Dr. Andrew Salzman, a physician, scientist, entrepreneur, inventor, and executive, joined The Bracken Group (Bracken) in June. He talked with us recently about his lengthy career and many interests. 

Q: You’ve been involved with many diverse organizations. Why align with Bracken?

A: Bracken’s work integrates everything that I’ve worked on so far in my career. It combines entrepreneurship, medicine, biology, pharmacology, drug development, chemistry, market analysis, and so much more. It’s a completely integrative consultancy providing integrated services. I’m very excited about that.

Q: Are there any particular types of clients or projects that you are especially eager to engage with?

A: There are several: Preclinical development of new chemical entities, critical care medicine, pediatric medicine, infectious disease, pulmonary vascular medicine, medicinal chemistry, quality control for small molecules, orphan diseases . . .

Q: I believe you designed a recombinant protein for use in treating a rare disease.

A: Yes, I spent five years on that project in homocystinuria, which is an ultra-rare pediatric disease.

Q: Is the treatment in use today?

A: It’s probably in Phase 3 trials at this time.

Q: In your LinkedIn profile, you describe yourself as a “physician, scientist, entrepreneur, and sailor.” Sailor?

A: That’s very important to me. I love sailing. I started sailing as a kid. I sailed competitively in high school and in college. I sailed across the Atlantic in a small boat when I was 20. And I’ve sailed throughout the world since then. Right now, I sail a lot of the year in Israel and in Martha’s Vineyard.

Q: Israel and Massachusetts are home bases for you, correct?

A: Yes. I grew up in the Boston area and lived there until I went to college at Yale. I moved to Israel in 2007 and have been based there since, but we also kept our family home on Martha’s Vineyard.

Q: What else should we know about you?

A: I love hiking and downhill skiing, and I get a lot of pleasure from helping young people, especially in scientific development. I like to help young people who are entrepreneurial. I spent a great amount of my life as an educator, and I love teaching, so it’s very natural to me to be providing consultation.

For more about Dr. Salzman, see his profile on the Bracken website here. Download his CV here.