‘The scientific and thinking processes involved in developing our enhanced formulations – that’s fascinating to me’

We recently sat down with Katerina-Asteria Rousou to discuss her work at Arecor Therapeutics as a scientist in the R&D team and how she came to be part of the team at Cambridge (rather than an archaeological dig in Egypt…).

What made you want to become a scientist?

As a child I was fascinated by understanding why things were made the way they were and part of this was also enjoying the #investigation and exploration processes. Initially, I thought of becoming an archaeologist as I was obsessed with pyramids and lost civilisations. But having to memorise a lot of historic events gradually killed my enthusiasm! Later, at school, my teachers encouraged me to follow #STEM, as it felt like a ‘natural’ for me. This is also where #engineering came into the picture as, apart from solving problems, I started thinking about how to design things better to tackle problems in their roots. I studied chemical engineering but got to appreciate more my time in the #labs and working in smaller scales. In my career I have managed to combine all my big loves together; first you need to understand why something is made the way it is, and then you might be able to improve the design in a smaller scale, so you can get an improvement in the larger one. And hopefully end up making a difference in people’s lives.

How did you come to work at Arecor and what is your role?

I had heard about #Arecor a number of years ago from a former colleague who had started working at the company. And at the time I remember being impressed when they talked about the capabilities of the #ArestatTM platform. Fast forward a few years, I moved to #Cambridge and a couple of months into my job search I received a call from a recruiter asking if I would be interested in a role at Arecor!

My role here, as an #R&D scientist, involves creating novel #formulations of existing #medicines from scratch, and taking these through the whole R&D process to identify the ones that we think are the best candidates to take through to preclinical and clinical development. Each project has to do with a specific drug that we want to enhance using our #innovative #formulation #technology platform, ArestatTM, and the aim here is to develop improved versions of these medicines that can provide better treatment options and improve the outcomes for #patients. These can involve many kinds of active #pharmaceutical ingredients and the technology can be applied to a broad range of #therapies including #antibodies, #peptides and #biologics. Normally, I lead my own projects, but #collaboration is also key to how we work here in R&D – whether that’s as part of a team working together on the same project or helping a colleague with their own project elsewhere in the lab. In R&D we focus on internal projects that, if successful enough, can be transferred to other departments for upscaling or for use in the partnerships we have with major #healthcare companies.

What are the best aspects of your role?

The scientific and thinking processes involved in developing our enhanced formulations – that’s fascinating to me. This role gives me a great overview of the earliest stages of #drugDevelopment as well as an understanding of what is required for a product to reach the market and improve the lives of patients. The variety of projects I have been involved in have enriched my knowledge and improved me a lot as a #scientist – I enjoy not doing the same thing every day!

What are the main challenges you face in your role?

Well, not all #molecules behave the way we would want them to and sometimes it is hard to make the analytical methods we use in the lab work. But that’s the reason for our #research. If it was easy and we knew all the answers, there wouldn’t be a need for us in the first place! In R&D there is always the risk that the project you are working on doesn’t go to plan, somebody else discovers the answer before you do, or market conditions change. These are all beyond our control but we’re constantly learning from all scenarios.

What’s it like working at Arecor?

I believe very strongly in the capabilities of our formulation platform and the company’s deep scientific expertise. I get to work alongside very knowledgeable colleagues with many different interests, so that’s a great source of #professionalDevelopment. And thankfully they’re a great team – we have a very active social committee and enjoy spending time together outside working hours. That says a lot about the #culture that exists within Arecor.

The company provides me with great opportunities – and that’s not only because of its small size and the close working of everyone on the team; it’s rather a mindset – everyone is encouraged to get actively involved in all the aspects of how to bring an enhanced formulation of a product to patients. I do appreciate being part of an organisation with such a strong purpose, transforming #patientCare and making a difference to people's lives.

Who are your science heroes?

Jennifer Doudna, who discovered the gene-editing potential of #CRISPR. She made a huge #discovery in #biology that completely revolutionised the way we can interfere in #genes. With the first medical treatment using CRISPR gene-editing now approved for patients, that’s a scientific discovery that is changing people’s lives. She’s also a good role model for women with careers in #science and to inspire girls to pursue scientific studies at school.

What do you like to do to relax?

I love pilates, dancing, barre (no matter how difficult it is!) and fencing. I also love reading books, going to spas, walking to places I haven’t been and watching videos online about decoration and DIY home projects. But I haven’t attempted building anything yet…