Randox celebrates Women in STEM at Armagh Planetarium Ask A Scientist Event
Randox celebrates Women in STEM at Armagh Planetarium Ask A Scientist Event
“Have you always known that you wanted to be an Engineer?”
“Is there opportunity for career progression and promotion within Engineering?”
“So you do for the Randox machines what app developers do for smartphones?”
These were just some of the astute and intriguing questions posed by students of Dungannon Integrated College, Drumcree College Portadown, and St Ciaran’s Ballygawley, to our Randox Software Engineer, Ciara Shaw, at Armagh Planetarium’s Ask A Scientist Event on Friday 18th November.
The event took place as part of Science Week 2016, organised by the Science Foundation Ireland, and the day took the format of a Speed Networking session. Students each spent 10 minutes chatting with a scientist, asking them all the questions they’ve ever wanted to know about careers in STEM, and then moved on to the next candidate!
This year the event had a particularly exciting twist – all the scientists involved were women!
Ciara was one of a group of nine women with a career in STEM – science, technology, engineering and maths – who took the time to meet with the students in attendance to chat to them about working in STEM.
As a hard-working and proud engineer, Ciara took the opportunity to inspire young women to take up STEM subjects for their GCSEs and A-Levels.
Currently, only 9% of the UK’s engineering and technology workforce is made up of women, a statistic which Ciara highlighted in her key note speech at the Ask A Scientist event.
Following the event, she commented;
“I’ve always been interested in IT and Engineering and so it surprises me that only 9% of the engineering and technology workforce in the UK is made up of women. I wanted to showcase to the pupils at the Ask A Scientist Event today that working in STEM is an exciting and valid career choice for women as much as it is for men. At Randox alone there are opportunities to work across a wide range of STEM disciplines – software developers and testers, IT support, engineers, research scientists, mathematicians working in finance and accounts…the list goes on. I hope that through today’s event I was able to encourage some pupils to choose to study STEM subjects at school, so that they can aspire to these jobs in their future.”
Chatting to the pupils in their Q&A sessions, Ciara found the pupils had aspirations in abundance.
“One pupil told me they wanted to be an Orthopaedic Surgeon, and another said they were going to be an Architectural Engineer. It was amazing getting the chance to listen to their hopes and plans for the future, and hopefully by answering their questions, helping them get on the path to achieving their goals.”
Joining Ciara at the event were representatives from the CSI Service of the PSNI; Siobhan Stevenson, Head of Collections Care at National Museums Northern Ireland; Kerry, Heather and Sam, Education Support Officers at the Armagh Planeatarium; and a number of PhD students currently carrying out their research at Armagh Observatory, including Eliceth Rojas-Montes, who gave a key note speech on her astronomy research.
Each scientist was able to provide the students with an insight into their line of work, and similarly share their experiences and knowledge with the other scientists!
Juie Shetye, PhD student at Armagh Observatory, said she was delighted to be able learn about different areas of science from the other scientists and engineers.
And Ciara agreed.
“Each area of science is so niche that our areas of work are worlds apart,” she commented.
“It’s been an extremely enjoyable day celebrating the work of Women in STEM and being positive role models for young women considering a job in the STEM industries.”
For more information about this event please contact our PR team via email: randoxpr@randox.com
For current STEM vacancies at Randox, please visit our Careers website.
We Are Randox | Randox Rugby Team take to the pitch for inaugural match against Randalstown
Our Randox Rugby team have been hard at work in training in advance of their first ever competitive match against Randalstown!
On Wednesday the team comprised of Cathal Kelly, Robin Walsh, Charlie Spon-Smith, David Craig, Johnny Acheson, Christopher Stevenson, Peter FitzGerald, Jack Hanna and Jason Webster, played their inaugural match against a Randalstown select team under the floodlights of Randox’s rugby pitch in Crumlin.
Heavy rain in the days leading up to game-night threatened to postpone the match but the rain held off and in mild conditions with little wind, it provided the perfect night for running rugby, and the match didn’t disappoint!
Months of hard work had prepared the young Randox team for the match against the more experienced Randalstown team. With training and exercise drills weekly, the men from Randox had been put through their paces and were ready for some competitive rugby!
