ABPI Logo
  • Developing medicines
    • Responding to COVID-19
    • Clinical trials and research
    • Building a thriving environment for medicine discovery
    • UK-EU Future Relationship
    • Life Sciences Industrial Strategy
    • ABPI Medical Representatives Exam
  • Accessing medicines
    • How medicines are priced in the UK
    • Working with the NHS
    • Supply chain
    • Antimicrobial resistance (AMR)
    • Vaccines
    • What is the NICE Methods Review?
    • Rare diseases: Facing three challenges
  • Our ethics
    • ABPI Code of Practice
    • Disclosure UK
    • Appropriate prescribing
    • Patient & public involvement
  • Member representation
    • Events
    • Full membership
    • Working with our members​
    • ABPI Members List
    • Membership benefits
  • Who We Are
  • Media
  • Publications
  • Facts and Figures
  • Contact Us
MY ABPI LOGIN
 
  • The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry
  • Developing medicines
  • Academic collaboration, education & skills
  • Careers in the pharmaceutical industry
  • Case studies
  • Chemistry (discovery)

Chemistry (discovery)

My experience of doing a Nuffield Bursary encouraged me to do an MChem degree.

Stephanie, Research Chemist

So, what do you do?

I work at the early stage of drug discovery. I work closely with biologists to identify a molecular target and then I design compounds that will interfere or interact with the target or disease mechanism. For example, if the disease is due to something overworking, we will design an inhibitor to block it. If something isn't working, we will design an agonist to stimulate it. My work involves researching into work that has already been done in this area, and then look at compounds that already exist and work out how I can make new compunds that may interact.

I thought medical research was really interesting, so applied for a Nuffield Bursary placement which involved carrying out a 6 week project during the summer holidays between the lower and upper 6th. The experience of working with experts, carrying out cutting edge science and using different technical equipment really excited and appealed to me, and it was then that I decided to go for a career in this industry.

What qualifications do you have?

I studied A-levels in Maths, Physics, Chemistry and German. The Nuffield Bursary experience encouraged me to do a MChem degree at Warwick University. It was a 5 year course which involved a year in industry and a year to do my masters.

What does your typical day involve?

Generally I start work at about 9 and check any outstanding emails and deal with those. Then I go into the lab for about an hour, then we all go for a half hour tea break, then back in the lab. After lunch I’m back in the lab again for the afternoon till about 6, with another tea break squeezed in! So my day is predominantly in the lab, but some days I might have a presentation to write, or meetings, or research to do, so it does vary, but at my level it’s mostly in the lab making compounds.

Do you work mostly on your own or as part of team?

Working in the lab generally I’m working on my own, but I work very closely with the other members of my team, we’ll constantly discuss what we’re doing and offer each other advice. There’s quite a few of us who work in the lab so there’s lots of chat about what we’re all doing.

What is it like socially where you work?

I love the atmosphere of where I work. We’re quite a young group so that means we’re very sociable. As well as colleagues we’re also friends, which makes it a pleasure to go to work in the mornings.

What are you most proud of in your career?

At first you come in at the graduate level and you’re really in awe of other people as you’re not very good and don’t have much experience, but it’s surprising how quickly you learn. I get a real buzz when someone asks me how to do something and I’m able to show them and help using my experience, it makes me very proud.

What possibilities are there for your career in the future?

I would like to take on more of a supervisor’s role. I’ve already started helping out with industrial placement students in the lab. As I’m getting more experience, I think I’ll be able to take full responsibility for another person, showing them what to do and mentoring them.

What do you think are the most important skills for someone in your role to have?

Apart from the obvious technical skills, I think it’s vital that you’re able to work as part of a team and are able to communicate effectively. It’s no good if you’re good at what you do but you can’t tell people about it or share the information with other people. It’s also important that you’re able to show other people the ropes, we get a lot of students who come in and a big part of our job is guiding them and sharing our experience with them.

What one piece of advice would you give to someone seeking a career in the pharmaceutical industry?

I’d advice them to get as much experience as possible. It is possible, I know it seems hard if you’re at school and you’re not sure how to go about it, but there are links, especially with large pharmaceutical companies. Even if it’s just speaking to someone who works as a chemist in the pharmaceutical industry, by speaking to them it will give you an idea if it’s something you’d be interested in.

There are so many different fields and aspects to research chemistry that you need to get out there and try as many different things so you can find out what suits you and what doesn’t.

