Last month we said farewell to our wonderful Scientific Projects Officer, Abby!
Abby played a huge role in getting the REMEDi4ALL project off the ground and was a fantastic member of the Beacon team who is going to be greatly missed.
Can you sum up your time at Beacon for us?
The last ten months at Beacon have been great. I’ve learned so much and had some fantastic opportunities. I’ve met some of the amazing rare disease community at the showcase, worked with the superb team at REMEDi4ALL, initiated collaborations with health care professionals, and have even been to Barcelona (twice!).
This time last year, I had just finished my dissertation in photochemical synthesis, which feels a world away from where I am now.
My role has been mainly in the REMEDi4ALL drug repurposing project and I’ve learned an unbelievable amount about the pharmaceutical industry, regulations, and reimbursement.
Who knew drugs in the UK need to be approved by the MHRA and then go through and Health Technology Assessment (HTA) to be available to the NHS? Ever heard of a common technical document (CTD) or a target product profile (TPP)? I certainly hadn’t!
Although getting used to all the acronyms took me some time, I now know so much more about the healthcare system and what it takes to get a medication to a patient.
Working internationally has been very cool, getting a glimpse into how other health care systems function and working with people from so many different backgrounds. From pharmacists to web developers, to professors, to clinicians, the breadth of expertise in the consortium is incredible.
Despite that, it’s the Beacon team I’ll really miss. Eve and Rick in particular have been so supportive. They had confidence in me, supporting me to take a lead on projects I wasn’t sure I was ready for. They’ve helped me be more assertive and have a go in small leadership positions. Their approachability has made it a safe place to try out ideas and ask (silly) questions.
What will you be doing after Beacon?
I’m not just leaving Beacon, I’m leaving Cambridge!
My next step takes me to Manchester where I’ll be starting teacher training in September.
I’ve learned loads about creating educational resources and hopefully I can bring those skills to the secondary school science students of the Peak District.
It’s a little bit daunting but I’m looking forward to heading back up north and getting to spend time in the hills.
What are some highlights from your time at Beacon?
The moments at Beacon I’ve enjoyed the most are the ones where I can see impact on the community.
In May, I really enjoyed attending the REMEDi4ALL Hackathon. It was a great opportunity to grow the repurposing community and interact with the early career researchers who are going to drive it forward for the next decades.
Most recently, Beacon had a stand at Cambridge Pride. It was a wonderful day where I got to engage with other LGBTQ+ folk, raising awareness of rare disease and providing tips about self-advocacy in health care.
I really hope this made a difference to some people, and that maybe someone’s health care journey can be made a little easier as a result.
Carrying a large plastic cow across a field head-to-toe in bright yellow isn’t something I’ll forget quickly…
What is your greatest achievement at Beacon?
My biggest achievement at beacon has been what we call ‘the curriculum’. It’s a massive online learning resource educating people from all walks of life about drug repurposing.
It’s not publicly available yet, so stay tuned as it’s coming soon! It’s been a labour of love and a huge team effort to create a visual presentation of the drug repurposing process with 300 topics spanning the entire process. I can’t wait to see it published!
Leaving beacon will be sad, but I’m proud of what I’ve achieved, and I’ve made connections that, I hope, will last a lifetime.
See you around, Beacon bunch x