Jason Webster, Randox Health Sales Manager, who plays for our Randox Rugby Team, commented;
“The Randox men more than held their own in what was an open, end-to-end game. Right up until the last minute the win could have gone to either team – it was a nail-biting match!”
The Randalstown team showed their rugby skill and rugby know-how with excellent ball retention in the first half of the rugby mach. They earned hard yards with their big forwards punching holes around the tackle area, which resulted in an early lead, but the speed and individual ability of our Randox players produced some mouth-watering tries of their own!
The final score of the match was an unbelievably close 37-39 to Randalstown.
What an incredible score for our team’s first match against a rugby club team! Our Randox rugby players gave the Randalstown boys a good run for their money, and had great fun while doing so!
Jason continued;
“The camaraderie between all the men from both Randox and Randalstown was fantastic and it was great to see such great sportsmanship from both teams. We hope to have another game against Randalstown in the coming weeks – bring your A-game Randalstown!”
Spectators at the match included Dr. Peter FitzGerald, Nuailin FitzGerald, supporting members of staff from Randox and a contingent of staff and players from Randalstown RFC.
Thank you to everyone who turned out to support our Randox Rugby team and of course to the Randalstown players for a great game!
For more information about our Randox Rugby Team contact Jason Webster via email: Jason.webster@randoxhealth.com
Make sure to follow Randox on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to stay up-to-date with the hashtag #WeAreRandox for more stories about the amazing team we have here!
World Antibiotic Awareness Week at Randox
The global crisis of antimicrobial resistance is never far from the headlines. As part of World Amicrobial Awareness Week, we’ve been discussing the dangers and importantly the work being done to combat this growing threat.
There’s a very simple reason why we must all do what we can to tackle AMR. This year it’s thought 700,000 people died from drug resistant illnesses such as bacterial infections, malaria, HIV/Aids or tuberculosis. Experts warn that by 2050, this figure will rise to 10million.
Randox’s aim is to revolutionise global healthcare and we are committed to combating the threat of antibiotic resistance. We have a number of tests on the market that can help the fight against AMR, strengthen consumer confidence and ensure quality and safety for a number of different industries. So to round off this week, we spoke to two of our experts at Randox: Business Development Manager, Dr Mary Jo Kurth, and Molecular Diagnostics Manager, Dr Martin Crockard.
70% GP’s have been reported to prescribe antibiotics when they don’t know whether the infection is caused by the virus or bacteria.
At the frontline of the battle to curb AMR are the GPs but they’re not able to access the latest technology which can help them. Dr Mary Jo Kurth said, “In the current GP setting, diagnostic testing to determine whether a respiratory infection is bacterial or viral is unavailable, and therefore doctors often have to guess – or feel pressurised into prescribing antibiotics because patients demand it. However antibiotics only work to treat bacterial infections and are useless in treating infections that are caused by viruses.
“The consequences are severe. Medical procedures like organ transplantation and cancer chemotherapy need antibiotics to prevent and treat the bacterial infections that can be caused by the treatment. Without effective antibiotics, even routine operations could become high risk procedures if serious infections can’t be treated. The hard won victories against infectious diseases of the last fifty years will be jeopardized.”
Our Biosciences division have developed a test that can rapidly detect and identify the cause of 22 respiratory infections, in both the upper and lower respiratory tract, and therefore subsequently determine if an antibiotic is required as well as then identify the most effective antibiotic to take. Additionally our Confidante kit – the world’s first over-the-counter home sexual health test – can detect ten of the most common STIs with one patient sample and deliver accurate and reliable results securely and discreetly within one week. This takes the guesswork out of antibiotic prescription and could go a long way in fighting the antibiotic resistance crisis.
Dr Martin Crockard said, “Identifying the specific cause of illnesses provides opportunities to tailor treatment, reducing antibiotic misuse. Not all infections respond to antibiotics, however a multiplex approach which identifies bacterial, viral or fungal pathogens encourages improved clinical decision-making, refining treatment, leading to enhanced patient care.
“The molecular group here at Randox are developing a range of multiplex infection detection arrays to identify specific infection agents, allowing more appropriate use of antibiotics to improve patient care and reduce the onset of antibiotic resistance.”
