Parvinder Aley
Director of Operations (Oxford Vaccine Group)
Department of Paediatrics
Tell us a bit about your role
Working closely with the lead academics within the group I am responsible for the strategic and operational oversight of the Oxford Vaccine Group. I first came to Oxford as Postdoctoral Researcher in Pharmacology, but subsequently changed careers moving to Research Services as a contracts specialist. Although I enjoyed seeing the breadth of research conducted across division, I missed being integrated within a research group and seeing a project through from start to finish. Having managed the OVG portfolio it was a relatively seamless transition into my current role.
Research facilitation roles such as mine are critical in the landscape that our researchers are currently having to work. Projects are more complex, multi-disciplinary and demanding administratively, nothing more so than clinical trials with their huge regulatory requirements. Support from individuals who fully understand these projects but with a different perspective complements the work of the “traditional” researcher and ensures a smooth delivery of impactful science.
What is the most meaningful aspect of your work?
My presence makes a difference in the ability to deliver research that impacts on the health of individuals all around the globe (even when we are not in the middle of a pandemic).
Can you tell us about something you've done, contributed to that you're most proud of?
The delivery of the Oxford sponsored COVID vaccine trials has been an amazing experience and it is the general attitude of individuals within the research group that has made me inordinately proud. From day one the team have approached this challenge with a can do attitude, one which I cannot take credit for but I feel I have contributed to by emulating.
What changes would you most like to see in the Medical Sciences in the next 100 years?
Not just within the Medical Sciences but across academia I would like to see a greater appreciation for the infrastructure that supports good research, providing opportunities for individuals who may not follow a traditional path to research but could nevertheless bring value because they have been given the opportunity to be part of something bigger.