About Charles Berkoff

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Charles Edward Berkoff grew up as a Cockney in London. After surviving "The Blitz," he entered the British pharmaceutical industry; he was fifteen at the time. He later opted to pursue an academic career, graduating from the University of London with a first-class honors (summa cum laude) BSc degree in chemistry. He went on to receive his PhD in organic chemistry at Imperial College, University of London, in the laboratories of Professor Sir Derek Barton, Nobel laureate. As an authentic organic chemist, he's proud to say that he's never been treated with pesticides or fertilizers.

Based on his scientific achievements, his colleagues told him he should go far; it became ugly when they insisted. And so he came to the United States as a Fulbright Research Fellow at The Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. Following another Research Fellowship at the University of Southampton in England, he returned to the US and entered the American pharmaceutical industry, spending many years as Director, Research and Development, GlaxoSmithKline, in Philadelphia. During that period, Dr. Berkoff was also Chairman, Publications Committee, Philadelphia Section, American Chemical Society. He went on to become President and CEO of the biotechnology company Antigenics, Inc. In the late 1980s Dr. Berkoff  founded CEBRAL, Inc., a Drug Discovery and Development Consulting Organization; he still serves as its President and CEO. 

Encouraged by the success of his first novel, PreMedicated Murder, Charles has now put to paper a collection of his short stories, The Catcher Goes Awry...and Other Odds and Sods  (February, 2019), followed by his vivid World War Two boyhood memories of the London Blitz: The Lighter Side of London's Bloody Blitz - as Seen Through the Eyes of a Young Boy ( July, 2019). 

Charles enjoys duplicate bridge, cricket, competitive swimming, and tennis. As a loyal US citizen, he patiently waits to be invited to join the US Davis Cup Team. If selected, he promises to bring balls.

He lives in Sarasota with his wife, Heide, their rescue dog, Landy, and his two embarrassed tennis rackets.