“I am proud that at Vertex we have established an Oxford Chemical Biology network to support those on the Oxford site with an interest in chemical biology. This can be as simple as pointing them in the direction of the right person, or it can be in form of small meetings and forums where they can benefit from insight on specific topics.“ - Cheska “I try to introduce my team to other colleagues in ways that are comfortable to them. The team at Oxford are intentional in their approach when new people join the team - to ensure they can bring their best self to work every day. Ensuring that people from all backgrounds know that they have a place in our industry is vital and fundamental in discovering therapies for people that can transform their lives. I am incredibly proud that we invite students from local schools into our Oxford Learning Lab to meet Vertex employees and conduct hands-on, real-world experiments. We have a particular focus in creating opportunities for young women and students of color who have been traditionally underrepresented in biotech. At Vertex we do this in a number of ways by collaborating with local schools, educators and organizations so that the next generation loves science and wants to pursue a career in STEM. I’ve worked in the biotech industry for well over 25 years and something I care passionately about is ensuring the next generation of scientists are inspired to have a long and fulfilling career. Drug discovery is all about teamwork.” The importance of nurturing new talent This makes connections and collaborations essential parts of our work in R&D. “The right expertise is often external, in another department, at another site or even external to the company. “No one person has the answers, but if we all pull in the right direction, we can achieve incredible things.”ĭominique, a molecular and cell biologist, notes that collaboration with external partners is part and parcel of our research strategy. There is no roadmap for where we are going, and we need the best scientists, informaticians, the strongest collaborations, and the help of patient communities to get there. James, a scientist in our pharmacology team, notes that what Vertex is trying to achieve in our research is path-breaking. “Drug discovery is the ultimate team sport!” When cracking the biology on a project, we might need to collaborate with more disease specialists too, such as clinicians and geneticists, to really understand the disease as a whole, on the patient and population level, as well as the mechanistic biology.”ĭavid, a medicinal chemist, notes that while individuals on teams have their unique expertise, it is only by collaborating that we can overcome the many challenges in discovering new medicines. “As a cell biologist, I need to collaborate with protein scientists, chemists and data analysts, as well as engineers specialising in automation, IT and software to get my everyday work done. Research is a team sportĬheska, a cell biologist, says that finding answers to some of the toughest questions means there is an inherent need for knowledge that spans a variety of disciplines and subdisciplines. With this in mind, I thought it would be a great opportunity to hear from some of the scientists that work here at Vertex’s Oxford Research site on the power connections have had on their working life. As we pour on the chemistry, this again requires us to bring imagination and creativity from all research sites to a problem. Our commitment to understanding the fundamental causal biology leads to a depth of rigor that can only be achieved by bringing all colleagues’ thinking - at any site - to the problem. It’s why we dedicate the vast majority of resources toward innovation, from building teams of top talent to creating a robust toolkit of technologies - all of our efforts are aimed at treating serious diseases where we understand the underlying cause of the disease in humans. It’s how we create value for patients, families and society as a whole. In fact, David Altshuler, the head of Vertex Pharmaceuticals’ R&D function often describes drug discovery as the ‘ultimate team sport’.Īt Vertex, our goal is to pursue the promise and potential of science and its ability to have a transformative impact for people living with serious diseases. Nearly all innovations are reliant on teams of people to work together on a shared goal. The theme for this year’s British Science Week is ‘Connections’ and the importance of this in scientific research. It provides a platform to stimulate and support teachers, STEM professionals, science communicators and the general public to produce and participate in STEM events and activities. British Science Week is a 10-day celebration of STEM featuring entertaining and engaging events and activities across the U.K.
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