MENTOR PROFILE

Elisabeth Freeman
Research Associate
Department of Pharmaceutics
Amgen

 

When did you first realize you wanted to go into science? Were you a child, adolescent, young adult?

I was a young adult when I decided to help reverse the effects of HIV/AIDS in Africa.  Dozens of my own friends, family members and others had died from, or were dying of, AIDS.  Entire communities were facing severe economic collapse due to the devastating loss of life.  In my own community, one in four people was infected with HIV and life expectancy had fallen to 33 years of age.

 

What was the MOST effective attribute/characteristic of your FAVORITE career mentor, and how did that help you?

I am thankful to have had many career mentors.  My favorite mentor is Bill Milligan, the Chief Business Officer of Migenix in Canada.  His most effective attribute or characteristic is his selflessness. 

I met Bill at the 2004 BIO Conference, which at the time I was attending as a Fellow with the Biotechnology Institute.  I had decided to network at a plenary lunch session by sitting at a table with individuals I did not know. During the entire meal, Bill was so receptive.  He patiently listened to me talk about what I hoped to achieve.  At the end of the plenary, he gave me his business card saying I could contact him if ever I needed advice. 

We’ve since had numerous discussions about how best to achieve defined goals and objectives for my career.  In one of his first emails to me, Bill wrote: “the answer is in you.”  He’s taught me to think strategically about future outcome and to commit to the decisions I make.  Not only has he availed me of his time, he’s encouraged me to learn from others within his network and most importantly to find answers from within myself.

 

Where were you born and raised?

I was born and raised in Harare, Zimbabwe, although my upbringing was quite international.  My mother was a native Zimbabwean whereas my father was from Europe.  As a child I traveled quite a bit to various parts of Europe to visit relatives.

 

Where did you receive your formal educational training?

I received a B.A. in general biology from California State University Channel Islands (CSUCI).  I am now completing an Executive Master of Public Health Degree at the University of California (UCLA), which I’ll complete in the spring of 2008.

 

Who do you most admire, and why? (It can be a living or deceased person – someone famous or whom you know personally and does not have to be a scientist)

My mother.  She is the strongest person I know.

 

Once you retire professionally, what would be the ONE thing you want people to most remember about you?

She changed Africa’s future.