Janneke Keemink is a researcher at the Department of Pharmacy, Uppsala University. She obtained her PhD at KU Leuven in Belgium and moved to Sweden afterwards to do a postdoc. Her research focuses on the performance of oral drug formulations in the stomach and intestine. At Soapbox Science Uppsala on 25 May Jenneke Keemink will talk about what happens to your tablet after you swallow it.
SS: How did you get to your current position?
JK: I applied for a postdoc position directly after finishing my PhD and I got it. After two years, I got the opportunity to stay on and continue my project.
SS: What, or who, inspired you to get a career in science?
JK: It actually just happened. As a pharmacy student I quickly realized I that didn’t want to work as a traditional pharmacist, and as I liked doing research during my master thesis, I decided that I wanted to continue with a PhD. I was looking for applicable research to keep my options open in my future career, I wanted to study something that would be useful in academia as well as industry. That’s how I ended up in the field of drug delivery.
SS: What is the most fascinating aspect of your research/work?
JK: Every day I learn something new! My field is very interdisciplinary, and in research you’re always looking for answers and solutions from different angles.
SS: What attracted you to Soapbox Science in the first place?
JK: As an experimental researcher, I’m spending a lot of time in the lab. However, my goal is that our work ultimately reaches patients and people. Since I’m in pharmaceutical sciences this will take a long time. By joining Soapbox Science I can share my research with the general public already.
SS: Sum up in one word your expectations for the day
JK: Fun
SS: If you could change one thing about the scientific culture right now, what would it be?
JK: It would be great if scientists in academia had a bit more job security. Since funding research can be a bit tricky, this is quite challenging.
SS: What would be your top recommendation to a woman studying for a PhD and considering pursuing a career in academia?
JK: Go for it and make sure you’re having fun doing research!