Available for Opportunities

Sarah Chen

PhD Pharmaceutical Sciences

Analytical Development • Method Validation • GMP/GLP

Final-year PhD candidate at UCL School of Pharmacy with expertise in HPLC method development, formulation stability, and regulatory compliance (ICH Q2(R1)). Seeking roles in analytical R&D or quality control within the pharmaceutical industry.

London, UK
sarah.chen@example.com
+44 7700 900123
Full CV Available

About

Dedicated to advancing drug quality through rigorous analytical science

Research-Driven, Quality-Focused

I am a final-year PhD candidate at UCL School of Pharmacy, specialising in analytical method development for complex biopharmaceutical formulations. My research focuses on stability-indicating HPLC and spectroscopic techniques for novel drug delivery systems.

Through my industrial placement at a leading CRO and my academic research, I have developed a thorough understanding of GMP/GLP environments, ICH guidelines, and the regulatory landscape governing pharmaceutical development. I am eager to contribute to a team committed to bringing safe, effective medicines to market.

Research Focus

Analytical Method Development & Validation

Regulatory Knowledge

ICH Q2(R1), Q3D, Q1A; EU GMP Annex 1

Core Techniques

HPLC, UPLC, UV-Vis, FTIR, DSC, Particle Size Analysis

Languages

English (Native), Mandarin (Fluent), German (Conversational)

Education

Academic training in pharmaceutical and analytical sciences

2022 — 2026 (Expected)
PhD Pharmaceutical Sciences
UCL School of Pharmacy, London
Thesis: "Development and Validation of Stability-Indicating HPLC Methods for Liposomal Formulations." Funded by EPSRC DTP. Presented at APS 2025 (poster). Teaching assistant for undergraduate analytical chemistry modules.
HPLC Method Dev Liposomes Stability Studies
2021 — 2022
MSc Drug Discovery & Development
University of Manchester — Distinction
Dissertation on forced degradation studies and impurity profiling of small-molecule APIs. Modules: Regulatory Affairs, Pharmaceutical Manufacturing, Pharmacokinetics, Preclinical Toxicology.
Distinction Impurity Profiling Regulatory Affairs
2018 — 2021
BSc (Hons) Chemistry
University of Bristol — First Class
Final-year project in synthetic organic chemistry with applications to medicinal chemistry. Industrial placement year at Syngenta (analytical chemistry team).
First Class Industrial Placement Organic Chemistry

Experience

Research placements and industry exposure

Summer 2025
Analytical Development Intern
Quotient Sciences, Nottingham
Supported method development and validation for Phase I clinical trial materials. Assisted in writing method validation protocols and SOPs. Gained hands-on experience with UPLC-MS and dissolution testing in a GMP environment.
GMP UPLC-MS Method Validation SOPs
2020 — 2021
Industrial Placement — Analytical Chemist
Syngenta, Jealott's Hill
Conducted routine QC analysis of agrochemical formulations using HPLC and GC. Participated in method transfer activities and laboratory audits. Contributed to a continuous improvement project that reduced sample turnaround time by 15%.
QC Analysis HPLC / GC Method Transfer GLP
2023 — Present
Graduate Teaching Assistant
UCL School of Pharmacy
Lead laboratory sessions in analytical chemistry and pharmaceutical analysis for BPharm and MPharm students. Mark coursework and provide feedback on experimental design and data interpretation.
Teaching Mentoring Lab Supervision

Technical Skills

Analytical techniques and software competencies

HPLC / UPLC Method Development 95%
Method Validation (ICH Q2(R1)) 90%
Spectroscopy (UV-Vis, FTIR, NMR) 85%
Thermal Analysis (DSC, TGA) 80%
Empower / ChemStation / MassHunter 88%
GMP / GLP Documentation 82%

Certifications & Training

Professional development and compliance training

📋

GMP Fundamentals

EU GMP Annex 1 and PIC/S guidelines for sterile manufacturing and QC laboratories.

Feb 2025
🧪

Good Laboratory Practice (GLP)

OECD principles of GLP, study planning, and QA for non-clinical laboratory studies.

Nov 2024
📊

Design of Experiments (DoE)

Statistical experimental design for robust method development and formulation optimisation.

Jun 2024
🛡️

Laboratory Safety & COSHH

Chemical hazard management, risk assessment, and safe handling of potent compounds.

Sep 2023

Research & Projects

Selected academic and industry projects

PhD Research

Stability-Indicating HPLC for Liposomal Doxorubicin

Developed and fully validated a reverse-phase HPLC method capable of resolving the API, three known degradants, and excipient peaks. Demonstrated specificity, linearity (R² > 0.999), and robustness per ICH Q2(R1).

📅 2024 🔬 HPLC 📄 ICH Q2(R1)
MSc Dissertation

Forced Degradation & Impurity Profiling

Conducted stress-testing (acid, base, oxidative, thermal, photolytic) on a model API. Identified and characterised major degradants using LC-MS and proposed degradation pathways.

📅 2022 🔬 LC-MS 📄 ICH Q1A
Industry Project

Method Transfer — HPLC to UPLC

Led a method transfer project migrating a legacy HPLC assay to UPLC. Optimised gradient and column chemistry to reduce run time by 60% while maintaining resolution criteria.

📅 2021 🔬 UPLC ⚡ Efficiency

Interested in Discussing Opportunities?

I am actively seeking analytical R&D, formulation development, and quality control roles within the pharmaceutical and biotech sectors. I would welcome the opportunity to discuss how my skills can contribute to your team.

sarah.chen@example.com
+44 7700 900123
London, UK (Open to Relocation)