"Before taking the Master's Degree in research and development+I I did not know the pharmaceutical sector, and without it I would not have been able to enter the department of research of MSD". So says Marta Arias-Salgado, a graduate of the Master's Degree University in research, development and Drug Innovation at the University of Navarra. Marta will talk about her experience in a series of talks aimed at the students of the XXI promotion of postgraduate program, which will take place on Friday, April 15 at 11:30 a.m. at classroom 24 of the Expansion of Science Library.

In the opinion of the former student, in this sector it is an essential requirement to have a postgraduate program at research and development: "Today even more than 12 years ago, when I graduated, since with the degree program you leave, in my case, with knowledge of Biochemistry and Genetics, and something about pathologies, but the Master's Degree was the perfect complement to focus on the world of pharmaceuticals".

Marta Arias-Salgado is currently Research Director Spain at MSD, where she is in charge of the company's research . "My degree program here has been linked to what I learned at Master's Degree: I started as a clinical trial monitor, then I moved to Quality and I have lived all the phases of development of several drugs that we have launched in the last 12 years. I have participated in their registrations, launches, etc. In other words, I have collaborated in all the stages of the drug that are covered in the Master's Degree at research and development+I of the University of Navarra."

research and development+i in real life
The specialist is clear about what she would say to a student who is thinking of taking the specialization program: "The great advantage of this Master's Degree is that it covers the entire spectrum of the research and development+Í of drugs. That gives you the option of discovering the many career options in this field. Other master's degrees, on the other hand, focus only on a specific stage and provide a narrower view." "Moreover," he continues, "in real life all the stages of research and development+i are interrelated. It is important to know how, how they depend on each other and how Ethics has a lot to say in each of them. This was one of the fundamental aspects we addressed at Master's Degree".

The series of talks at postgraduate program will continue on May 20 with Felipe Alcudia, Full Professor of Chemistry Pharmaceutics at the University of Seville, who will speak on Mass Spectrometry in the research of new drugs; on June 3, Andrés Fernández, from Laboratorios Ferrer, will address the change of paradigm at research and development Biopharmaceuticals; and on June 24, Eduardo González Zorzano, advisor scientist at Nycomed, will talk about the role of the advisor scientist at department in the pharmaceutical industry.

Finally, on June 22, students will be able to attend to a workshop of employment organized by the Careers Office of the School of Pharmacy.