In addition to tackling AMR via medical settings, there is work that can be done to deal with it in our food. Randox Food Diagnostics offer a comprehensive range of diagnostic solutions to allow for the detection and quantification of antibiotic residues within animal and food products. With validation across a range of matrices Randox Food allows producers to ensure their products are free from antibiotic residues.
As consumer awareness develops so does the need for antibiotic screening within agriculture and food production. Guaranteeing an antibiotic-free product strengthens consumer confidence and ensures food integrity on a global scale. Randox Food offers the Evidence Investigator matched with biochip array technology to provide the end user with fast, reliable results to ensure antibiotic free produce.
The UK Government recently commissioned a two year review into the crisis. Led by Lord Jim O’Neill, the final report outlined a new system of ‘market entry rewards’ worth $1.6 billion to the successful developer of a new antibiotic, which meets a prospectively-defined criteria of ‘unmet need’. Developers of alternative therapies aimed at tackling areas where there is unmet need due to rising AMR would also be eligible for these rewards. Such rewards would be paid after a successful product comes to market.
Chief Medical Officer, Dame Sally Davies said, “Antimicrobial resistance poses a catastrophic threat. If we don’t act now, any one of us could go into hospital in 20 years for minor surgery and die because of an ordinary infection that can’t be treated by antibiotics. That’s why governments and organisations across the world, including the World Health Organization and G8, need to take this seriously.
“This is not just about government action. We need to encourage more innovation in the development of antibiotics – over the past two decades there has been a discovery void around antibiotics, meaning diseases have evolved faster than the drugs to treat them.”
AMR will not go away on its own. It requires complex and comprehensive action across many sectors.
If you are interested in finding out more information, please visit randox.com
Randox Trade Mission to Massachusetts
A delegation led by the Cathaoirleach of Donegal County Council, Cllr Terence Slowey and the Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Cllr Hilary McClintock, are in Massachusetts this week as part of a joint endeavour to build relationships and forge partnerships.
Randox joined representatives from a wide range of sectors including education, food and drink distribution and manufacturing to attend meetings with a range of business contacts across the State of Massachusetts and key influencers.
Randox also made a number of key technology and business visits to Harvard and the State House and will participate in the Golden Bridges Conference.
Randox Senior Manager Mark Campbell said;
“The US is one of Randox’s most important markets and we are delighted to participate in this joint trade mission. There is clearly a strong regional and cultural link with Massachussets, and with facilities in Co Antrim and Co Donegal we seek to further develop our business relationship and increase exports. Our innovative diagnostic technologies have much to offer this US high tech hub – and will allow us to create further employment at home.”
In 2015 Randox announced plans to invest €25 million in Randox Teoranta, located in Dungloe in County Donegal. The investment included increasing staff numbers to 540 by 2020, offering world class careers in state-of-the-art R&D and manufacturing facilities. Randox also unveiled the Randox Science Park which will become the prime manufacturing and R&D facility in the UK. This new state of the art facility will generate 540 high value job opportunities over the next four years and will accelerate the development of new products into a wide range of clinical needs. These include various cancers, stroke, heart disease and neurodegenerative disorders, through more efficient, high specification manufacturing and the provision of state-of-the-art R&D laboratories.
Randox founder and CEO Dr Peter FitzGerald said;
“Our vision is to revolutionise healthcare through continuously improving diagnostic solutions. As well as employing locally we want to draw top class talent back to Donegal from the wider Irish diaspora and establish better relationships with the wider Massachusetts area. Randox offers world leading career opportunities to life scientists, electrical and mechanical engineers and software developers, and a chance to join a pioneering team creating diagnostic tests and analyser systems that save lives across the world.”
For more information on the delegation in Massachusetts please contact Randox PR via email: randoxpr@randox.com
We Are Randox | Meet our award-winning Costume Designer, Monika!
At Randox we pride ourselves on being a global company with an international team of over 1400 people from 145 different countries.
Our dedicated workforce have a range of talents and skills that they bring with them to Randox each day. But the commitment and dedication of our hard-working workforce doesn’t end when they leave the office. Randox employees have a wide range of hobbies and interesting talents and we are delighted to be able to share some of these with you through our We Are Randox series.
