Testimonials

Read what current and former students say about their study choice and experiences with the programme.

Moska Hellamand, PhD candidate

“Studying Drug Innovation offered me the opportunity to gain experience in different research fields, which ultimately led me to find my career path”

My study path

At my Bachelor’s College of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Utrecht University I learned about drug discovery and development. During my studies, I focused more on laboratory research as my internship was on cell biology research. This continued on in my Master’s when I studied Drug Innovation. The continuity of the study programme was a major factor in my decision to choose this Master’s. My first internship was on a rare genetic disease using an animal model. This internship again consisted of laboratory research, but after a few months I realised this was not the type of research that intrinsically motivated me. I wanted to find my own career path and I decided to look for other options. My second internship was really in the field that would interest me the most. I was grateful for the flexibility of this Master’s programme in order for me to change my direction.

Global health

Through the Utrecht University website I found the research field of global health and pharmaceutical policy analysis. The research being done at the Utrecht Centre for Pharmaceutical Policy and Regulation really appealed to me. It contained elements of my study background, which is on drug discovery and development, and my own belief, which is that all people should have access to medicines regardless of where they live. I did my internship about the national essential medicines list, which is a government’s list of medicines that should be available and affordable to all patients in that country. During this internship, I realised I had made the right decision because I was the happiest doing this type of research.

Entering the work field

After graduating from Drug Innovation I decided to enter the work field rather than follow in my fellow students’ footsteps, who immediately started pursuing an academic career. I applied for different types of jobs at research institutes, NGOs and pharmaceutical companies. When I learned about the non-profit organisation called the Access to Medicine Foundation I realised this work really spoke to me. The Foundation does research on what the pharmaceutical industry is doing to improve access to medicines for people living in low- and middle-income countries. Fortunately, I was hired as a researcher and I happily worked there for about 3.5 years. During this time, I learned a lot about the global health field, different stakeholder perspectives and I improved my research and communication skills. This work experience has been very valuable in my personal and professional development.

Coming back to Utrecht

At some point I got the desire to further develop myself as an independent researcher and it became clear to me that pursuing a PhD would be my next step. I reached out to my supervisors of my Master’s internship at the Utrecht Centre for Pharmaceutical Policy and Regulation and we applied for a research grant together. I started my PhD project on November 1^st, 2022, which is about the impact of the national essential medicines list. It is a continuation of my Master’s internship and I can use the knowledge and experience I gained at the Access to Medicine Foundation in my research.

In my opinion, the flexibility of this Master’s is a unique benefit that has offered me the opportunity to gain experience in different research fields, which has ultimately led me to find my career path.

Nienke van Staveren, student

"The Master's takes a lot of time and energy, but it’s also very exciting"

Before my Master's, I did a bachelor in Humanities and Science at the Amsterdam University College. At first I was unsure if I wanted to continue in research. I heard about Drug Innovation and how it is a bit on the edge of doing research and applying knowledge. The Master's is very interdisciplinary and the University of Utrecht has good collaborations between departments and between different research groups like Immunology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience. Altogether the programme really appealed to me and that was the reason I chose this Master's.

In the Master's there are only two obligatory courses everyone has to follow. Additionally you will do a Minor and a Major internship and in-between it is possible to follow elective courses and write your thesis, when it fits your schedule. This allows you to really tailor your program to suit your interests and expertises. Because of the few ‘knowledge courses’ that are given, it is good to have quite some knowledge when you start. I was glad I followed a pre-master to broaden my knowledge, which allowed me to make a confident start at my internship.

During the internships you will learn a lot of practical skills. In the beginning you will do a lot of reading for your research, in order to get into it. Now, I am often working in the lab where I learn many different techniques and gain a lot of lab experience. Right now I am doing my major internship in Neuroimmunopharmacology, at the department of Pharmacology. Here I am focussing on the effect of nutrition on behaviour, more specifically the effects of a certain diet on a model of autism. We are hoping to pin down more specifics and learn to understand how nutrition influences behaviour.  

Next year will be a next step. I will be doing my second internship and broaden my experience. I try to get the most out of these two years and want to figure out whether I actually like to continue in research. Throughout the year, you will regularly have guest lectures from all kinds of people from the industry, academics, and regulators. In this way you get an overview of all the possibilities you have after this programme.

The programme is pretty busy, especially during your internship when you work 40 hours a week. It takes a lot of time and energy, but it’s also very exciting, and I am still able to have a job and play tennis.  

After the Master you are able to continue in an academic career if you like, but you could also go into the pharmaceutical industry or into an advisory board of hospitals for instance. You have a lot of options and that is something I really like about this Master.