Amy McLaren

"I feel I strongly match my personality types. I am a very motivated person and I know where I want to go with my career. I enjoy being able to mix between working by myself and as part of a team, and have no problem taking charge and trying to help organise big projects that help improve processes. I am a keen learner and I am always reading research papers and trying to get a better understanding of why I perform certain experiments and what the products I am working with are for. I enjoy working with a wide variety of people and I always make myself available to others if they ever need a hand or need something explained to them. I pay close attention to detail which has helped me be a key person in driving changes in the department. "

"I perform safety tests on medicines and vaccines that large pharmaceutical companies produce in order to ensure they are safe for the public to use. I also test medicines that are being run in clinical trials to become regulated medicines on the market. I love having a job that makes a difference to people's lives and I enjoy being part of an industry that is always changing. There is always new pieces of equipment or methods so there is always something to learn."

"I always wanted to work in science. At school it was the subject that I naturally excelled in and it always interested me. Having grown up in a family where a lot of older relatives passed away from cancer, it made me determined to have a job that involved helping people. While Bioreliance is the first company I have worked with since graduating university, I feel my previous roles in the hospitality industry really helped me. I am a very strong independent worker but I always work well as part of a larger team. I am able to plan my time in a way I find most efficient, I am able to spot when somebody needs some extra help and I am not afraid to try help motivate the team before a difficult day. "

"In my free time I enjoy watching rugby, reading, travelling and fundraising. Over the last 3 years I have jumped off the side of the Stratosphere hotel in Vegas, taken part in a zipslide across the Clyde River in Glasgow, skydived and I am due to abseil off the Forth Rail Bridge early 2021. As I have quite a full on job, I like to relax on my days off and spend time with those close to me."

"In the morning, I tend to take the time to reply to some emails as well getting the laboratory ready for the day. This involves turning on pieces of equipment, checking cells for the day, ordering in stock and gathering documents. I also work on what we call \"continuous improvement\" projects. These are when someone notices a method or process that may not work the way it should or could be made quicker. We then gather a team to discuss what the problems are and find ways to fix it and then work together to implement any changes. I enjoy doing this role as it helps me become more aware of what I am doing and why I am doing it. It is also a great way to improve your problem solving skills and helps me interact with other departments. "

"I studied the following High subjects, English, Mathematics, Geography, Human Biology, Chemistry, Physics and achieved Advanced Highers in Biology and Geography. I then attended the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow. I was originally studying in the joint honours degree for Immunology and Pharmacology, and then was accepted onto the undergraduate Masters Programme to study Immunology and graduated in 2017 with a MSci in Immunology. "