Recently Monika, one of our valued Manufacturing and Despatch Operatives at Randox took the time to tell us about her passion for designing and creating unique handmade costumes for Festivals found throughout Northern Ireland.
Here is Monika’s story:
“I joined Randox in Northern Ireland roughly about 5 months ago as a Manufacturing and Despatch Operative in our Mivan site based in Crumlin. I was really happy to land a job within an international organisation that employed a wide range of people from different cultures and different backgrounds.
Back in Poland, where I am originally from, I studied full time for 6 years in the OSSP Art School. For as long as I can remember I have always been interested in arts and crafts so it came naturally to me when I first started to design costumes.
I prefer to design my own original work and not copy anyone else’s designs. My favourite type of costumes to design are ancient religious characters from past centuries and eras. As there is no proof or documentation which illustrates what they ‘should’ look like, it gives me free reign to be as creative as I want to be. Nobody is able to say whether your design is right or wrong, you can only imagine what it is supposed to look like.
There are a variety of different festivals and competitions that I am able to enter including the MCM Comic Con and the Show Master competition. The first competition that I entered here in Northern Ireland was the MCM Comic Con in 2015 which takes place every year in Belfast. It takes me roughly around 100 hours to make one costume as they are all handmade so it takes a lot of time, effort and dedication. This festival attracts about 16,000 people each time so I was thrilled to win first place the first time that I entered!
The winning design I created was an old European folklore costume that the judges loved. This encouraged me to enter the summer MCM Comic competition which took place in July. I designed an Aztec God costume for this entry and ended up coming in at first place again which was a great achievement. I was presented with a trophy and money voucher when I won both of these competitions which was great.
The next competition that I hope to enter is the 2017 MCM Comic Con competition which is set to take place in March. For the March competition I am designing a Witch Doctor outfit and I am intrigued to see what way the final design will turn out.
I’m a fully qualified artist and every costume I design I can sell on under my brand name – Eliot Von Valentino – but they are all quite expensive.
Everything I create is handmade using materials such as leather which is extremely costly. I had to skin my leather sofa once to get the amount of leather that I needed to create my design!
I also use natural gem stones which are all individually sewed on. I take a lot of pride in my designs and I finance them all myself which is sometimes difficult as the materials needed to complete my designs are so expensive and hard to come by.
In the future I have high aspirations to enter the bigger competitions that take place in London. They draw in crowds of 120,000 so it would be a good opportunity to showcase my work to such a large scale audience.”
We look forward to seeing Monika’s latest design this coming March for her next competition. Good Luck Monika!
If you are interested in joining the multi-talented and passionate team we have here at Randox please visit our careers page for current vacancies.
Make sure to follow Randox Careers on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to stay up-to-date with the hashtag #WeAreRandox
The UK Government is being urged to ban excessive use of antibiotics in farming
To coincide with the start of World Antibiotic Awareness Week the UK Government is being urged to ban excessive use of antibiotics in farming by a group of leading doctors, according to The Daily Telegraph.
Made up of 12 royal medical colleges, the British Medical Association and the Faculty of Public Health, the group say that the UK should “use the opportunity afforded by Brexit to lead the world in banning” preventative prescription of medicines on animals.
A decision made by the European Parliament earlier this year to ban mass agricultural medication has not yet been ratified by member states or the European Commission.
A Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’ spokesman told the newspaper that dealing with AMR is a “top priority” though the paper notes it ‘stopped short of promising a ban.’
In 2015 McDonalds set itself a two year deadline to stop its US restaurants buying chicken raised with human antibiotics. It led to one of the US’s leading meat producers – Tyson Foods – promising to end the practice by September 2017 – which is, as The Guardian stated, “one of the most aggressive timelines yet set by an American poultry company.” The company’s CEO Donnie Smith told the newspaper: “We have found as we have reduced the level of antibiotics we use, whether it’s human use or vet-only, our cost has actually gone down. A lot of the ways we’ve been able to accomplish this is by working with our farmers on better husbandry practices. If this millennial mum wants a no-antibiotic ever..nugget we better supply that.”
