Brittney Gurda, PhD, VMD

Principle Scientist, SwanBio Therapeutics

Brittney earned her PhD at the University of Florida under the guidance of the late Dr. Mavis Agbandje-McKenna using cryo-EM and X-ray crystallography to determine the antigenic structures of the popular gene therapy vector, AAV. From there she completed her first post-doc with James Wilson, MD, PhD, at UPenn studying gene therapy for the lysosomal storage disorders. This opportunity allowed her to work closely with veterinarians focusing on naturally occurring large animal models of human genetic diseases. Here she entered veterinary school to develop a deeper understanding of pathophysiology of disease and pursue a life-long love of veterinary medicine. After graduating veterinary school she spent time in both the industry setting at Spark Therapeutics and held a position as a clinical veterinarian in the public sector. Today, she holds a Principle Scientist position at a biotech company focusing on spinal cord diseases.

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/blgurda

Areas of Support

  • Preparing for the next step with mentee's career

  • Advising on the job search

  • Improving mentoring skills

  • Managing time and competing priorities

  • Improving organizational skills

  • Navigating politics in the workplace

  • Practicing self-advocacy

  • Growing in effective communication

  • Practicing work/life balance or work/life integration

  • Holding mentee accountable to deadlines/commitments

Mentoring Style

  • Educator: The educator will take the time to train mentees and help them to learn and develop. This type of mentor stays positive but still pushes mentees to excel.

  • Ideator: The ideator is a mentor that helps mentees brainstorm and think big. This mentoring style focuses on thinking, planning, and dreaming.

About Me

I often feel that I have struggled to figure out where I belong in the scientific community. Having started my career in structural biology of viruses and ending my training in veterinary school it was difficult to find a place where these two disciplines crossed. I feel that having great mentors and being open to new opportunities helped me define where I wanted to grow. Additionally, my family, like many others, has a genetic disease that fueled my interest in science and medicine. I hope to help another young scientist find their footing in this very diverse and vast field.