PharmaCast

Pharmacy research isn't just about creating new medicines and products, but crucially, it's also about being able to make sure that we can correctly use medicines, new and old, to bring about the best treatment for patients possible. In this episode of PharmaCast, Dr Dan Corbett is joined by Professor Carmel Hughes (Professor of Primary Care Pharmacy) and Dr Heather Barry (Lecturer in Primary Care Pharmacy) for a discussion around what primary care research is, how it's done, why it's a critical part of healthcare research, and some of the key findings that they've both made during their reseach careers to date!

You can keep up to date with the primary care research taking place at the School of Pharmacy at Queen's via the team's Twitter feed (@QUBPrimaryCare), as well as on our research web pages, where you'll also be able to learn more about other research at the School!

In this episode of PharmaCast, Dr Jonathan Coulter, Postgradute Director at the School of Pharmacy, is joined by Dr Niamh Buckley (Director of Internationalisation) and Huanhuan Li and Akash Shambharkar, two of our amazing international postgraduate students! You'll be able to learn more about how to apply to study for your postgraduate research degree here with us at the School of Pharmacy at Queen's, as well as why you might want to join a vibrant international research community which carries out world-leading research in many areas of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences research. You'll also hear more about our students' experiences here in Belfast, and what makes studying at the School such an enjoyable and rewarding experience.

You'll be able to find out more about our interational students and other activities here, and if you're interested in speaking with one of our amazing postgraduate research supervisors, you'll be able to find out more information about them at this link!

In the second of our student experience-themed podcasts which centre on key considerations for exam season, Dr Paul McCague and Dr Dan Corbett are joined by Dr Ciarán O'Neill from the University's Learning Development Service, and Ciara Harkin from Student Wellbeing Service at Queen's for a discussion around how the University provides support for students during the examination period as well as throughout the year.

There's lots more information available on the Learning Development Service and Student Wellbeing Service webpages, where you'll be able out more about services including:

• One-to-ones and drop in services
• Student wellbeing events
• A range of learning resources to help you make the most of your study time!

In the next podcast in this series, we'll focus on some key techniques which can really take your exam revision to the next level!

In this episode of PharmaCast, Johanne Barry and Dr Dan Corbett from the School of Pharmacy at Queen's University Belfast are joined by Jonny Clarke, alumni of the School, and CEO of Locate a Locum, a healthcare/tech startup which specialises in connecting locum healthcare providers with work opportunities. You'll learn more about what a locum is, and what the career landscape for locum professionals is, as well as some key information for being successful in that area, as well as a discussion about Jonny's career journey, and what he's learned about entrepreneurship so far!

You'll be able to learn more about some of the topics discussed in this podcast by reading these Locate a Locum blog posts:

• What essential documents & accreditations do I need to get started
• Surviving Your First Shift As A Locum Pharmacist
• 6 Options For Your Pharmacy Career by Jonny Clarke CEO
• Locum work as a newly qualified pharmacist in 2022

This special edition of PharmaCast, which celebrates International Women’s Day 2023, centres on the experience of women living with and affected by secondary breast cancer. Dr Erin Magee from the School is joined by three amazing women who each have unique connections to secondary breast cancer, including Erin’s mother Joanne who lives with secondary breast cancer, Dr Niamh Buckley, Reader in Personalised Medicine at the School of Pharmacy, and Jennifer Willis, the photographer behind the Seen to be Heard project, which documents the lives of 23 women from Northern Ireland who are living with secondary breast cancer.

You can find out more about the Seen to be Heard project at www.seentobeheard.com, and by searching for “Seen to be Heard” on Facebook and Instagram - you’ll also be able to find out more about Jennifer’s work at www.jenniferwillisphotography.com. You’ll also be able to learn more about Make 2nds Count, a charity which supports women living with secondary breast cancer at www.make2ndscount.co.uk, and you can find out lots more about the research work which we’re doing at the School of Pharmacy, including our activities which focus on the advanced treatment of cancer, at www.qub.ac.uk/schools/SchoolofPharmacy/Research/ResearchThemes/.

In this episode of PharmaCast, Dr Vanessa Brown from the Centre for Experimental Medicine, and Professor Michael Tunney and Dr Deirdre Gilpin from the School of Pharmacy at Queen's join Dr Dan Corbett to look back to their work on developing an approach for rapid and effective COVID testing which assisted Northern Ireland's health and school systems to function at the height of the COVID pandemic.

You can find out more about the wide range of cutting-edge research taking place at the School of Pharmacy at Queen's via our website - you can also view Michael and Deirdre's research profiles for more information.

In this episode of PharmaCast, we're joined by Dr Paul McCague, our Director of Student Support and Engagement, as well as podcast regulars Molly and Adam to gain some useful advice about how you can start to get ready for your exams, including knowing how and where to reach out for support and advice.

You can find more about the various support services mentioned in the podcast via these links:

• QUB Student Wellbeing Service
• QUB Learning Development Service
• Top 10 sources of support

You'll also be able to hear more about these services, and others, in a future episode of the podcast!

In the first podcast in our societal impact strand, Dr Dan Corbett is joined by Naomi Martin (Environmental Assistant, QUB Estates), Collette O'Hagan (Technician, School of Pharmacy) and Ted Weaver (PhD student, School of Pharmacy) to discuss how Queen's University and the School of Pharmacy are changing their laboratory practices for a sustainable future.

You can find out more about sustainability at Queen's HERE, and about the LEAF project HERE!

Ciaran May (@cm_therapy) of Natural Resilience joins us on this episode of PharmaCast to discuss key aspects of resilience, and how to improve your performance whilst focusing on maintaining your physical and mental health.

In this episode of PharmaCast, Dr Dan Corbett is joined by Molly, Georgina, and Adam, who are three of the School's Mental Health First Aiders, to discuss the Mental Health First Aid scheme, and to introduce an ongoing series of podcasts delivered by the team in relation to various aspects of student mental health.