Farmers Weekly reported this month on a Danish Crown initiative launched in 2015 whereby pig farmers attach an antibiotics-free tag to piglets at the neonatal stage. It’s removed at any point if antibiotic treatment is deemed necessary. It claims that although early farm trials suggest a production fall of up to 2.5 piglet per sow per year, the “premium covers additional costs if 35% or more piglets carry the tag to the slaughterhouse.”
Pig farmer Stine Mikkelsen carried out a major review of hygiene and health on her farm to reduce antimicrobial use to boost revenue by £11.25 per pig. She says that although production is down and labour costs did increase, it “feels good” to farm in this way. She told the newspaper, “I am very motivated to do something about it – it’s a hard route to take but I have a good feeling about this system.”
Randox Food Diagnostics is working with global leaders in the food industry to tackle antibiotic resistance and safeguard their use for both human and veterinary treatment.
Using a dedicated research and development team, Randox have the ability to respond rapidly to emerging new drugs of abuse and regulations in relation to food and animal safety, with sixty-five new residue drug targets are currently in development to keep up with the ever changing market of food safety. Randox Food Diagnostics are ensuring that all residue screening laboratories requirements are met by providing reliable food safety screening on a global scale.
On top of the food safety product range Randox Food also offer a range of analysers, reagents and test kits for use throughout the winemaking process to ensure quality is maintained in every bottle.
This product range includes the RX misano semi-automated wine analyser and the RX Monaco fully automated wine analyser.
For more information on what we do, please visit: www.randoxfood.com
The RX misano is currently unavailable to purchase in Germany
Dementia is now āour greatest medical challengeā
It has been announced today by the Office of National Statistics that dementia is the leading cause of death in the UK. Last year alone more than 61,000 people died of dementia and this figure is set to rise along with the ageing population. Currently, there are over 850,000 people with dementia in the UK- 40,000 of which are under the age of 65. This number is expected to reach over 1 million by 2025.
The majority of the dementia deaths were among women – 41,283 deaths in 2015 compared to 20,403 dementia deaths in men. For men it seems the leading cause of death is related to heart disease.
Hilary Evans, Chief Executive of Alzheimer’s Research UK, said, “These figures once again call attention to the uncomfortable reality that currently no-one survives a diagnosis of dementia.
“Dementia is not an inevitable part of ageing, it’s caused by diseases that can be fought through research, and we must bring all our efforts to bear on what is now our greatest medical challenge.”
Dementia describes the different brain disorders that trigger a loss of brain function. These conditions are all usually progressive and eventually severe. Alzheimer’s Disease is the most common type of dementia, affecting 62% of those diagnosed. Other types of dementia include; vascular dementia affecting 17% of those diagnosed and mixed dementia affecting 10%.
The most common symptoms of dementia include memory loss, confusion and problems with speech. However it is important to spot the early warning signs. These include finding it hard to follow conversations or programs on TV, forgetting names of friends or everyday objects and feeling confused even in a familiar environment.
Here at Randox we recognise the importance diagnosing dementia early and we worked with the Medical University of Vienna to develop the Randox ApoE4 Biochip Array which can identify the risk of developing Alzheimer’s within three hours. When we presented it earlier this year, it won the prestigious NACB/ AACC Distinguished Abstract Award.
The Biochip analyses Apolipoprotein E (ApoE), a gene which is recognised as one of the most significant genetic risk factors for dementia and other neurodegenerative diseases. There are three versions of the ApoE gene: E2, E3 and E4. The E4 version increases a person’s risk of developing late-onset Alzheimer’s disease, though it may also be associated with an earlier onset of memory loss. Everyone carries two copies of the ApoE gene but 25% of the population carry one copy of the ApoE4. Inheriting two copies of the E4 variant increases a person’s disease risk by 10 times or more.
The Biochip was developed at our state of the art site in Dungloe, ‘Teoranta’. R&D scientists Emma Harte said, “This type of testing is important in our quest to understand and diagnose Alzheimer’s, and empower patients to understand risks, consider medication and even make early lifestyle changes.
