EPHMRA Young Professionals Award: Insights from Freya Lovely
My introduction to market research
I graduated with a degree in Biomedical Science from the University of Leeds in 2021. During my studies, I had the opportunity to undertake a placement year in industry, which led me to working at Purdie Pascoe. This placement was my first introduction to market research, where I had the privilege of learning from professionals in the field. I gained insights into complex methodologies and collaborated with diverse clients across various therapy areas. Following my graduation, I was offered a full-time position at Purdie Pascoe.
EPHMRA Award and Committee
After two and a half years at Purdie Pascoe, and with continuous support and guidance from my manager and senior colleagues, I applied for the EPHMRA Young Professionals Conference Grant. I was thrilled to be announced as one of the winners in March 2024. To date, winning the award has been an incredibly fulfilling experience, it has provided me with the opportunity to gain valuable knowledge about the broader industry landscape.
As part of the award, for the last six months I have been a member of the Young Professionals Committee within EPHMRA. This role has allowed me to collaborate with other young professionals across the industry. Together, we work to enhance opportunities for newcomers to the market research field, build a stronger community, and raise awareness.
EPHMRA Conference takeaways
One highlight of winning the award was receiving a complimentary ticket to the annual three-day EPHMRA Conference in June. Attending the conference gave the award winners an extremely unique and valuable opportunity to learn more about the latest industry trends and network with influential experts. Here are some of my key takeaways:
The Patient Voice
In our industry, we share a collective goal of improving health and positively impacting patients worldwide. Micro and nano influencers play a significant role to ensure patients are at the forefront of market research and we must continue to amplify the patient voice to uncover pivotal health insights.
Generative AI
It was no surprise that Artificial Intelligence was a hot topic at the conference. With careful exploration and quality checks there are numerous ways to incorporate generative AI into our research methodologies. One standout application for me was leveraging AI within our segmentation techniques. This approach allows us to bring segments to life and provide better representation of the real world to enable us as researchers to delve deeper and generate more accurate, actionable outcomes.
The Yes Culture
As humans, we have an intrinsic desire to say ‘yes’. We want to showcase our skills, go the extra mile, and impress. However, sometimes it is necessary to say ‘no’, whether to colleagues or clients, to set realistic and manageable expectations. This is crucial for our own mental health, to ensure we continue to enjoy our work and dedicate necessary time to deliver quality insights.
Looking to the future
As younger researchers advancing in our careers, we need opportunities to observe and learn from industry experts, to keep up with the latest trends and understand new innovations to ultimately become better researchers. Receiving the EPHMRA Young Professionals Award, being part of the committee, and attending the June conference has enabled me to make more valuable, strategic contributions. This experience has given me immense personal satisfaction, a sense of value, and has boosted confidence in my work at Purdie Pascoe. I look forward to continuing working with the EPHMRA committee to support other young professionals looking to develop their careers in healthcare market research.