INSPIRE News
Dr Nathan Nuzum on secondment with Atlantia
Nathan's secondment was completed at ATLANTIA, a contract research organisation that is a spin-out company from APC Microbiome Ireland. ATLANTIA specialise in conducting human research studies investigating nutritional products in relation to health and disease.
Nathan joined APC Microbiome Ireland, a Research Ireland Centre based at University College Cork as an INSPIRE Postdoctoral Fellow and is investigating the effects of an exercise intervention on the gut bacteria and mood in individuals with Major Depressive Disorder. Nathan will tell us how his secondment linked in well with his research interests and focus.
My time at ATLANTIA involved learning from heads of departments and understanding research conducted from an industry perspective. I was able to learn from recruitment managers, study and site coordinators and from the medical team. Working with all these individuals increased my knowledge base across these areas, better enabling me to run my own research project. Management of a site file and managing the logistics of a research project were additional areas of learning and were aspects that were directly relatable to my INSPIRE project and my duties as a research leader. Additionally, I received guidance and support in relation to creation and management of a data management plan. My time there also involved write-up of scientific research data as outputs for the industry partners they worked with, and I also observed several study visits.
In addition to directly helping with my current position, my time at ATLANTIA has enhanced my professional development via developing an understanding of the differences between research at an industry level compared with research at an academic institution and will assist me in future research endeavours that may involve industry partners or additional stakeholders outside of an academic institution.