Lauren joined Integral Pharma Solutions, a start-up company at Norwich Research Park, in the summer of 2026 having previously worked for sustainable dye biotech company, Colorifix, which was also based on the Park’s campus. We spoke to her about how she arrived in Norwich in the first place and what her experiences have been working for two innovative but very different companies.
But first, let’s go back to where her interest in science started. Lauren said, “My interest in science developed during high school and sixth form, which led me to study for a BSc in Biology at the University of Lincoln between 2016-19. The course covered a broad range of modules, including Molecular Biology, Ecology, Forensic Anthropology and Animal Behaviour. At the time I had no real expectation of what sort of job I would do once I left university, but I felt I had achieved a good grounding for whatever I chose to do.”
Lauren in fact took her first job as a Laboratory Technician at Finn Pathologists in Harleston, Norfolk, where she applied her microbiology skills to diagnose bacteria from samples submitted by veterinary practices. She then relocated to St Ives, Cambridgeshire, to join Slate Hall Veterinary Services as a Laboratory Technician. In this role, she analysed samples from poultry farms for Salmonella testing, as well as conducting other bacterial diagnostics and serology testing. After 18 months, Lauren decided it was time to pursue new opportunities and identified Norwich Research Park as the perfect place to continue building her career in science.
She commented, “I noticed there were a lot of opportunities to work in a science-based role at Norwich Research Park. I was aware of the four research institutes, as well as being close to the university, the hospital and a number of innovative companies. When I saw a position a Laboratory Technician, I decided to apply and was happy to be offered the position. I believe my university experience, combined with the microbiology skills from my previous roles, were the reasons I was offered the position.”
At Colorifix, Lauren gained experience in a range of molecular biology techniques, focusing on the assembly of DNA constructs used to genetically engineer bacteria to produce colour. After two-and-a-half years, Colorifix announced that it was going to move its operations to northern Portugal where its main markets and partners were based.
Lauren was keen to stay on the campus and started looking for other opportunities. She said, “People across Norwich Research Park, as well as my colleagues, were incredibly supportive and regularly shared relevant job opportunities with me. I was thrilled to be offered a position with James McNeilly’s start-up business, Integral Pharma Solutions.” This company enables pharmaceutical companies to meet their regulatory, quality and pharmacovigilance obligations in the UK and Europe by providing outsourced Marketing Authorisation Holder (MAH)support services, regulatory affairs, quality assurance, pharmacovigilance and supply chain compliance services.
Lauren’s new role is Regulatory Affairs, Pharmacovigilance and Quality Assurance Associate, a wide ranging and important one in modern pharma. Lauren’s role involves acting as a first point of review for communications from health authorities, healthcare professionals and patients, identifying any information that requires compliance-related action and ensuring it is handled appropriately. She also provides administrative and operational support across regulatory affairs, quality management and pharmacovigilance activities, including safety case processing and reporting.
A key role for Integral Pharma Solutions is reducing the barriers to entry for innovators, particularly smaller businesses developing specialist or niche medicines. Without the right expertise and support, many promising treatments can be delayed, become commercially unviable or fail to reach patients altogether. Integral Pharma Solutions helps bridge that gap, making it possible for medicines, that may otherwise have been too expensive or complex to deliver, to reach the people whose health and quality of life depend on them.
She continued, “It’s so exciting working for a small start-up and I have been quickly joined by another new recruit, Ben. We are based at Enterprise House which is a great little office set-up for new companies, with plenty of space and opportunities to network and build friendships. It’s also only a five to ten-minute walk from the friends and colleagues I know at the research institutes.”
Lauren’s experiences of working at Norwich Research Park means she is an active cheerleader for the campus. She expanded, “Everyone I have ever met at Norwich Research Park has been welcoming and friendly. There are lots of events put on for new companies and for the whole campus that brings people together. People were very supportive and helpful with my situation at Colorifix and I am delighted to have secured a new and challenging job that enables me to continue to be a part of this wonderful campus community.”
