JPAG Pharmaceutical Analysis Careers Fair and Research Awards Symposium, RSC 11th November 2025
Student bursary report- Richa Mahadik (M.Sc, University of Strathclyde)
Landing in London
I landed at London Luton Airport around 11 AM. It felt surreal because, as a teenager, I’d always watched videos of London walking tours and dreamt of being on those streets one day. It’s funny how life works out—I was here because of all the hard work I’d put in back in the lab. As a recent graduate with an MSc in Pharmaceutical Analysis, I was selected to attend and present my work. The first day was all about exploring. I went and saw Big Ben, the London Eye, and the Palace of Westminster. It poured rain on us, but we managed! I ended the night by calling it quits and having a wonderful pizza for dinner.
The Big Day: The JPAG Symposium
The next morning—the day of the conference—I woke up with a few butterflies in my stomach, but the event was actually completely different from what I’d expected. First off, the Royal Society of Chemistry building is incredible; the architecture and interior are truly beautiful. We kicked off with a great introduction by the JPAG Chair, Lisa Hinchliffe, followed by a quick talk from one of the keynote speakers, Dr. James Heaton. I actually know Dr. Heaton from attending his lectures at the University of Strathclyde. I then had the chance to listen to people presenting their work during the oral presentations. I even got to chat with some of the speakers. It was great hearing from people who are so far along in their careers—the kind of position I can only dream of reaching—and listening to them talk about their experiences and somehow make it sound simpler than it really is. This conference was incredibly helpful in making the ‘analysis world’ feel more tangible and less like something only found in textbooks. We broke for lunch, and during that time, I was lucky enough to speak with Dr. Heaton again. I got to show him my poster and walk him through my MSc research, which was absolutely brilliant. My research involved analysing amino acid content in commercial whey protein supplements, and it turned out to be related to a niche area he’s an expert in! After lunch, we went to a few more interesting oral presentations. Throughout the whole day, I also had the opportunity to speak to representatives from six different pharmaceutical companies. This was really helpful because I got a much better understanding of the work they do and the key differences between working in academia versus industry. Hearing from these experts helped me better understand how the analytical techniques I learned in my course are applied in the real world to solve actual industry problems.
The Most Memorable Talk
I think my absolute favourite talk was by Dr. Caroline Copeland from King’s College London. She spoke about juggling her job, her side projects, and her new baby. She talked about how easy it is to get caught up trying to fit in with others, which makes us forget to say “no” and take time for ourselves and our loved ones. She stressed that taking those breaks is so important, or else life will eventually force you to take one. She came across as very kind and funny, and I really enjoyed listening to her. Over coffee, I networked with loads of people, telling them how much I liked their work. It was a lot of fun talking to people about something they’re clearly so passionate about.
Saying Goodbye
The day after the conference, I got to meet up with a friend who studies in London, who I hadn’t seen in ages! We spent time hanging out around Camden Town and Buckingham Palace. Eventually, it was time to say goodbye to London and head back to my beloved home in Glasgow. No matter where you travel, the peace you feel in your home city just can’t be matched.
