Susan Galbraith trained as a clinical oncologist in the United Kingdom. She studied medicine at Manchester and Cambridge Universities. She has a PhD from the University of London involving translational work on a vascular-targeting agent. She has 20 years of industry cancer drug development experience, playing a key role in the development of several approved drugs including ipilimumab, nivolumab, olaparib, osimertinib, acalabrutinib and selumetinib. She was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Medical Science from the Institute of Cancer Research in 2017, and was admitted to Fellowship of the Academy of Medical Sciences in 2018.