken on a new energy. He’s opened the doors to Tufts MD students, inviting them into the world of hands-on care.

“The most impactful way to educate is by developing meaningful relationships with students,” he says. And that’s exactly what happens—in the hallway chats after a visit, in the thoughtful questions students ask, and in the moments of pause when learning turns into reflection. “They ask incredible questions. They have such sharp insights. They challenge me in the best ways,” he reflects. What Dr. Forester offers to students goes far beyond medical knowledge—he is cultivating a space of trust, humility, and shared growth.

To Dr. Forester mentorship is about getting to know the student behind the stethoscope. At Harvard, he co-led a small group of medical students who met weekly, not to talk shop, but to connect. They would sit in a circle, and check in with one another: What went well this week? What didn’t? What are you looking forward to? “We called them ‘roses, buds, and thorns,’” Dr. Forester says. “It sounds simple, but it was one of the most powerful ways I got to truly know my students.” In that circle, titles and expectations melted away. What remained was honesty, vulnerability, and a sense of belonging. Walls came down. Trust grew. A community bloomed.

Now, as a leader at Tufts, Dr. Forester is on a mission to recreate that same spark. “You have to really listen to people,” he says. “Understand who they are, what drives them. Then help them grow—play to their strengths, support their struggles, and most of all, care.”

Early in his career, Dr. Forester was lucky enough to experience that kind of mentorship firsthand—and it opened his eyes. It changed how he saw himself, what he thought he could do, and set him on a path he never expected. “You’re going to face moments where you don’t know what comes next—those are the times to ask for advice, to seek out guidance,” he says.

Dr. Forester didn’t always see himself as a researcher. For the first decade after his fellowship, he poured everything into patient care and teaching, convinced that research wasn’t part of his path. “I helped other people research, but I didn’t do my own because I didn’t think of myself as a researcher,” he recalls.

It was the encouragement from mentors who saw potential in him that he hadn’t yet recognized. “I was fortunate to have incredible mentors who showed me that research didn’t have to be separate from clinical care, it could be an extension of it,” he says. Their belief in him set the wheels in motion. As he delved into geriatric psychiatry, he began facing clinical questions that didn’t have answers. His curiosity coupled with encouragement from his mentors drove him to the research arena, where he has made groundbreaking strides ever since.

The guidance Dr. Forester received taught him that growth begins when someone else believes in you first. Now, he brings this same mentorship approach to TUSM, helping students realize their potential even before they do.

For Dr. Forester, it’s never been about the spotlight—it’s about the people standing beside him. His list of achievements is long, but it’s his commitment to lifting others as he rises that truly defines him. “Seeing people grow and develop, that was transformative for me as a faculty member,” he reflects. “It reminds me every day why this work matters.”