01:07
Polina Feldman Highlight
I always think about [life] in terms of attainable chunks of time. Have that long term goal, but focus on what you can do really well for the next five years—your life can change a lot in that time.
About Polina
- Was born in Ukraine and immigrated to the U.S. with her family in 1990 after the fall of the Soviet Union.
- Has always had an interest in science and math—as an undergrad, she gravitated towards learning about how to invent things that can help people using technology and medicine.
- While in college, she explored different topics and spent a lot of time in labs—says this gave her a wide breadth of knowledge and allowed her to explore different career paths within neuroscience.
- After graduating, she realized she had two choices if she wanted to pursue neuroscience: go to medical school or go to graduate school.
- Unsure of where her path was going, she took a year off and went to the University of Chicago where she became a research technician for one of the leading professors studying brain development.
- Decided to attend Indiana University where she received her PhD in neuroscience, focused on developing new therapies to treat pain.
- She developed an interest in the business of biotechnology and how medical inventions are brought to the market—instead of pursuing her postdoc, she went back to get her master's in business instead.
- Her career is now dedicated to promoting emerging healthcare technologies and improving patient wellbeing by bridging the gaps between the medical and business industries.
