Emily Rose - 2023 Chemical Sciences Apprentice of the Year winner

Emily Rose RSciTech

Winner: 2023 Chemical Sciences Apprentice of the Year

Pfizer

For outstanding contributions towards the development of synthetic routes and processes for emerging medicines via autonomous high-throughput experimentation workflows, and contributions to STEM activities.

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Absolutely consider an apprenticeship. ... My Level 3 apprenticeship lasted two years and was a fantastic taster of the industry.

The purpose of Emily’s department at Pfizer is to work out how to manufacture the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) in medicines. APIs are made through chemical reactions starting from already available materials. Emily works in high-throughput experimentation where she runs hundreds of chemical reactions at a time, trying to find the best conditions. She uses a variety of robots that can weigh solids, move liquids, heat, and stir. As well as using the robots to run the reactions, Emily spends time improving the robots and seeing how else they can use them.

Read winner biography

Emily Rose is a final year apprentice at Pfizer. She has been working there for nearly five years while studying for her BSc in chemistry at the University of Greenwich. Before that, she completed a Level 3 apprenticeship at another company in Abingdon.

Emily is an advocate for apprenticeships and passionate about practical work in the laboratory. She lives by the beach with her partner, James, and their cat, Lady.

Q&A

How did you first become interested in chemistry?

I have always had an interest in science in general, but it was my A-level teacher, Andy, who inspired me to pursue chemistry. He made lessons engaging, did great practical demonstrations, and signed me up for the Chemistry Olympiad. Then, once I entered an industrial chemistry lab, that was it. I love both the practical side and the beauty of the theory behind organic chemistry.

Tell us about somebody who has inspired or mentored you in your career.

I am fortunate to have a fantastic mentor, Steve Fussell. Unlike many other managers in my department, Steve doesn’t have a PhD and instead climbed up the ranks from fresh graduate. He has put together a great team and gets the best out of each member. His dedication to the team, ambitious ideas, and commitment to diversity and inclusion inspires me.

What motivates you?

Finding solutions to problems gives me great satisfaction. There is nothing better than a robot behaving perfectly after a frustrating day of trial-and-error. What gets me out of bed some mornings is the excitement to see if my robot performed its tasks overnight with no errors.

What advice would you give to a young person considering a career in chemistry?

Absolutely consider an apprenticeship. When I finished my A-levels, I knew I liked science, but I didn't know exactly what I wanted to do. I was not ready to commit to university. My Level 3 apprenticeship lasted two years and was a fantastic taster of the industry. I was able to build up my network, visit a variety of different labs, and discover what it was I really wanted to do.

What has been a highlight for you (either personally or in your career)?

Last year, I went on a month-long study abroad trip to India through my university. I stayed at Lovely Professional University in Punjab where I learned Hindi, yoga, and cooking, amongst other things. We also went on excursions to the Golden Temple, Dharamsala (where the Dalai Lama resides), and on a free weekend we went to Agra to see the Taj Mahal.