Member Spotlight: Gersham Dent, PhD

Company: Astrazeneca

Member Since: 2008 (Student)

Gersham Dent is employed at AstraZeneca Pharmaceutical Company as a Clinical Neuroscientist where she develops new psychiatric therapeutics.  She will also complete her MBA in December 2008. 

A product of an urban environment, Gersham was born and raised in Baltimore, MD.  After attending several public high schools, she graduated in 1977 at age 16.  During her youth she enjoyed academics and art and was particularly fond of fashion.  As a result, Gersham spent a few years between high school and college working odd jobs and modeling to supplement her income. 

Modeling gave her an opportunity to express her originality by designing, making and modeling her own creations.  While enjoyable, Gersham realized that modeling was not a sustainable career, and she knew that academics would shape a successful future.  In 1979 Gersham enrolled in Morgan State University where her love of biology was discovered. 

As biology major she thrived on learning and became enthralled with the brain.  After 2 years at Morgan, Gersham transferred to Towson State University and graduated with a biology degree in 1983.  She continued working for the Federal Government at the Department of Defense, where she studied the effect of cyanide toxicity on the heart.    

While she found the subject interesting, Gersham was unfulfilled because of she desired to conduct brain research. 

Therefore, she accepted a position at the National Institute on Drug Abuse which gave her the ability to study the effects of psycho-active substances on the brain-a subject that interested her because of its prevalence and impact in the African-American community.

Fascinated by brain research, Gersham left the government in the mid 80’s and moved into the pharmaceutical industry at Bristol Myers Squibb Company in Wallingford Connecticut.  The move to industry led Gersham to pursue her doctorate degree.  Because she gained support from the company to pursue advanced education, she moved to the DuPont/Merck Pharmaceutical Company in Wilmington, Delaware.  While working full time she pursued her doctorate degree, and received a PhD in Neurobiology from the University of Delaware in 1999.  She completed her postdoctoral training in molecular biology at the University of Pennsylvania. 

During her professional and academic pursuits, the most important event of Gersham’s life occurred.  Her daughter, Kara Dent, was born in January 1991.  Gersham describes her daughter as the most fun and important aspect of her life. 

On a much lighter note, Gersham spends her time appreciating and enjoying life.  As her friends would attest, she is easy to laugh, likes to talk and loves meeting new people. She spends her time exercising, going to happy hour, dating, dancing, traveling, eating, watching football and just having FUN.