M. Sandra Glucksmann Senior Scientist Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Cambridge, Massachusetts What do you do? I'm a molecular biologist by training. I've been doing more genetics-related work in the last four years. I'm a gene hunter -- I'm in a department that identifies genes involved in various diseases. I manage a group of eight people, including myself. I spend more of my time now on the computer doing data management than I do at the bench doing actual research. What is your educational background? I started my college degree in Argentina and completed it at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. I have a B.S. in molecular biology. I received my Ph.D. in molecular biology from University of Chicago. Do you have any special requirements or credentials? I did a post-doctoral fellowship at MIT funded by the American Cancer Society. What was your career path? I taught chemistry part-time when I was in college to high school students, and I taught various labs when I was in graduate school. How many hours do you work each week? I work long hours, I would say. I work on the average about 11 hours a day. At times I work longer, depending on the project I'm working on and the status of the project. What led you to this field? An interest in biology and desire to understand the basics of how life works. It's kind of complex, but it suits my personality to be able to ask questions and then be able to answer them. Being a scientist, you have the option of continually learning something -- you don't fall into a rut. What do you enjoy most about your job? Getting things done. Starting on a project and being able to sort of drive it. Working with good people that help you drive a project. I guess like anything, finishing a project can be anticlimactic, but getting there can be very exciting, and not doing it alone is also part of it. Working with people who are just as committed and dedicated as you are is important. What do you enjoy least? The politics of life, of any interaction in a large group of people. But it's true at any job that one has, I guess. What is the outlook for job opportunities in your field? I think it's good. I think it requires that people be versatile and not say 'I'm going to stay in academia' or 'I'm going to do this or that' -- it depends on where you live and where the opportunities are. It's very tied to the economy. When the government is worried about the deficit, they will cut the NIH [National Institutes of Health] funding. Our work is based on research and if people are cutting down they're more likely to cut research. What advice would you offer someone interested in this field? I think that in order to be successful, just like anything, you have to be pretty committed, because it's competitive. Commitment is important because an experiment doesn't just finish at 5 in the afternoon. It's also important to be versatile, to be ready to take different routes to get where you want to go. When we're training for a Ph.D., we're trained to go into academia and teach. But that's not always feasible for everyone. Be versatile in the way you train yourself and be open-minded to job opportunities. Look at as many options as possible. What are some related careers? You can always teach at small colleges. You can do business development associated with science in pharmaceutical companies or some startup biotech companies. There are technical aspects and licensing. You can do editorial at the journals. Salary range? Anywhere from $35,000 to $100,000. The range is pretty wide. In industry, salaries are typically higher than in academia. Back to Interviewee List