Member Spotlight: Tara Sanderson

The Member Spotlight is an ongoing Q&A series focused on getting to know the CASSS community. Today’s spotlight shines on Tara Sanderson, GRA-CMC Director at UCB Pharma Ltd.

Tara became a CASSS Associate Director in 2023 and is a Committee Member for CMC Strategy Forum Europe. Tara has attended CASSS meetings throughout the years, including CMC Europe, the Virtual Europe Discussion Group, and Exhibitor Webinars. 

Q. What was your motivation to volunteer with CASSS?

CASSS is a wonderful community of industry experts, regulators and development experts, and I always relish the opportunity to contribute and speak freely amongst such a varied community to progress science and support the delivery of medicines to patients. This is what CASSS does so brilliantly. This organisation connects all the right like-minded people together who want to increase opportunities to get the best quality drugs to patients more efficiently. The session topics are always on point and the discussions extremely relevant to both support industry to progress in the best way possible, and also for regulators to understand the constraints that industry experience. The CASSS meetings always make for a very collaborative group discussion that ultimately benefits everyone. I feel very privileged to be able to volunteer for CASSS.

Q. What do you do to relax? Do you have any hobbies?

In my free time I love to run or cycle out on the trails. I also love gardening and spending as much time outside in nature as I can!

Q. What's your favorite type of food or special dish you cook? Why?

I love all foods! but I especially love Asian foods because of the wonderful spices and taste flavours these dishes inspire. 

Q. What is your favorite movie, tv show, music, or book?

I like old music! I often listen to 1960s, 1970s folk music and feel good music. And books...I read them all, but I particularly like philosophy and psychology themed books to expand the mind.

Q. What famous person (dead or alive) would you choose to have dinner with? Why?

If I could meet anyone in history, it would have to be Gautama Buddha. 

Q. What’s your favorite travel experience?

I've had some lovely travels just arriving in country's and seeing what happens. Recently we visited the most beautiful island of La Gomera in the Canary Islands. This is a tiny incredibly lush dormant volcanic island. We arrived and were recommended a mango plantation to stay in the mountains, where we were looked after by the plantation host for a week before island hopping around the Canaries ...bliss!

Q. What would people be surprised to know about you?

I used to be very scared of spiders. I had hypnosis for it and now I don't mind them at all, in fact I like them. I even have a picture of me holding a tarantula!

Q. How did you get inspired to go into science/biotech/pharma industry?

I've always loved science back in school, especially biology, but one term at school we studied biochemistry, I knew instantly this was the area that I wanted to pursue. I also knew I wanted to help people, so combining my love of science in the Pharma industry has allowed me to achieve this dream.

Q. If you did anything other than your current occupation, what would it be?

I'm actually in my dream job, but if I didn't do this I would probably be a full time gardener!