Pharmacologist

As a pharmacologist, you would:

• test combinations of chemicals and drugs to see what they do
•  design and carry out experiments and clinical trials
•  collect and analyse data
•  assess the safety of products and calculate dosage levels
•  write reports and publish research findings
•  work with other clinical scientists to develop new products and manufacturing processes

• science skills
• knowledge of biology
• knowledge of chemistry including the safe use and disposal of chemicals
• complex problem-solving skills
• to be thorough and pay attention to detail
• the ability to work well with others
• thinking and reasoning skills
• maths knowledge
• to be able to use a computer and the main software packages confidently

You can get into this job through:

• a university course
• an apprenticeship

With experience, you could become a research and development supervisor or manager, for example, with a pharmaceutical or biotechnology company.

You could also move into:

• drug licensing and patent work
•  science publishing
•  university teaching
•  medical sales and marketing