As an academic, I worked on rare neurological diseases and was (and still am) fascinated by the workings of the brain. However, what I didn’t enjoy as much about academia was writing grant applications. Frustrated with receiving grant rejections, I decided to rethink my career path.
I’m one of those (possibly rare) people who absolutely loved writing their PhD thesis, writing manuscripts and giving presentations, and it suddenly dawned on me that science communication was the obvious career choice. I sent my CV to Oxford PharmaGenesis and met the CEO and members of the Cardiff office the very next day. This first meeting set the tone for all my experiences with the company: I immediately felt at ease and enjoyed being around like-minded people. I started work in the Value Demonstration Practice, where I stayed for 2 years before there was an opportunity in another team to work on the same group of rare diseases that I had studied in academia. Over the years, my interest in bioinformatics and neuroscience has converged on artificial intelligence. Consequently, building on existing client relationships, I was given the opportunity to develop the company’s AI and Data Science services. It’s very exciting to be learning every day and to be exploring and implementing new technologies that can support the work that we already do and that allow us to branch out in new directions too.
In the AI and Data Science team we have a close working relationship with the Digital Development team and also get to work with other colleagues across the company. So, one thing we are never short of is variety! Working at Oxford PharmaGenesis means that I can stay in touch with the very latest research and be part of a team that helps to disseminate it to global audiences in innovative ways. If you are looking for a new direction then I can only encourage you to get in touch – who knows where you might end up?
