Leslie A. Saxon is a Professor of Clinical Medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of arrhythmias in patients with congestive heart failure. In 2010, Saxon formed the USC Center for Body Computing. Before she took the stage to chat about medical technology, Saxon took our In The Green Room Q&A.
Q. What is the last habit you tried to kick?
A. Excessive caffeine in the morning. I tried to downgrade to a regular Peet’s at 5 a.m. I do feel the large at 11 a.m.. And at 2 I’m usually wishing I’d had a regular.
Q. Who was your childhood hero?
A. Gandhi. The first biography I ever read – somehow I got it off my parents’ shelf – was Gandhi’s.
Q. What surprises you most about your life right now?
A. I feel blessed to have had so many choices and been able to do so much.
Q. What do you consider to be the greatest simple pleasure?
A. Making a patient feel better.
Q. Where would we find you at 10 a.m. on a typical Saturday?
A. Playing tennis or planning to cook something.
Q. What do you wish you had the nerve to do?
A. Start a restaurant.
Q. Who is your favorite fictional character?
A. Not because I identify with her, but, Becky Thatcher.
Q. What is your favorite cocktail?
A. Vodka martini, dry, up.
Q. What profession would you like to practice in your next life?
A. Professional athlete.
Q. What is your most prized material possession?
A. A photograph that I gave my husband.
Q. Who is the one person living or dead that you would most like to meet for dinner?
A. I wouldn’t mind meeting Bertrand Russell.
To read more about Saxon’s panel, click here.
*Photo by Aaron Salcido.