Teresa from DMPK

• • Drug metabolism

  • Laura
  • Teresa

After my degree in Biochemistry from Sheffield University, I chose DMPK because I wanted to continue using the analytical skills I had developed.  I was attracted to AZ because of its strong position in the pharmaceutical industry and excellent package of benefits.

"I was attracted to AZ because of its strong position in the pharmaceutical industry and excellent package of benefits" Teresa

After replying to an advertisement in the scientific press I was invited to a technical interview at Alderley Park.  At the second round interviews there was a group exercise, and I was able to meet people from the department and tour the labs.

I work on Cardiovascular and Gastrointestinal projects in Discovery DMPK.  In Discovery we look at large numbers of compounds that are designed for a particular drug target.  Our data predicts where and how quickly a compound is going to be cleared by the body.  We work towards a compound being nominated to go into the development stage. On a day-to-day basis my work involves preparing biological samples and measuring the drug concentrations in them.  The information is analysed and reported back to the multidisciplinary teams working on the projects

With support and guidance from my manager I am in charge of my own development, training is a mixture of on-the-job, formal lectures and external training courses.  Working as part of team means I also gain valuable skills and knowledge from more experienced colleagues.  

I was surprised at how quickly I settled in and became a valued member of the team.  There are plenty of opportunities to get stuck into non-project based issues, for example I am in a departmental group tackling training and development.