Communication skills are fundamental to a researcher’s day-to-day work.
This panel session features speakers who have built on these skills to go into healthcare and medical communications, careers that aim to raise awareness of therapies and medical devices that could transform and even save people’s lives.
Join us to hear about their career journeys, and get an opportunity to ask questions.
Our panellists include:
Dr Aimee Jones, Communications Team Leader, Oxford PharmaGenesis: As a team leader at Oxford PharmaGenesis, I work closely with pharma clients to deliver high-quality scientific materials. Over the past 8 years I’ve worked across multiple therapy areas and have been involved in providing strategic pre- and post-launch publication planning, delivery of key publications, and planning and delivery of meetings, workshops and events. I did my undergraduate degree in Genetics, followed by an MRes in Clinical Genetics, both at the University of Manchester. I then worked as a Research Assistant in a Clinical Genetics lab at Oxford University, where I did my DPhil. Rather than continue as a post doc, I decided to leave academia and start a career as a Medical Writer.
Dr Sam Ridgeway, Medical Writer, Caudex– an IPG Health company: As a Medical Writer at Caudex, I work with pharmaceutical industry partners to produce print and digital documents for a range of audiences, including doctors, nurses and patients. I did a BSc in Psychology at the University of York, an MRes in Neuroscience at Newcastle University, and a PhD in Cognitive Neuroscience at Cardiff University. My PhD focused on the neural architecture supporting mental time travel.
Dr Beatrice Tyrrell, Principal Medical Writer, Aspire Scientific: As a Principal Medical Writer at Aspire Scientific, I am part of a team committed to delivering high-quality medical writing services for our pharmaceutical and biotech clients, ranging from supporting our clients with scientific strategy, to developing training materials and pivotal clinical trial publications. I completed an MA in Natural Sciences at the University of Cambridge, specialising in Pathology, and a DPhil in Infection, Immunology, and Translational Medicine at the University of Oxford, investigating the antiviral and immunomodulatory effects of iminosugar compounds, particularly in dengue virus infection. During my DPhil, I gained science communication experience outside the lab, including as Features Section Editor for Phenotype and Founder of Oxford Hands-On Science. As I neared the end of my DPhil, I was drawn to a career in medical communications (MedComms). Taking part in Aspire Scientific’s Aspirations scheme allowed me to gain paid medical writing experience alongside my DPhil, and cemented my belief that MedComms would be a good fit for me. I joined the company as a Medical Writer in 2019, and now help to run the Aspirations scheme.
