LGC was privileged to host HRH The Princess Royal on a visit to its site in Fordham, Cambridgeshire, UK on Friday.
The Princess Royal was given a tour of LGC’s recently-expanded laboratories and met with scientists and apprentices to hear how the company’s cutting-edge analytical science supports doping and medication control in animal sports, provides assurance to athletes taking supplements, and helps develop new drugs and therapies.
Dr David Griffiths, Managing Director, Pharma and Health Solutions, LGC, and who hosted Friday’s visit, said, “It was such a privilege for us all to meet HRH The Princess Royal. LGC’s mission is ‘Science for a Safer World’ so we took great pride in showing her the innovative analytical science we perform here. With her background as a former member of Great Britain’s Olympic equestrian team, as well as her current roles as President of the British Olympic Association and Member of the International Olympic Committee, we were obviously keen to show her the labs from which we successfully tested the equestrian events at the 2012 London and 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics and Paralympics. Her interest in, and knowledge of, science and encouraging young people to study STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) subjects at school also provided some fascinating discussions between Her Royal Highness and our teams.”
HRH The Princess Royal was given a demonstration of LGC’s bioanalysis work, as well as how the analytical work carried out in the labs supports the manufacture and testing of new drugs. In addition, Dr Griffiths introduced The Princess Royal to several of LGC’s apprentice scientists. Explaining why apprentices are so important to LGC, Dr Griffiths said, “Our apprenticeships scheme was the first to be accredited by the Royal Society of Chemistry for company training within industry, and apprenticeships are an important way into science. We are very proud of our dynamic programme and currently have 12 apprentices. Additionally, in the last 3 years, 11 apprentices have graduated with us and subsequently gained full-time employment at LGC.”
LGC’s Fordham site is one of the largest bioanalytical centres in Europe and supports the regulatory Chemistry, Manufacturing and Control (CMC) compliance of drug substances and drug products via its pharmaceutical analysis services.
LGC’s Sport Science laboratory in Fordham, Cambridgeshire, UK, is the world’s largest independent provider of drug surveillance, doping control and research activities. It has provided forensic drug testing services to British horseracing since 1963 and does so now under contract with the British Horseracing Authority.
The site employs around 380 scientists and will host open sessions for people interested in its apprenticeship scheme on 16 April.