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̨ÍåÂãÁÄÖ±²¥ Leicester (DMU) alumna Dr Minshan Guo is putting the skills she developed during postgraduate study to good use in her new job as a lecturer.

The 27-year-old is teaching pharmaceutical formulation at China Pharmaceutical University. 

She is happy to be back in her home country, though missing DMU where she graduated with an MSc in Pharmaceutical Quality by Design (QbD) followed by a PhD in Pharmaceutical Technology.

Minshan said: "I am really enjoying my new role so far.

"The skills I learnt at DMU are helpful. Most of the techniques used in Chinese pharmaceutical universities are similar to those at DMU.

"The teaching skills I learnt during my master's training are helping me to easily deliver my knowledge to students.

"I am happy to be back in China, as I can see my family and friends. But I am missing DMU, my friends and everything in the UK."

Born in Guangdong, Minshan chose chemical engineering for her undergraduate degree at Guangdong Pharmaceutical University.

"I was impressed by the various chemical reactions and applications in medicines, materials and food," she said.

"Guangdong Pharmaceutical University is an important base in South China for training in high-level pharmaceutics, new drug research and development, and achievement transformation."

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Minshan chose to further her academic endeavours at DMU, attracted by the content of the QbD course.

"It's a science and risk-based approach for the development and manufacture of medicines and healthcare products that enables cost-effective delivery of products over their lifecycle," she said.

"The demand for students with a QbD background is getting bigger and bigger."

Minshan felt welcome in the UK.

"DMU is friendly to all international students," she said. "There were lots of activities for international students to make friends and enjoy the British culture. Besides, the students at DMU were kind and helpful.

"I made a lot of friends and they not only helped me in study but also in life. They made me feel I have a family in the UK and belong here rather than being a visitor."

Staying at DMU for her PhD, Minshan's inspiration stemmed from the huge percentage of newly developed active pharmaceutical ingredients that cannot become commercial products due to poor water solubility.

"The enthusiasm and knowledge of my supervisor, Dr Mingzhong Li, motivated me," she said. "The technicians in the labs were helpful and there were a lot of instruments for research students.

"My research focused on using pharmaceutical cocrystals to improve solubility and create a supersaturated solution for poorly water-soluble drugs, thus enhancing the bioavailability of the active pharmaceutical ingredients," she said.  

Minshan also enjoyed representing the university at Open Days and gained additional work-based skills as a Frontrunner - a paid, DMU-based internship offered through the #DMUworks careers programme - on a cocrystals study related to her academic interests.