Case studies

  • Analytical Chemist
  • Analytical Chemist (Discovery)
  • Animal Technologist
  • Apprentice - Higher Laboratory Scientist
  • Biologist (biomarkers)
  • Biologist (DPMK)
  • Biologist (imaging)
  • BioPharmaceutical Scientist
  • Biostatistics Manager
  • Business Engagement Director
  • Chemical Biologist
  • Chemical Engineer
  • Chemist (manufacturing)
  • Chemist (process)
  • Chemistry (discovery)
  • Chemistry Outsourcing Manager and Synthetic Chemist
  • Clinical Data Manager
  • Clinical Quality Assurance Advisor
  • Clinical Research Analyst
  • Clinical Research Associate
  • Clinical Research Manager
  • Clinical Research Project Manager
  • Clinical Safety Scientist
  • Clinical Safety Scientist 2
  • Clinical Scientist
  • Clinical trials supplies
  • Commercial Account Manager
  • Commercial Director
  • Compliance Director
  • Contract Manager
  • Data Sciences Manager
  • Director Medical Affairs
  • Drug Safety Associate – Video
  • Drug Safety Officer
  • Epidemiologist
  • Executive Sales Representative
  • Geneticist
  • Graduate Trainee Biologist
  • Graduate Trainee Chemist
  • Graduate Trainee In Vivo Scientist
  • Head of Drug Safety and Local Safety Officer
  • Head of Health Economics
  • Head of Market Access
  • Healthcare Manager
  • Human Resources Manager
  • Industrial Placement (Medicinal Chemist)
  • Industrial Placement (Medicinal Chemistry)
  • Industrial Placement (Regulatory Policy)
  • Industrial Placement Biologist
  • Industrial Placement Chemist
  • Industrial Placement Pharmacologist
  • Industrial Placement Pharmacologist - Respiratory
  • Industrial placement student – biologist
  • Industry Accountant
  • IT Project Manager
  • Laboratory Technician (biology)
  • Laboratory Technician (chemistry)
  • Lean Coach
  • Learning and Development Business Practice Lead
  • Legal Coordinator
  • Manufacturing Operative
  • Market Access Director
  • Mathematical Modeller
  • Medical department intern
  • Medical Director and Managing Director UK & Ireland
  • Medical Director UK and Ireland
  • Medical Director UK and Republic of Ireland
  • Medical Information Scientist
  • Medical Physicist
  • Medical Writer
  • Medical writer (freelance)
  • Medicinal Chemist
  • Medicinal Chemist – Video
  • Medicinal Chemistry Director
  • Occupational Health Manager
  • Patent Attorney
  • Pharmaceutical Formulation Scientist
  • Pharmaceutical Technologist
  • Pharmacist (formulation)
  • Pharmacist (pre-registration)
  • Pharmacokineticist (DMPK) – Video
  • Pharmacologist
  • Pharmacovigilance Scientist
  • Policy and Public Affairs Manager
  • Product Manager
  • Production Coordinator
  • Project Manager / Director
  • Public Relations Executive
  • Public Relations Officer
  • Quality and Compliance Vice President
  • Regulatory Affairs and Qualified Person
  • Regulatory Affairs Associate
  • Regulatory Affairs Consultant (Freelance)
  • Regulatory Affairs Executive
  • Regulatory Associate
  • Research Project Leader
  • Research Scientist – Video
  • Sales Representative
  • Scientific Affairs Manager (Nutrition)
  • Senior statistician
  • Specialist Medical Representative
  • Statistician
  • Summer placement student
  • Synthetic Medicinal Chemist – Video
  • Toxicologist
  • Toxicologist (Contract Research)
  • Toxicology Study Director
  • Training Director
  • Training Instructor
  • UK and Ireland Medical Director
  • Veterinary Surgeon

ABPI

The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry is a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales 
(registered number 09826787) and its registered office is at 7th Floor Southside,105 Victoria Street, London, SW1E 6QT.
Telephone +44 (0) 207 9303477

© ABPI 2021
  • Twitter Logo
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube Logo

Devolved Nations

  • Cymru Wales
  • Northern Ireland
  • Scotland

Quick Links

  • ABPI Exam
  • Disclosure UK
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Careers
  • Schools
  • Acronym buster

Website Info

  • Terms and conditions
  • Accessibility
  • Cookie Policy

Prescription Medicines Code of Practice Authority (PMCPA)

The Prescription Medicines Code of Practice Authority (PMCPA) was established by The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry to operate the ABPI Code of Practice for the Pharmaceutical Industry independently of the ABPI. The PMCPA is a division of ABPI which is a company registered in England and Wales (registered number 09826787) with its registered office at 7th Floor, Southside, 105 Victoria Street, London SW1E 6QT.

Office of Health Economics (OHE)

The Office of Health Economics (OHE) is a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales (registered number 09848965) and its registered office is at 7th Floor Southside, 105 Victoria Street, London, SW1E 6QT. OHE provides independent research, advisory and consultancy services on policy implications and economic issues within the pharmaceutical, health care and biotechnology sectors.