We are happy to announce that our team is growing again!
Mónica is a person mindful of others. “I have heard from a couple of great friends that I am a genuine person with a good heart. But I can also be stubborn sometimes!”, she laughs.
Mónica has a master’s degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of Coimbra, in her native Portugal. After her master’s studies Mónica became very interested in pharmaceutical technology and in the process of developing a medical product. After graduating she had a short experience as a pharmacist in a community pharmacy, but always knew she wanted to continue her studies and become a scientist of some sort. ”I came to Finland in 2013 for a research assistant position, after which I was granted the right to pursue my PhD studies in Pharmaceutical Technology at the University of Helsinki. I was working mainly in the development of targeted nanoparticle-based formulations for treatment of heart diseases.”
”Seeing the heart cells beating in the cell culture dishes after the treatment of my nanoparticles was amazingly satisfying.”
“Probably the coolest thing I’ve done in research was when I was working with cardiomyocytes and heart cell co-cultures during my PhD and postdoc. Seeing the heart cells beating in the cell culture dishes after the treatment of my nanoparticles was amazingly satisfying.”
During her PhD studies Mónica then realized that she really liked writing. The more experience she had in writing, reviewing and editing different research and development documents, both in academia and then in the pharma industry, the more interested she became to develop those skills and pursue a career in it. ”Scientific and medical writing provide endless learning and creative opportunities!”, she excitedly says. After doing a 1-year postdoc position, she took a scientific writing role in Portugal.
“Right there I knew that this is THE place where I want to work and THE people with whom I want to work!”
But then something happened. ”I was searching for job opportunities, and found MedEngine. Reading about the services the company provides I immediately came to realize the high standards of the company. It was also evident that it seemed like a place where meaningful work is done and where I could develop my career as a medical writer”, Mónica remembers her first encounters with the company online. “And then, I was really impressed by the first interaction with MedEngine and how kindly I was addressed. Right there I knew that this is THE place where I want to work and THE people with whom I want to work!”, she declares.
Mónica has a Finnish partner and a 2-year-old daughter. “I used to have quite many hobbies, especially sports-related: indoor climbing, gym, yoga, swimming, spending time in nature, learning Finnish… Nowadays my hobbies have resumed, getting some exercise whenever possible, and lots of family time in the playground and around Legos and crayons,” she says with a big smile.
In terms of food, she’s an enthusiast. ”I love both cooking and eating, and I have a growing interest in creating delicious vegan dishes,” Mónica says.
Great to have a foodie onboard! A warm welcome, Mónica!
