Meet our Team: Momina Pathan
In continuation of CMAC’s monthly “Meet our Team” series, we are celebrating Momina Pathan, CMAC’s Manufacturing Platform Project Engineer.
Momina's interest in Chemistry began during her high school years in Chandigarh, India, where she was born and raised. This early passion inspired her to pursue a Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering from Panjab University. Upon graduating from university, Momina launched her career as a Process Engineer in the Oil and Gas sector, specialising in the design of pumps, valves, and piping systems.
In 2018, she and her husband relocated to Glasgow, where Momina made the decision to take a career break and dedicate herself to raising their daughter, Zahra. When the time came for her to return to work, Momina seized the opportunity to join the CMAC team in 2021, bringing her enthusiasm and expertise to the team.
In her role as Manufacturing Platform Project Engineer, Momina's main responsibility is to set up the Microfactory, which entails incorporating advanced instrumentation and automating the manufacturing process, including integration with digital software tools such as PharmaMV with MSMPR. She is also responsible for procuring chemicals, solvents, and equipment required for constructing the Microfactory, which involves creating diagrams, exchanging requirements and quotes with vendors.
Another one of Momina’s key responsibilities is to assist researchers in analysing the offline characteristics of crystallisation products obtained from Microfactory runs. This includes conducting particle size and shape analysis. Every experiment she performs in the laboratory is meticulously documented in an Electronic Lab Notebook (ELN), which plays a vital role in facilitating the writing of research papers. This documentation process is crucial for the success of CMAC projects. Momina said:
“This job is special to me because it is in a field that differs from the majority of my career, marking my first position after a prolonged career break. Additionally, I am captivated by the extensive influence that our work will have once manufacturing companies adopt these Microfactories"
Having spent the majority of my career in the Oil and Gas sector, transitioning to the pharmaceutical industry has been a new experience for me. Even now, I continue to learn something new every day as I collaborate regularly with researchers and Post-Doctoral Research Associates (PDRAs). I firmly believe that pursuing my own research and eventually obtaining a PhD would undoubtedly contribute to my personal and professional growth."
During her free time, Momina enjoys activities such as painting, cooking, and spending quality time with her family and friends.
