Lana was born Svetlana Ilyena Petrova in St. Petersburg, Russia. Her father is a renowned doctor and professor of medicine and her mother was once a famous ballerina with the Mariinsky Ballet. Her early childhood was one of stern discipline as Lana and her twin sister Katya were groomed by their mother to be ballerinas themselves. While Katya possessed grace and poise in abundance, Svetlana did not. She was too much like her father, preferring the medical books in her father's study than the barre at the Vaganova Ballet Academy.

Much to her mother's disappointment and to her father's secret and proud delight, Lana went to college where she studied medicine. Yet unlike her father who was in research, Lana wanted to feel like she was making a difference on a much more personal level and joined Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders), an international medical and humanitarian aid organization. For several years she worked among the fringes of humanity where even in the 22nd century, disease, hunger, famine, and warfare still lurked. It was in a remote corner of the world where a fellow colleague and former medical officer told her stories about serving with Starfleet. A burn-out looking for change, Lana thought this was the opportunity she needed.

She entered the Academy and after graduating, was assigned to the NX-05 Yorktown as CMO. During her tour on the 'Fighting Lady,' she met and fell in love with Max Rokossovsky, a fellow Russian who would one day command the Yorktown himself. Later assigned to Starfleet Medical on Earth, Svetlana was rejoined with Captain Rokossovsky when he was injured. Despite their feelings for each other, the two grew apart and the split was amicable. Wanting a change of venue, she resigned her commission and took on a job with the UEHO, the United Earth Health Organization.