This week we are sharing five minutes with Dr Patrick Ball, Account Director at the scientific and technical PR company, Stone Junction. Before embarking on his PR journey, Patrick attained a First Class (Hons) MChem degree and a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Bangor University. His Ph.D. thesis is titled “Identification and testing of enzymes and prodrugs for use in directed enzyme prodrug therapy strategies for the treatment of cancer” and this body of work has resulted in six peer-reviewed publications, four of which Patrick is the lead author of. You may also recognise Patrick as he and his team at Stone Junction are the dedicated PR team for Lab Innovations!

Ready, set, share!

Can you give us an insight into your career path and how you ended up working within the lab industry?

My work in the lab industry was a natural transition of undergraduate MCHEM degree, summership placement working in one of the department’s labs and then a PhD in that same lab, sponsored by the Life Science Research Network Wales. My Masters project, summership placement and PhD were all in the research group of Professor Chris Gwenin who has since gone on to become the Head of the Division of Health Sciences at Abertay University. My research into cancer prodrug therapy yielded six per-reviewed journal articles being published with four with me as the lead author and I also presented at numerous scientific conferences in that time. My favourite aspect of my time in research was communicating scientific content, whether in writing academic papers, departmental reports, speaking at conferences or attending industry networking events, all of which led to me exploring a career in science comms and, ultimately, to me joining STEM PR agency Stone Junction in 2019. I’ve since gone on to become one of the agency’s account directors, leading a team of seven PR consultants and managing a significant amount of annual business.

What is something that keeps you motivated within the industry or what influences your decisions on how you work?

I’m really motivated by sharing knowledge on scientific and technical concepts and shouting about the latest and greatest successes of STEM sector. I’m also really invested in helping people understand what can be very complex concepts and nurture people’s interest in science no matter what level of knowledge or experience they’re starting from.

Where do you see either you or the future of the lab industry going?

I think the lab industry’s future over the next 5-10 years will be really interesting as it makes progress across the board in areas like sustainability, automation and the rollout of AI technologies. I see my role, and that of the broader STEM PR community, as amplifying the voices driving that progress and generating conversations in the media and in wider industry communities on the latest innovations and success stories to, ultimately, grow awareness and drive business growth.

Thank you for your five minutes Patrick!