At age 16 Patel worked in a heart transplant ward.

Question: When did you realize you wanted to be a scientist?

Sonia Patel: I think the turning point for me in terms of making a career choice was when I was 16 and I the fantastic opportunity to go and work in the local hospital and work with patients and there I was on a heart transplant ward and it was amazing just to work with patients and get a real feel for what it was like to be around patients who weren’t well. I found that such a rewarding experience, it was an opportunity for me to feel like I was doing something rewarding on a daily basis and it was something I really enjoyed. So I’d say definitely at 16 I started to have a real sense of what I wanted to do and having an idea and wanted to go into the healthcare profession and then after that I did my A levels in chemistry and biology and then chose to do a career in pharmacy and I think I’ve totally landed on my feet coming into research.

Recorded on: July 14, 2008