LIFE SCIENCES

Excite the next
generation
Scientific innovation and commercialisation accelerated during the
pandemic – now the leaders of Scotland’s life sciences industry want to
capitalise on that momentum, write David Lee and Craig Johnson
sk any group of
children what they
want to be when they
grow up and you’ll
get the same answers
again and again: footballer,
astronaut, and the more modern
“Instagram influencer” all
feature on the wish list of dream
jobs.
But after seeing the way in
which medical researchers and
manufacturers have led the
fight against the coronavirus
with vaccines and treatments,
perhaps “scientist” will start to
appear on that list much more
often.

A

Recruiting the next generation
of bright young things into
the life sciences industry is
certainly at the top of Alison
Culpan’s agenda. As director of
the Association of the British
Pharmaceutical Industry
Scotland, she wants to capitalise
on the general public’s newfound interest in science and
medicine during the pandemic.
Culpan has been struck by the
way in which the public became
involved in scientific research
over the past 18 months,
including the large number
of people who had signed-up
through mobile phone apps to

take part in studies into Covid-19
and its effects.
“It shows that the public will
respond if you can clearly
explain why they need to take
part in studies and how those
studies will help people – you
can tap into that community
spirit,” she says. “The next step
is to harness young people’s
interest in science so that they
get involved, rather than just
looking at its results on their
mobile phones.
“We need to get young people
visiting our science centres

CONTINUES OVERLEAF

5