The Member Spotlight is an ongoing Q&A series focused on getting to know the CASSS community. Today’s spotlight shines on Svetlana Bergelson, Senior Director, Technical Development at Biogen.
Q. What was your motivation to volunteer with CASSS?
I attended CASSS conferences in the past and loved the focus on relevant topics and meaningful discussions focused on CMC and regulatory topics - these are rarely covered in other conferences. I wanted to contribute to future events and be part of the team organizing them.
Q. What do you do to relax? Do you have any hobbies?
I love traveling and visiting new places. I hope to travel more often in the next few years. I also like reading and spending time with my family and friends.
Q. What's your favorite type of food or special dish you cook? Why?
I love French food, but I can’t cook any of the dishes; I leave it to the chefs in French restaurants. I also like spicy foods like Indian, Georgian and Armenian. I rarely cook, my husband is much better cook than I am and he is doing most of the cooking in our house.
Q. What is your favorite movie, tv show, music or book?
I love musicals, my favorites are Cabaret and Chicago, I can watch them over and over. I also like old Disney movies, like Aristocats or Beauty and the Beast. I first watched them with my kids when I first arrived in the US, and they are still some of my favorites.
Q. What famous person (dead or alive) would you choose to have dinner with? Why?
Margaret Thatcher, she is a person that I have admired from my youth. I first watched her being interviewed on Soviet TV in 1987 and was very impressed by her (even with translation of her answers into Russian, as I did not speak English at the time).
Q. What’s your favorite travel experience?
Hard to choose, I have a lot of favorites. Most recently skiing in French Alps with unbelievable views, great skiing, and my favorite food. And before that, trip to Peru, beautiful country with a very different and interesting culture.
Q. What would people be surprised to know about you?
I was expected to follow my father’s and older sister’s example and become a musician (or a music teacher). Nobody in my family is a scientist. But it was never my dream.
Q. How did you get inspired to go into science/biotech/pharma industry?
I always wanted to do something real to help treat patients and being part of biotech industry gave me this opportunity. I joined industry after my postdoc at MIT’s Whitehead Institute and was very lucky to participate in the development of eight new treatments that became medicines.
Q. If you did anything other than your current occupation, what would it be?
Probably a physician. My childhood dream was to become a surgeon, but it did not work out this way.