I trained as a chemist and when I first worked here, I was part of a small research team that made a breakthrough identifying PI 3-kinases as promising new biological targets for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.
Several times our research project was almost stopped but we persuaded management to let us push on. And we were right. It’s been fantastic for everyone involved to see one of these projects progress into the clinic.
Today, I work as a project manager, helping to steer the process for discovering and developing new drugs. My role is similar to a global positioning system (GPS): I help with the directions, but the scientific team does the driving. My goal is to provide the mapping systems to get them quickly to the next decision point and make sure that all of the necessary criteria are met for the project to continue.
Speed is important, but so is quality. If we find the right balance through drug discovery and development, ultimately we will be able to bring a new therapy to patients faster. That’s worth fighting for.
