Eric: It is a pleasure to introduce you, Juliet, to our YPG members. Please tell us about yourself and your current position within FIP-YPG?
Juliet: Thank you very much for this opportunity Eric. I am Juliet Obi from Nigeria, and I currently serve as the YPG liaison to the Biotechnology Special Interest Group (SIG) under the FIP Board of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Eric: For the interest of the reader, could you explain and describe the focus and activities of the Biotechnology SIG?
Juliet: The Biotechnology SIG is one of the nine SIGs led by the FIP Board of Pharmaceutical Sciences. The section is focused on promoting the discovery, development, and manufacturing of biotechnology-related drugs and pharmaceutical products, as well as encouraging the exchange of knowledge among scientists in this field.
Eric: I think a lot of YPG members are quite interested as to what the roles and duties of the YPG liaison to the biotechnology SIG might be, as the liaison role is a newly established position in YPG. Could you explain to our readers?
Juliet: My primary role as the YPG liaison to the Biotechnology SIG of FIP is to help bridge the gap between YPG members who are keen on getting involved in FIP activities and FIP as a whole. Specifically, my role is to engage the chair and vice-chairs of my section to figure out how YPG members interested in biotechnology can get involved and advance their networking and career goals. In the long run, we want to increase awareness of this section and encourage people to actively participate in any activities and projects organized.
Eric: What made you apply for this position?
Juliet: I am currently studying towards obtaining a Masters in Pharmaceutical Sciences, and my thesis research involves the use of biophysical and bio-analytical methods, which is an area under pharmaceutical biotechnology. I decided to apply for the YPG biotechnology SIG liaison position because I thought it was relevant to my career goals. Most importantly, the pharmacy profession as a whole is increasingly becoming diverse and interdisciplinary, thus many young pharmacists are going into areas in the pharmaceutical sciences. I felt, therefore, that I could be an advocate for such people to encourage them and help them realize there are so many untapped opportunities in the pharmaceutical sciences.
Eric: During the FIP Congress in Glasgow, Scotland, was there any programme hosted by Biotechnology SIG?
Juliet: YPG members who attended the congress were able to attend the meet and greet SIG session for biotechnology that took place on the 4th of September at 9:30 am. This session allowed interested participants to communicate directly and network with SIG members.
Eric: Any other special meetings or projects that you would like to share with our readers?
Juliet: I am currently in communication with the chair of the section, Dr. Binodh DeSilva and we are discussing the possibility of a project aimed at promoting the section to YPG members. More details would definitely be shared with members once we have a concrete plan.
Eric: Lastly, any words of advice for those who are interested in becoming a SIG member, and would like to join in the future?
Juliet: The first step certainly is to be registered as an individual member of FIP and then members can choose to be a member of the biotechnology SIG. I would also encourage members to engage in any opportunities presented to them and use this platform to interact and network with colleagues all over the globe with similar interests.
Eric: Thank you Juliet for your time.
Juliet: You are very much welcome and thanks once again for this opportunity!
Interview by Eric So (Newsletter Team Member, FIP-YPG 2017–2018 Subcommittee)
