Lisa Cuddy is House’s department head and the hospital administrator who supervises him during most of House M.D. Lisa Edelstein played Cuddy in the series.
Cuddy is the Dean of Medicine and, for much of the show, the hospital’s administrator. She values House’s diagnostic talent but must also manage his rule-breaking, rudeness, drug dependence, and disregard for hospital procedures. This creates a continuing conflict between medical results and institutional responsibility.
Cuddy is also one of House’s few professional equals. She can challenge his decisions, impose consequences, and recognize when his behavior threatens patients or staff. Her history with House predates the series, and their relationship becomes more personal later in the story.
Cuddy leaves the show after the seventh season. That departure is an important continuity point: she is House’s principal superior for most of the series, but not throughout all eight seasons. Characters such as James Wilson and other administrators also hold important hospital roles.