Author: [AUTHOR] Published on 3/1/2022 12:00:00 AM
Sandra A. G. Visser, PhD, VP Clinical Pharmacology Modeling & Simulation, GlaxoSmithKline, Collegeville, PA
What Does Receiving the 2022 Malle Jurima-Romet Mid-Career Leadership Award Mean to You?
I feel both humbled, grateful, and proud to receive the 2022 Malle Jurima-Romet Mid-Career Leadership Award. I am proud to be among other recipients who I highly respect. I am humbled to be recognized for my leadership and contributions to the field and grateful for the encouragement to continue this journey.
What Professional Accomplishment Are You Most Proud Of?
One influential collaboration for me has been to work with experts from various companies on the MID3 Good Practice paper published in 2016. This work has not only been impactful for my own career, but it also has been rewarding to see that it also has advanced the emerging thinking in the field to maximize the value of model-informed drug development in industry, at regulatory agencies, and for global harmonization at the ICH level. In addition, I am very proud of the impact made in drug discovery and development over the years. I have contributed in a variety of ways to many discovery and development projects across multiple therapeutic areas of which a number have become medicines.
What Is the Most Important Leadership Lesson You Have Learned the Hard Way?
Focusing on doing an excellent scientific job will not automatically bring career growth and make you an effective leader. Sally Helgesen’s book about How Women Rise brought home for me how some well-intended behaviors and habits can actually get in the way of career growth and effective leadership. I truly wished I had become more aware years earlier. In addition, I don’t believe these habits are specific only to women. Being aware as a leader can be helpful in nurturing all our talented young scientists and lead to more equality.
When You Aren’t Working, How Do You Spend Your Free Time?
I enjoy the outdoors and winter sports for many reasons. I love to be outside and unwind – and it’s valued family time! It brings new experiences, such as this past winter, I learned to snowboard in the Pennsylvania Poconos.
How Do You Keep Focused and Motivated?
I am very much motivated by learning. Always when a new and stretching opportunity comes up to learn, I jump right into it as I know it will bring energy and focus. In other words, it is continued accelerated learning that allows me to get better in my job, while also applying what I have learned in my daily work and sharing what I’ve learned with my team, collaborators, and mentees.
Dr. Visser has been a member of ASCPT since 2015.
