Author: [AUTHOR] Published on 6/1/2022 12:00:00 AM

Jackson Burton, PhD, Director, Clinical Pharmacology, Biogen, Inc., Tucson, Arizona

What Are You Looking Forward to as a New Vice Chair of the Pharmacometrics & Pharmacokinetics (PMK) Community?
I am most looking forward to two aspects of the role: people and innovation. I enjoy learning new science from other like-minded professionals, while also getting to know them. In conjunction, I look forward to the creativity folks will bring to the table for us to drive innovation in the PMK field. New modalities are advancing and that requires us to think outside of the quantitative box.

What is the Most Important Leadership Lesson You Have Learned the Hard Way?
A necessary condition for empowering a team is to listen to their aspirations and concerns. A sufficient condition for empowering a team is to act on what you heard. Despite your best intentions, it can be easy to let people on your team down as the pit of only fulfilling the necessary condition is quite large.

When You Aren’t Working, How Do You Spend Your Free Time?
Free time has new meaning with a 2.5 year-old boy with lots of energy! When I am not chasing him during games of tag (or mischief), I am a “vintage” hobbyist. I enjoy furniture-making, collecting coins, strategy board games, billiards, table tennis, long-distance cycling, and social gatherings. I laughably have not watched a contemporary show since Seinfeld, so I cannot contribute much to conversations around favorite shows nowadays.

How Do You Keep Focused and Motivated?
I feel the most comfortable in less structured environments, where each day is different, and the future is somewhat uncertain. Paradoxically, staying focused and motivated revolves around creating lists and setting very small attainable goals day by day. Setting meetings in advance to showcase updates is also a big help in staying on task.

What’s One Thing People Would be Surprised to Know About You?
I’m going to cheat and say two things. The first is that my first major in college was fine art before I switched to applied math. The second is that I have been doing lay counseling for about 11 years, focusing primarily on family trauma.

Dr. Burton has been a member of ASCPT since 2021.