Adam Harris has obtained a one year industrial placement at Eli Lilly.

Exeter student secures placement at world renowned pharmaceutical company

A budding student researcher is among the first from Exeter to secure a prestigious undergraduate placement at the pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly and Company.

Adam Harris, a BSc Medical Sciences student from the University of Exeter Medical School, has obtained a one year industrial placement at Eli Lilly’s UK base in Surrey.

Medical Sciences is a full-time undergraduate programme that incorporates an optional research placement year for students to get practical experience within a professional working environment. The programme is developed in consultation with industry employers – organisations like Eli Lilly and Company – the NHS and academia.

Although a long-standing programme for undergraduates, this year, Eli Lilly and Company have limited their applications for placements to the very best students from a limited selection of top UK research universities. Exeter’s inclusion reflects the growing reputation of the university’s bioscience research and associated taught programmes amongst industry leaders.

Adam, 20, said: “It was made very clear from the outset that the application process for placements at Lilly would be very competitive, but I was compelled to try anyway because of how perfectly suited the research area is to my own interests. I was absolutely delighted to have even been called for an interview but to have actually been offered the placement is beyond anything I could have hoped for.”

Adam will be working in the Molecular Pharmacology department, focussing on Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, and possible drug studies relating to these.

Dr Reza Zamani, Director of Medical Sciences programmes at the University of Exeter’s Medical School, said: “We’re proud of delivering these programmes here at Exeter, and placements like these are an indication of the quality of the course, and the opportunities that are available to industrious students.

“This is a great chance for Adam to develop his practical and transferable skills and network with the researchers at Lilly. While enhancing his portfolio, it will allow him and others to drive innovation within the healthcare industry.”

Eli Lilly and Company, founded in 1876, is one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world. It is consistently ranked as one of the best organisations in the world to work for, with multiple sites across the UK and US.

Adam will be based at the Erl Wood laboratories in Surrey and will start in the summer.

Date: 19 November 2015