“Pairing this test with medical and family history for risk of Alzheimer’s disease has the real potential to advance personalised medicine. This fast, accurate testing will allow doctors and patients to make more informed choices earlier to potentially slow the possible progress of Alzheimer’s.”
If you would like to find out more information about our Alzheimer’s test contact us at randoxPR@randox.com
We Are Randox | Life in Austin, Texas with Andrew Dunlop
As a global diagnostic company with employees situated in 145 different countries across the globe, working with Randox offers amazing opportunities for international travel, and even for relocating half way across the world!
Our aim is to revolutionise healthcare through innovative diagnostics and save lives, and we can’t achieve this aim without the support of each and every one of our employees who are situated throughout the world.
Recently we took the time to catch up with Andrew Dunlop, who relocated from our Headquarters in Crumlin to Austin, Texas, USA.
Hi Andrew, what’s your current job title at Randox?
Currently my job title is National Sales Manager for the RX Sales department at Randox. I have been working for Randox for over four years now and I am really enjoying my role. My main job responsibilities include selling RX instrumentation to clinical labs, research sites and education facilities while also managing staff who do the same.
Was relocating something that you imagined doing when you first started your career with Randox?
Relocating was always something that I thought may have been an option but wasn’t sure how realistic it would be. I was always encouraged to pursue international travel and I loved the idea of seeing how business was done in other parts of the world. Having previously lived in the USA for two years through an internship with another company before I started working for Randox, I loved the idea of returning someday but didn’t know if it would be possible. I didn’t know anyone who already lived in Texas but because I had travelled to Austin on so many occasions for business I knew it was a great city. As I was travelling quite frequently to the USA I brought up the possibility of relocating there which was fully supported by the company.
What happened in the first few weeks of your relocation? Did you face any challenges?
The first few weeks were fairly hectic: I had to source getting a new car, a driver’s licence and finding an apartment and furniture. Randox helped me settle in by putting me up in a hotel initially and they also bring me home at least once per year which is something that I always look forward to.
How are you finding living in a new culture?
I love the culture in the USA and I have got used to pronouncing words a certain way so people can understand me such as two, eight, hour and even Andrew. The American’s use different terms such as Cell Phone, trunk, Gas etc too. The weather is also great, blue skies and sun is the norm for me now. I am able to live an outdoor lifestyle in my spare time, go hiking, mountain biking, BBQs etc, the list could go on and on!
How are you coping living so far from home?
I miss family and friends a lot, but as time passes it becomes normal. But the company does fly me home once per year which is something I always look forward to. I will have been home three times in 2016, but I wasn’t home at all in 2015.
Are you doing the same job in your new role?
My job role didn’t change significantly, I do a very similar job that I did before when I was located in Ardmore. Previously I managed staff who sold RX equipment in Brazil, Spain, UK and USA but now I purely focus on the US market. Plus being in the market has allowed me to understand it so much more and sales have really grown as a result which is a big plus!
What’s been the highlight of your move so far?
The highlight for me is being in a city that I truly love.
If you are interested in joining an international company that can offer you the chance to relocate to some of the biggest cities in the world, make sure that you check out our website for any current opportunities. We also offer a student placement program and graduate development program to help students and recent grads build the necessary experience needed to work within a global company.
Make sure to follow Randox Careers on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to stay up-to-date with the hashtag #WeAreRandox
Ballymacrickett Primary School pupils visit Randox as part of a new collaboration to enhance pupil knowledge of STEM based work.
As an international organisation that aims to deliver world class pioneering research that will revolutionise healthcare worldwide, we are always pleased when the next generation of scientists want to come and visit us. So we were delighted when Ballymacrickett Primary School got in touch with us to organise a visit.
Last week Randox welcomed primary 7 pupils from Ballymacricket Primary School to our Randox labs to gain a first class insight into the work that we carry out here. As part of the collaboration Randox is sponsoring Ballymacrickett Primary School to conduct their very own STEM project that will allow primary 7 pupils to take part in the Junior Innovators project. This project is run alongside Sentinus, a non-profit educational charity that works with schools throughout Northern Ireland to deliver programs to promote engagement in STEM subjects.
