Emily Hill has just started the 4th year of my PhD in Associate Professor Emmet O’Reilly’s research group in the Bernal Institute, University of Limerick. She recently finished a placement with Pfizer, as part of the SSPC placement programme.
Many new drugs are poorly soluble, which can limit their effectiveness. My PhD research focuses on enhancing solubility by converting drugs from their crystalline form to a more soluble amorphous form.
I use techniques like spray drying, where the drug is dissolved with a polymer and dried into fine particles, and hot melt extrusion, which melts the drug-polymer mix to break down its crystalline structure. These methods help improve drug absorption in the body, potentially reducing dosage and side effects. The polymer also helps stabilise the amorphous form to prevent it from reverting back.
I joined the New Products Team at Pfizer’s Ringaskiddy site in Cork, an exciting hub for the manufacture and launch of new active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). This was an exciting plant to work in as many new active pharmaceutical ingredients are manufactured and launched from this site. Also, there is an element of research on site which was very interesting to learn about. Both the Kilo technology lab and RCMF buildings are the hubs of lots of exciting and innovative research on site. This Pfizer site exposed me to both manufacturing and research in the pharmaceutical industry which was fantastic experience to get during placement.
While I placement I got the opportunity to join in on the day-to-day activities of the new products team. While I was on placement the team was working on the development and set-up of a continuous manufacturing process for a new active pharmaceutical ingredient. In the lab the documentation of lab protocols for new lab-scale equipment set-up and testing to replicate larger clinical scale equipment was one of my tasks. I also got the opportunity to take parts in lots of manufacturing floor walk-downs. It was fascinating to see both the lab scale equipment which I am more accustomed to from my PhD to the clinical and manufacturing scale equipment, this really put things in perspective for me.
The work I completed on placement was very varied and involved both lab and office work. I enjoyed the balance and found it gave me an opportunity to learn about industrial roles available in both environments. The new products group works in close collaboration with other departments on site and also with Pfizer sites in America which meant I got to take part in a variety of meetings. Part of my work focused on collaborating with experts from different departments to decide on the most suitable PAT tool for an ongoing project.
Aspects of the project were broadly similar to my PhD work, mainly the continuous nature of some of the equipment. However, the other parts were different which gave me the chance to learn so much from new types of equipment to commercial scale set-ups to the steps involved in clinical trials. I am very grateful to everyone I worked with at the Ringaskiddy site, everyone was very willing to explain their work and this helped me to get the most out of my time there.
The main takeaway I took from my placement was a very positive enjoyable experience of the pharmaceutical industry. I was hoping my placement would help me to learn the type of role I might want after my PhD. Thanks to the fantastic team I was placed with I got to speak to individuals from a number of departments and Pfizer sites and learn more about their day-to-day. I found this very beneficial and something I would never have had the chance to do without going on placement.
Before placement I was open to a career in either academia or industry after my PhD. I worked with a fantastic team in Pfizer who gave me the opportunity to speak to individuals from different parts of the site and even from different sites spanning a range of different roles during my placement. This helped me to see the type of jobs I could do in industry which was very valuable information to get. I really enjoyed my placement and had a very positive experience with industry, and this has swayed me towards going into industry after placement.
I think an industry placement is an invaluable experience for a PhD/post doc researcher. It provides the chance to test the waters in industry and see first-hand what that world is like day-to-day. You get to become involved in industrial projects and teams and learn what aspects of industry are most suited to your interests and skillset. It also gives you the chance to meet great people and learn a lot from them about industry and their experience. I believe too it is a great experience to have on your CV when applying for roles post PhD and would give you more confidence applying for roles and completing interviews.
Thank you to SSPC for this amazing opportunity, I thoroughly enjoyed it, gained great experience and met wonderful people. I would recommend an industry placement to all PhD students.
