Harriet Gillespie

Harriet Gillespie
BSc Biological Sciences
Medical Writer

When complex scientific medical research meets essential legislative regulations, the results can make challenging reading. Medical Writer and Heriot-Watt alumnus, Harriet Gillespie brings clarity to the process – combining her science degree with a well-honed talent for the written word - to transform dense data into precise but accessible copy.

“As a medical writer for a pharmaceutical company,” Harriet (28) says, “I write clinical documents associated with drug trials that are required for drug approval by regulatory authorities.” 
The specialised role requires the ability to absorb and summarise detailed medical research and a broad scientific background is a distinct advantage: “I've worked with compounds at different stages of the drug development process,” explains Harriet, “from the first time they are tested in humans, to post-marketing commitments after a medication has been approved and is being prescribed by doctors. I write the protocols for how a clinical trial will be conducted, and the reports after all data have been collected, to describe the results of the trial. I also analyse data for many different therapeutics and can, for example, spend half a day reporting on a treatment for tuberculosis, then the rest of the day planning a study to test the effectiveness of an antidepressant.”

Medical Writing for health professionals is demanding but rewarding work: “What I enjoy most about my job,” says Harriet, “is the perspective of how a trial progresses, from the planning process, to interpreting the results. I see drugs released, and the impact they have on the patients that need them.”

Originally from Northumberland, Harriet graduated from Heriot-Watt in 2011 with a BSc in Cell and Molecular Biology. Biochemistry, the basic science underpinning our understanding of all life processes, gave her career a solid foundation to build on: “My degree gave me an overview of the biosciences and the skills and flexibility needed to quickly get to grips with the chemistry behind different compounds and a broad spectrum of therapeutic areas,” she says. “I also use the skills I learnt writing my dissertation – writing literature reviews and analysing results – almost daily.”

Harriet's progress into Medical Writing was not straight-forward, however: “I took a somewhat non-traditional path through my studies,” she says. “Biological sciences are a broad and fascinating field of study but I didn't really know what I wanted to do after university. You can go the academic route, get a PhD and work in research or you can still use your degree, without working in a lab, if you want to. There are so many different career possibilities that you don't realise until you actually start to look.

“It is a testament to the teaching at Heriot Watt that I gained the skills necessary to work in life sciences but it took me a long time to realise how my degree could translate into a career.”

Harriet's love of writing and aspirations to be an author provided the answer: “Medical Writing gave me the opportunity to combine my writing skills with my degree.”

9 March 2017