As part of the project the primary 7 pupils will conduct cross circular project work which can include workbooks, exhibition materials, models of products and even the development of a mini enterprise and their very own products. The aim of this project is to support the development of links between primary schools and local business and industry and to give classroom learning relevance to the world of work through a structured program of activity.
The first step in the project involves a visit to a local company, and we were thrilled to welcome over 50 pupils to our headquarters here in Crumlin from the 24th-27th October. The tour included a visit around our different departments and behind the scenes access to our science labs to gain a better insight into the work that we pioneer which was especially interesting.
At the end of the tour each pupil received a goodie bag filled with plenty of Randox stationery to take back to school with them.
We are delighted that the tour was both enjoyable and informative and sparked an interest in many more pupils to enter the world of science!
Good luck Ballymacrickett Primary School- We can’t wait to see your final project!
Make sure to follow Randox Careers on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to stay up-to-date with the hashtag #WeAreRandox
We Are Randox | Behind the scenes of Randox Engineering with Maryrose McLoone
Randox is an international company renowned for our innovative medical diagnostics but did you know we also have a dedicated engineering team with over 30 years’ experience in the design, prototyping, testing and manufacturing of diagnostic analysers?
Maryrose McLoone, from our Randox Teoranta site, gave us an insight into her role as a mechanical design engineer and told us what she enjoys the most about engineering.
Hi Maryrose, tell me a little about your position and what you do on a day-to-day basis?
I work as a Mechanical Design Engineer in Randox Teoranta where my main role is to aid in the design and development of clinical chemistry analysers. My day-to-day work can vary depending on what stage of a project we’re on. At the minute I’m working on developing concepts for our new project. This involves working with other members of the Engineering team to come up with ideas and designs and develop them into working prototypes. Engineers have many roles including creating designs using 3D modelling software, carrying out testing and analysis, as well as verifying and validating our designs. We work with Manufacturing and also with Quality Assurance to ensure we meet all of the relevant standards which are applicable for the Medical Device Industry.
Are there any challenges in your job? If so, how do you handle them?
When working in R&D, the main challenges we face are in ensuring we develop analysers of the highest quality, which will perform accurate diagnoses, and also are competitive in their market. It is always important that we consider the end user of our devices as the patient is of the upmost importance. Quality is an integral part in all stages of the project from the early design stages right through to product release. We must ensure that we will continually deliver quality in every aspect of our work. This is achieved by conducting thorough testing on all of our designs as well as remaining up-to-date with all of the latest technologies which are available to us.
What is your proudest accomplishment at the job?
As a team, we recently completed the design and development of a semi-automated clinical chemistry analyser, the RX misano, which has been released to market. This is a big accomplishment for our team as it is the result of our combined hard work and efforts. This was the first engineering project to be completed solely in Randox Teoranta, which is why it is such a big achievement for us.
What do you enjoy the most about your job?
As a Mechanical Design Engineer, there is a wide variety in the work that I do. Every day is different and each brings its own challenges. I particularly enjoy working with medical devices as I find that is a very rewarding job. Randox analysers are used worldwide to conduct a wide variety diagnostic tests. By working in the development of clinical chemistry analysers I am part of a team which create devices that improve the healthcare of patients all over the world.
As a Mechanical Design Engineer, I also have the opportunity to work with an interdisciplinary team of Engineers including Mechanical, Electrical, and Embedded Systems Engineers, as well as Software Developers. We also work closely with Manufacturing and Quality Assurance which has allowed me to gain an insight into various aspects of design and development which I would not have previously experienced.
What advice would you give someone who is seeking the same line of work?
Design Engineering involves creating innovative solutions and improving on current designs; therefore problem solving is a key skill in this line of work. The design and development stages involve a lot of creativity, whereas the testing stages of a project require meticulous attention to detail. As an Engineer you work autonomously as well as part of a team. You also work alongside Engineers of different disciplines and other departments within the plant. The design and development of a product can be a lengthy and sometimes challenging process but it is also very rewarding when you see a project through to completion.
If you are interested in joining our Engineering team make sure that you check our our careers website for all our current opportunities.
Make sure to follow Randox Careers on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to stay up-to-date with the hashtag #WeAreRandox
The RX misano is currently unavailable to purchase in Germany