ADD ADVICE TO FAVPharmacologist
Pharmacologists work mainly for pharmaceutical companies, but also in other research institutes. They design experiments for testing potentially useful drugs.
What pharmacologists do
- carry out screening procedures for drug activity
- analyse complex data obtained from experiments
- investigate the way drugs act in the body
- try to predict the structure of pharmacologically active compounds
- work closely with chemists and biochemists
- supervise the work of junior staff and laboratory assistants
- keep abreast of current research
- write reports of their findings
- present their research at conferences.
Key skills
- ability to plan work carefully
- ability to carry out practical procedures in a methodical manner
- written and verbal communication skills
- analytical and problem-solving ability.
Training to be a pharmacologist
A postgraduate research degree, while not essential, is seen as the ideal training ground for a career as a pharmacologist.
The career of a pharmacologist can progress in different ways.
Some enter academic posts in universities leading to lectureships. At this level, it would be expected that researchers start to form their own research group and develop a ’research identity’, possibly specialising in a specific field such as neuroscience or cardiovascular disease.
Others enter the pharmaceutical industry where their careers can develop into areas principally involved in research, management, clinical trials or regulatory affairs, depending on specific interests.
Salaries
Typical starting salaries are in the region of £16,500 to £23,500. Graduates with a PhD can expect to add about £4,000 to £5,000 to this figure.
