Laura from DMPK

• • Drug metabolism

  • Laura
  • Teresa

I joined AstraZeneca after studying for a degree in Pharmacology at Newcastle University. My final year research project involved investigating the effect of one drug on the metabolism of another drug.

"I am gaining the experience and the development I imagined a company like AstraZeneca would provide" Laura

This started my interest in metabolism and drug interactions and so I decided to apply for a job in the DMPK field.

I chose AstraZeneca as I liked the idea of working for a large pharmaceutical company that was based in Europe. I had also studied anti-cancer therapy in depth at University and was interested in working for a company that was a leader in oncology therapy. The application process was straightforward; I applied online then was invited to a first round interview. The second round of the recruitment process was held at the Alderley Park site and gave me a chance to meet some people from the DMPK department and tour the facilities.

DMPK has two sections: Discovery and Development. Both sections look into the absorption, distribution, metabolism and elimination (ADME) of our compounds. The Discovery section determines the ADME characteristics of compounds from target identification, through lead identification and finally nomination. The Development section looks in depth into the nominated compound, to confirm the Discovery data, and also to support regulatory submissions. The data generated can also go on to help explain toxicological or efficacy problems and aid planning of drug-drug interaction and first time in man studies.

Graduates recruited into DMPK are given training on general laboratory issues and Good Laboratory Practice. There are also taught sessions on the different aspects of DMPK, and we are given IT training on the various computer packages. As well as attending training sessions, I really enjoyed the fact that I was part of a working team from day one and got stuck into experimental work straight away.

I plan my own experiments, carry them out, and interpret the data. Problem solving is an important skill to have in these situations. Once a series of experiments has been finished I write a report which is stored electronically and can be accessed by other people. I attend team meetings with other DMPK colleagues and I am expected to present my data to this team. In addition there are opportunities to take on other responsibilities to help the lab run smoothly.

In the two years since I have been here, I have been to several external training courses, scientific meetings and internal lectures. I also have regular career development reviews with my line manager, and I take every opportunity to develop transferable skills. Whilst I know I can have a good career here in DMPK, I am also aware that there are other areas of the company available to me in the future.