18
May 2010 Laboratory Focus
CAREER SPOTLIGHT Bio-economy Career Profile
New research service will increase access
TO PEER-REVIEWED MEDICAL LITERATURE Thanks to a new and exciting initiative, Canadian researchers can now contribute to a growing, searchable digital archive of published Canadian health research. Officially launched in 2009, PubMed Central Canada (PMC Canada) is a service that will act as both a national online archive for papers and data coming from government-funded research, but also as a tool for Canadian researchers to share knowledge, identify potential collaborators and expose their research to a global audience. Likewise, Canadians will have at their fingertips free access to the latest peer-reviewed health and life sciences literature, including research resulting from CIHR funding. “PMC Canada is a powerful tool that will help researchers build upon one another’s work and speed up the discovery and innovation process to address important health challenges,” commented Ian Graham VP, Knowledge Translation & Public Outreach Canadian Institutes of Health Research, adding that the site promotes knowledge sharing. “It will increase the visibility of CIHR-funded research so that it has the greatest possible value and impact,” he added. The first phase of PMC Canada includes a basic bilingual interface, a manuscript submission system for CIHR researchers and a bilingual help desk. Plans for the second phase of the repository will incorporate a customized web front-end along with enhanced reporting and alerting features for system funders and users. The site was established through a partnership between the National Research Council’s Canada Institute for Scientific and Technical Information, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, and the US National Library of Medicine. PMC Canada, funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, builds on PubMed Central, the U.S. National Institutes of Health free digital archive of biomedical and life sciences journal literature and is a member of the broader PMC International network of e-repositories. An advisory committee of Canadian health researchers and other stakeholders will guide PMC Canada’s future development.
Position: Principal Scientist Name: Chris Williams Company: Chemical Computing Group. Salary Range: $80,000 to $100,000 per year
What I do:
I use computers to help design drugs. The work varies; sometimes I’m in the office writing programs and other times I’m on the road showing clients how to use our software. I travel up to 90 days a year, mostly within Canada.
What education and skills do candidates need for this position?
Candidates require a degree in chemistry, preferably a PhD, some computer skills, and a background in math or physics. Most people in the field get their degree in computation or chemistry, or they’re hardcore computer programmers with a math and physics background. In terms of special skills, you interact with a lot of clients, so “the ability to work with people” is the most important. My advice to people interested in a job in the field is to keep your knowledge base as broad and general as possible. If you overspecialize and don’t see the big picture, you’ll find yourself with limited options.
What are the best parts of your job?
I have freedom over my own time, and my boss doesn’t check up on me. There are ways that I am accountable to him and things that I have to accomplish on my own, but I don’t have to punch a clock. When I tell people about what I do, they’re interested in the fact that I design drugs. It’s interesting to people, because it’s relevant to their lives. On occasion, friends have questions about medication, and sometimes I can give them relevant information.
