Natalie Dell, VA researcher and rower, wins Olympic bronze

Natalie Dell, a researcher at the Bedford VA Medical Center, won an Olympic bronze Wednesday as part of the quadruple scull team. The medal ended a longstanding US drought in the sport, National Public Radio reports.

The 27-year-old from Cambridge is a project coordinator for mental health studies focusing on depression and post-traumatic stress disorder in veterans. She earned a master’s degree in public health from Boston University.

A spokeswoman from the hospital, where Dell worked as a telecommuter while training in New Jersey, sent this comment from the Olympian Tuesday: “My job with the VA was the biggest determining factor in my rowing success. Although it seemed like a major disappointment to not be able to go directly to the national team after college, it ended up being a blessing in disguise. I would not have traded the three years I spent in Boston, obtaining a graduate degree, and discovering the VA… for anything.’’

Read more on Dell’s Facebook page.