Diana Lau, Founder and Medical Director at PharmaVerse Medical Communications and Consulting Service, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“A full-circle moment for me this week. – Diana Lau
A huge thank you to the Children’s Cancer Institute and especially Hannah Hartley for inviting me to speak with PhD and Honours students about careers in pharma.
My objective was simple: to give these aspiring scientists an insider’s view of life beyond academia and into the pharmaceutical industry. I shared a snippet of what it’s like to work in pharma and my view that those with commercial acumen, strong communication, technical expertise, and adaptability truly thrive.
I also walked through the (very long!) journey of bringing a new medicine to the market, and the wide range of expertise required to make this possible. It was a privilege to share the stage with Dr. Alison Ferguson, who has had an incredible journey in her academic career path.
Interestingly, despite our very different directions, our learnings and takeaways overlapped beautifully:
– Follow your fun and passion.
– Your career path doesn’t need to be linear.
– Failure is part of the journey – embrace the lesson.
– Connections are vital – invest in relationships.
– Know your value and communicate it clearly.
– Be brave, say yes to new/foreign challenges, and step outside your comfort zone to grow.
Personally, I felt so grateful and special to be back at CCI, 14 years after finishing my PhD there, and to see my co-supervisor Prof Michelle Haber AM still relentlessly pursuing her mission to cure childhood cancer.
Here’s to the next generation of bright and passionate scientists – your possibilities are endless!”
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