Lyle Ross

Why did you decide to study at the University of Edinburgh? And why did you choose to study engineering? 

When deciding which university degree to apply for, my aim was to select a degree that I would enjoy and that would lead to a wide variety of career paths. After some quick research, it was clear that chemical engineers work across a vast range of industries, from pharmaceuticals and oil & gas, to finance and education. I had, and still do, have a passion for engineering, maths and chemistry, and so chemical engineering was the clear pathway. 

I knew that the University of Edinburgh was one of the highest ranked universities for engineering in the country and that a degree from Edinburgh would give me the opportunity to begin my career at a top company. I therefore applied for an integrated Master’s degree in Chemical Engineering with Management at the University of Edinburgh, beginning my course in September 2017. 

How did you get where you are? 

My career in the pharmaceutical industry was instigated by a summer internship I did with the School of Engineering during the COVID-19 pandemic. I worked on modelling the nanomechanical properties of the coronavirus, writing a paper that made the first predictions of the mechanical stiffness and elasticity of the virus. This experience of working on a project to improve the health industry’s understanding of the virus led me in the direction of aiming towards a career where I could apply the knowledge gained throughout my degree in the healthcare sector. 

During the final year of my degree, I undertook an industrial placement in the pharmaceutical industry with speciality chemicals company Croda International, developing a novel vaccine adjuvant formulation and the process to manufacture it. This experience, along with the insights developed while writing my dissertation on the development of a continuous vaccine manufacturing process, confirmed to me that a career as a chemical engineer in the pharmaceutical industry was for me. 

In 2023 I started working at GSK as a chemical engineer in the drug substance development department. My job predominantly involves developing drug manufacturing processes through computational modelling and laboratory work, followed by scaling up these processes to manufacturing plants around the globe. I have recently arrived back from Singapore, where I led the scale up of a process to manufacture a respiratory drug we had developed in the labs in Stevenage. 

Can you tell us of any personal or professional achievements in your career so far? 

I have recently been awarded the Gill Lord Exceptional Impact Award for my contribution towards GSK’s digital data and analytics ambitions. I received the award for computational modelling work carried out to aid the development and scale up of novel drug manufacturing processes. 

Throughout an internship with the School of Engineering I achieved the COVID-19 Engineering Medal for making the first ever predictions of two mechanical properties of SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic.   

Throughout my degree I achieved Top of 1st Year Chemistry, Top of 2nd Year Chemical Engineering, Top of 3rd Year Chemical Engineering, Top of 3rd Year Process Dynamics and Control, Top of 5th Year Chemical Engineering, Top Graduate and the Excellence in Engineering Award (awarded to the top performing student in the School of Engineering). 

What did you gain from your time at the University and were there any experiences during your time at university which particularly helped prepare you for life after graduation? 

I use the knowledge gained throughout my degree on a daily basis at work. Whether modelling a distillation, writing a lab report or calculating heat transfer coefficients, I use concepts and skills that I was taught and refined throughout my degree to solve real-world problems, regularly thinking back to specific lectures as an aid. The chemistry knowledge that I gained throughout my degree has been particularly beneficial in my current role. I only became aware after graduating that, unlike at the University of Edinburgh, chemistry is not included as a significant feature of the majority of chemical engineering degrees. This sets University of Edinburgh graduates apart, especially in industries like pharmaceuticals, where combining a strong engineering knowledge with an understanding of chemistry is key when developing drug manufacturing routes. 

As well as the technical knowledge and understanding developed throughout my degree, the soft skills developed through numerous group projects have been a key asset when working on multi-functional, multi-national teams in my current role. Additionally, the knowledge I gained from work experiences throughout my degree, such as my Master’s industrial placement and internship in the School of Engineering, played a significant role in getting me into a career in the pharmaceutical industry, ensuring I had a strong CV along with the understanding of how to apply all I had learntin a work environment. 

Do you have any highlights or a favourite memory of your time at the university? 

I enjoyed my time as a member of the university’s Snowsports Club, winning multiple BUCS ski races as team. 

What advice would you give future students who are considering studying Engineering at Edinburgh? 

The opportunities that are available to engineering students at Edinburgh University throughout their degree, such as industrial placements, School of Engineering internships, degree projects, industrial plant site visits and lectures from industrial partners provides invaluable experience and insight that can launch them into their desired career path. 

If a student has an ambition to have a successful career in a STEM field, whether they yet know exactly what industry that will be in or not, an engineering degree from the University of Edinburgh will provide them with an exceptionally strong platform to launch that career from.