Judith Hasko
Judith Hasko is Chair of the Life Science Licensing Group at Latham & Watkins LLP. She graduated from Sussex with a Biology MPhil in 1988.
My experience at Sussex led me to consider a career as a research scientist” Judith Hasko
I have always been interested in understanding the natural world. Early on, I was fascinated with and curious about plants and animals. As I progressed through my education, I remember marveling at the ability of the human body to adapt to a wide variety of conditions, the synergistic evolution of living organisms in a given environment, and the intricate and beautiful complexity of living cells and tissues. Additionally, my parents and extended family included healthcare professionals and engineers, which I suspect enhanced my natural inclination toward science generally.
Sussex courses were structured differently than those I had previously taken at my undergraduate institution in the U.S. Specifically, participating in the small group discussions was a unique experience for me, and spurred me to study the reading material with a different viewpoint, and engage in more in-depth analyses, than I would otherwise have done. My experience at Sussex led me to consider a career as a research scientist.
When I returned to do my M.Phil. studying inner ear biology (in the Neurophysiology/Ethology Department), I found this research-based degree to be both daunting and thrilling. Completing this degree enabled me to understand how scientists operate on a day-to-day basis, trying to advance scientific knowledge by asking new questions and designing tightly controlled experiments. I learned project management skills, and became familiar with scientific publications and rigorous debate. I felt I was treated as a team member by Dr. Russell and his laboratory team, which allowed me to gain broad experience in my short time there.
Directly after graduating from Sussex, I worked as a researcher at Genentech, Inc., a leading biotechnology company. I applied the skills and knowledge I gained at Sussex to a new area, cardiovascular biology, and had the good fortune to work there with extraordinary scientists on both basic research projects as well as new therapeutic product development efforts. This in turn led me to appreciate the scientific, legal and business challenges of developing new therapies. I eventually decided to combine my undergraduate, liberal arts training with the scientific training I had obtained at Sussex and Genentech by pursuing a degree in law, and advising biotechnology and other life sciences companies.
Today, I am the Chair of the Life Sciences Licensing Group at Latham & Watkins LLP, a global law firm. I focus on structuring and negotiating complex business transactions in which the parties collaborate to identify and develop new therapeutic product opportunities. This often requires me to anticipate how the scientific promise of the therapies might change or be impacted by business, regulatory and legal factors. I am fortunate to work with clients who are brilliant entrepreneurs, often scientists, facing innumerable challenges but who are dedicated to treating and curing devastating diseases. My unique background allows me to facilitate my clients’ execution of complex technology-based transactions.