Data Scientist in Clinical Pharmacology and Safety Sciences Review

Item: Data Scientist in Clinical Pharmacology and Safety Sciences at AstraZeneca
Rating: 4.8
Author: Anonymous

at AstraZeneca

Internship (1 Month+)

Artificial Intelligence (AI), Data Analysis, Pharmaceutical

Cambridge

Review Submitted: August 2026

Overall Rating

4.8 /5

The Overall Rating is the average of all the ratings given in each category. We take those individual ratings and combine them into one final score!

5/5 - Overview of Role

5/5 - Skills Development

5/5 - Support and Guidance

5/5 - Company Culture

5/5 - Overall Experience

2/5 - Future Career Prospects

Overview of Role

Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis.

For the first couple of weeks specialised in measuring gene expression, working with raw and meta data and turning that into DEGs. This included measuring varieties of fold change and P-values alongside other metrics, predominantly using R and Python. I then began to work from DEGs, focused on differentiating between DILI and non-DILI compounds, before looking into the different DILI mechanisms within those compounds.

Were you given much responsibility during your placement / internship?

I have been given access to personal health data, access to all of the resources that full-time employees are granted and my own project with genuine purpose.

Please rate how meaningful the work you were doing was

5/5

Skills Development

Have you learnt any new skills, or developed your existing skills?

I have developed my coding skills significantly, specifically R and Python. I have learnt to use new software such as QIAGEN IPA for AOP. I have improved my presentation, preparation and communication skills significantly. Most of all, I have improved my knowledge of Data Science pipelines and the application to pharmaceuticals.

How would you rate the training provided during your experience?

5/5

How would you rate your development of industry-specific skills during the experience?

5/5

How would you rate your development of personal / soft skills during the experience?

5/5

Please rate how these skills have helped you in your career development

5/5

Support and Guidance

How much support and guidance did you receive during your placement / internship?

My manager is always there to support and guide me, shows genuine willingness to help and created a project with real meaning. My other colleagues are equally as welcoming, there are often times where they take time in their busy schedules to walk me through processes, R scripts and software. Whether that is on teams, email or in person.

How would you rate the support and guidance from your line manager?

5/5

How would you rate the support and guidance from the wider team?

5/5

Company Culture

What was the company culture and general atmosphere like?

The company atmosphere is a nice mix of being driven and friendly. When I am in office, I feel the urge to pick up the work ethic of those around me. I have found it to be a very productive environment with first class facilities. On the other hand, I have been invited to work socials, had lovely conversations at lunch time and even been invited to play in both the football and cricket teams.

How would you rate the inclusiveness of the culture?

5/5

How would you rate the social opportunities?

5/5

How would you rate the diversity initiatives?

5/5

How would you rate the charity, sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives?

5/5

Overall Experience

To what extent did you enjoy your placement / internship?

I will preface this with the fact that it is a big change from University, sometimes the work schedule can be slightly daunting. However, I believe there no better company to have this experience with. From the flexible hours, great work culture and fulfilling work to the Prestige and recognition from the company, I am incredibly happy I accepted my offer.

Please rate your level of enjoyment on your placement / internship

5/5

Please rate how your experience met your expectations

5/5

Recommendations & Advice

Would you recommend AstraZeneca to a friend?

Yes

What advice would you give to others applying to AstraZeneca

I would advise others applying to AstraZenca to be completely honest in their process, show strengths but also the gaps in their knowledge. There is no point covering up weaknesses because they are accepted and developed, and the interviewers will see straight through it. Carry that into the internship too, talk with as many people as possible and ask for advice. It came across that any senior member of my group (CPSS), or other groups for the matter, genuinely enjoy passing on their expertise.