Blazing a trail for women in science

 

 

An Ardnacrusha third-level student scooped €3,000 as part of a prestigious prize to help her academic pursuits.

Eva McMahon (21) was one of the three University of Limerick students from the Faculty of Science and Engineering who received prestigious awards from Regeneron Ireland.

Ms McMahon, Kate Storan from Dooradoyle and Anna Feenan from Carrigaline were presented with their awards at a special ceremony in Regeneron’s Industrial Operations and Production Supply (IOPS) facility in Raheen, Limerick recently.

Students from the University of Limerick were given the unique opportunity to compete for awards in Quality Control, Manufacturing, or Engineering, depending on their specific field of study. The students were tasked with the exciting challenge of developing a project based on a topic provided by Regeneron.

They presented their work to a group of business representatives, followed by an interactive question and answer session, allowing them to engage directly with Regeneron colleagues.

The three award winners received a paid internship at Regeneron where they are currently on their
Cooperative Education placement, and the guidance of a Regeneron employee mentor to help navigate the early stages of their careers.

Ms McMahon was thrilled to win this award, which is helping to open more doors into potential future roles in the pharmaceutical industry.

“It is very encouraging to get recognition when you put in the work,” she said.
“I found out early on in the process I was successful, which was very reassuring to know. It meant I had my cooperative placement sorted early on and could focus on my college work for the rest of the semester, while many other students in my year were waiting longer to confirm their plans.

“Regeneron is a great company and it has a great reputation for its coop placement programme.”
In addition to her coop placement in Regeneron, the Third Year Industrial Biochemistry student scooped €3,000 in prize money, which is a great boost to help defray college expenses.

The awards aim to honour and celebrate exceptional research projects undertaken by select students pursuingdegrees in Science and Engineering.
They also provide a glimpse into the potential of a career in STEM within one of the world’s leading innovative companies.

Having chosen the quality control route, Ms McMahon drafted a presentation on the different factors that can impact on quality control for the safe production of pharmaceuticals. After her presentation was assessed, she was shortlisted for an interview, which included delivering the presentation virtually on Teams before a question and answer session.

Working on a co-op was part of the overall prize. Following an interview, Ms
McMahon started with Regeneron in Limerick last January where she will continue working in the Quality Control Department as part of the Biochemistry group until late August.
A bonus is the fact her work is very relevant to what she is already studying at UL.

When drugs are made in Regeneron, she is part of a team who completes stringent quality control tests to ensure leftovers of proteins and other items aren’t included in the final product. She is learning a lot of basic laboratory skills and how to keep the laboratory in good working order. “I am getting great insight into how things work. I am the first person in my family to work or study in the science sector, so the industrial operations within large pharmaceutical companies like Regeneron were unfamiliar and intriguing to me.

“I’m really grateful for the opportunity to step into this process and play a small yet rewarding part. It’s nice to think that I’m making a difference by producing drugs that improve the lives of others,” she says.

Last year, she won the Johnson and Johnson Women in Stem Award, which helped her to get a foot in the door of this competitive industry, by pairing her with a very good mentor to guide her in her work. In 2023, she moved out of her family home to sample college life.

“It’s been nice having that bit more independence since I moved out of my family home. I looked forward to coop because I knew I would be getting a much better salary than what I was used to earning while working part-time, as well as having my weekends off which I haven’t had in a while” she said.

“It has provided me with a better taste of what work I would like to get involved with in the future when I graduate. I was chosen to intern in the University of Limerick laboratories last summer.

“I was able to experience what a PHD student life would be like as well as working part-time. I worked hard during the summer and it is great that it has paid off a bit. It’s great that I’m able to get insight into the career opportunities in both academic and industrial fields.

“I am hoping my experience over the next eight months will indicate which route is better suited to me.”

Having attended Parteen National School, she went to Gaelcholáiste Luimnigh where she participated in science competitions such as the BT Young Scientists’ Competition and Sci-Fest with the encouragement of her teachers. Starting out with Biological and Chemical Sciences, she chose Industrial Biochemistry at the start of her second year when she had to diversify. Graduates can choose to continue their academic career or opt to take industrial employment.

Asked if the perception of science being a male-dominated industry is changing, she believes that science is a career for everyone.”

“I find science very interesting. There’s always something new to learn about,” she said.
“As regards women in STEM, I feel like it varies depending on the branch of science.

I would say the ratio of men to women within the biological and chemical sciences has become mostly equal, but maths, engineering and technology industries still seem to be predominantly male occupied.

“It is not that women can’t do it or it is not interesting to them. In secondary schools and in the overall marketing of courses and careers, you would picture a man doing it.

“If you can’t even picture yourself or someone like you in a particular career, then why would you ever consider it for yourself.
“The situation has definitely improved, but it is something that we need to continue working on to make science more welcoming and accessible to everyone,” she outlines.

She believes it would be beneficial to see more women taking leadership roles in pharmaceutical companies who in turn would be role models for teenagers considering various career options.

“When I was in Transition Year, the University of Limerick had a Women in STEM course. At that influential age, it was great to see both men and women working and studying in science fields” she said.

“Once teenagers can visualise themselves in a future role, it is a lot easier for them to consider pursuing this because it is less unknown to them.”

Her parents Deirdre and Roger McMahon reside in Ardnacrusha with her sister, Laura, who is a Leaving Certificate student in Gaelcholáiste Luimnigh.