Roles and Impact of a Pharmaceutical scientist- Interview with Dr. You Zhuan Lee

One of the different areas where young pharmacists contribute to improving quality of life is in the area of research as a pharmaceutical scientist.

Having more insight into the roles and impact of a pharmaceutical scientist would help young pharmacists who would love to go in this career path, hence we featured Dr. You Zhuan Lee, a pharmaceutical scientist who also holds a YPG subcommittee position; Drug delivery and Manufacturing Liasion.

Thanks, Dr. Lee for joining us for this interview.

May you tell us about your current research projects?

My research focuses on drug delivery systems and pharmaceutical formulation design. Having worked as a pharmacist in hospital and community pharmacy, I saw first-hand the effectiveness and side effects of medication rely on its formulation. As a pharmaceutical scientist, I strongly believe that much more can be done to bring out the true potential of existing drug molecules, and one of the methods is through drug delivery systems and formulation design. With this belief, I strived to improve the oral bioavailability of a poorly water-soluble drug molecule by optimising its formulation design in my Ph.D. project. A better water-solubility would lead to better drug absorption in our body and hence could achieve a similar therapeutic effect at a lower dosage; this would potentially reduce the cost and the adverse side effects.

With pharmaceutical formulation, existing drug molecules could attain even better therapeutic effects than they have currently, leading to better clinical outcomes while minimising side effects. Similarly, it could improve many drug molecules that have shown high therapeutic effects in test tubes or petri dishes but low effects in animals or humans.

You were one of the finalists of the Chrysalis Award. How was the experience of joining this activity with other young scientists?

To me, the experience has been intense yet extremely valuable! All finalists were so talented and I learnt so much from everyone. The workshops we attended throughout the competition, from science communication to innovative problem solving and commercialisation, were beyond my Ph.D. training. I think they are of utmost importance in research, they would benefit me for the rest of my career, especially as an early career researcher. One of the biggest tasks we had to complete was to come up with a transdisciplinary project proposal that incorporated all our specialty areas, that was myself in pharmaceutical sciences, and the other two in computer science and engineering respectively. It was really challenging to find a topic that could link all three of our specialty areas.

After multiple discussions, instead of one of us taking a big step out of our area completely, the decision was each of us take a small step out — to work on energy and water conservation in a research facility. I could contribute my experience and knowledge on water usage in a research lab by redesigning the water purification system in the lab, using a solar-powered water distillation process, whereas my teammates could leverage their expertise to work on an energy-efficient system in the building overall as well as designing the solar power panel using renewable sources. Together we worked on a proposal to improve the energy and water usage in a research building. As all of us had to work slightly outside of our comfort zone It took more effort than I thought, but I enjoyed the learning experience and the experience working with the people I met — the other finalists, the chairs, the speakers, and the mentors!

How do you see the challenges in academia and industry for you and other female scientists?

When I was pursuing my Ph.D., as an early career researcher, I wondered sometimes, especially since my research work is mostly lab-based whether I will be able to “have it all”, both family and career? I have since sought advice from many female senior scientists. To be honest, I have not gotten a clear, definitive sure-win formula that would enable women to have it all. However, one of the most valuable pieces of advice, I remember, was to be ready and to embrace the opportunity when it comes. One may not be able to have it all at the exact same time and it is ok to have our own pace, so we may have to choose our priority and “have it all” at different times.

I do understand that the gap exists for many and it takes both men and women together to bring equity and equality for scientists in academia and the industry. The FIPWiSE (Women in Science and Education) is a great initiative to bring awareness and to champion and to enable women in pharmaceutical sciences and pharmacy education to realize their fullest potential, which I believe ought to be supported by all early career researchers.

Personally, up to this point in my career, I have been fortunate enough to be surrounded by mentors and colleagues who share the “can-do” spirit, who are supportive and encouraging regardless of gender.

As a Liaison on the Drug Delivery & Manufacturing section, how was your participation in this first half of the year?

It’s been an amazing experience so far. Earlier this year, the DDM SIG newly launched the Paediatric Formulation Focus Group (PFFG) with goals to (i) standardise compounding formulations and practices of oral extemporaneous paediatric preparations; and (ii) develop an open-access FIP formulary of standardised oral extemporaneous paediatric preparations. To achieve the goals, the PPFG planned to launch a global survey to understand oral extemporaneous paediatric compounding practices and the needs and challenges. I am excited to learn from the DDM SIG and the projects!

I am also part of the working group for a project to celebrate the 20 years of YPG establishment. As part of the celebration, we have been working on a survey to determine why young pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists decide to join (or not to join) professional organisations, as well as a report highlighting the achievements of YPGs in the last 20 years. Apart from these, there are a few more events lined up for the celebration, so do subscribe to the YPG social media for updates and not miss it!

I feel very privileged to have the opportunity to work with young pharmacists from different countries and backgrounds. I have learnt so much from them and I look forward to learning more!

Malaysia is one of the first countries in the world to develop policies for halal medicines, with regulations over formulation, manufacturing, and supply chain. How do you see the impact of this on Drug Delivery & Manufacturing?

Halal medicines have received more attention in the Malaysian pharmaceutical industry, not only for the Muslim community to practice their faith, but also to contribute to the country’s economy with growing demand for halal products worldwide.

I am not too familiar with halal medicine from the regulatory aspect, but when I was working on my Ph.D. project, I have been trained to always think ahead of the downstream processes and to always consider the end-users, including in designing the process and in selecting the materials (both active and inactive ingredients) for a pharmaceutical formulation.

In pharmaceutical product development, there is a growing emphasis on Quality by Design (QbD), which requires quality to be built into the product to ensure its safety and efficacy. Perhaps a similar approach such as the QbD can be applied in developing halal pharmaceuticals by considering the intention of the halal product as one of the targeted qualities, for example, in looking for alternatives to alcohol as solvents or gelatin as excipients or capsule shells. Apart from ingredients, consideration must also be placed on related processes and equipment use, including packaging and distribution. It is important for pharmaceutical scientists to consider these factors at the beginning of product development.

We were delighted to hear that you also collaborate with humanitarian aid in your free time. May you tell us more about the context and project you participate?

I have been a regular volunteer with Tzu-Chi International Medical Association (TIMA), a charity chapter from the Tzu-Chi Foundation (an international non-profit organisation based in Taiwan) focusing on humanitarian medicine, in efforts to make medical care more accessible to the sick and needy. I have volunteered in their free clinic and mobile clinic (both of which were in collaboration with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) to provide healthcare for refugees residing in the country. Besides screening prescriptions and dispensing, we counseled patients on safe and appropriate medication use and adherence to ensure optimal patient outcome. One of the most eye-opening experiences was volunteering with the disaster relief team in providing medical care for flood victims in remote areas in November 2017. Together with other healthcare professionals, we provided basic health services and health education to the victims.

With the same charity, I also organised seminars for young health professionals and fresh graduates on career paths. Sometimes I also helped out at their recycling centre. My involvement decreased since I moved to another state to pursue my Ph.D. Recently, due to the pandemic, some of their regular activities have also decreased in frequency. So, now I help them to translate articles from Mandarin to English for sharing in the public domain.

These experiences not only taught me to be a more compassionate person but also allowed me to appreciate the dynamic roles of pharmacists — we are able to serve the underprivileged and disadvantaged population who lack even basic necessities; we are also able to improve the quality of life of individuals of various ages by providing access to basic healthcare and by empowering them with self-care techniques.

We hope you love the interview!