Alumn: Developing new targeted pharmaceuticals

“I work with pharmaceutical development at AstraZeneca, focusing on oligonucleotides. These are molecules that can bind more precisely to diseased tissue instead of going throughout the body, allowing for more targeted treatments. I’m an in-vitro researcher, testing molecules on cells to see what effect they have. It is not always about creating completely new pharmaceuticals. It’s often a case of finding ways to improve existing ones.

“Maybe in 15 years’ time I’ll be able to say: ‘I helped bring this drug that helps many people to market.’ It’s a small chance, but it’s what drives me.

“At the University of Gothenburg, I took a double bachelor’s degree in chemistry and molecular biology and then a master’s degree in molecular biology. I learnt an incredible amount during my education, and that’s the foundation for my work today. At the same time, my university studies were quite challenging. I was diagnosed with dyslexia during my first year at university. For example, because I have a poor working memory, it was hard to sit through hour-long lectures and try to remember and write everything down. But I had a clear goal of getting my bachelor’s and master’s degrees, and the University offered several useful tools to help me. I got extra time for exams, and the library had a reading program where the computer read out the text on the screen, such as lab reports and research articles.

“As well as the actual subject knowledge, I also learnt many other valuable skills during my university studies. The education involved a lot of personal responsibility. You were given a task, and it was up to you to find ways to solve it. I benefit immensely from that today.”

As told to: Ulrika Ernström
Photo: Arthur Herren