Orla Myers (Yordas Group)

Name: Orla Myers

Subject: Environmental and Biochemical Toxicology

Year Graduated: 2015

College: Graduate

Where are you now and what are you doing?

I am still in Lancaster, working for a small chemical regulatory company called Yordas Group, we recently rebranded from The REACH Centre. My work is split between the Regulatory Services, and Hazard Communications teams.

What would you like to do next?

That is a difficult question! Within my current position, I would like to develop in my role and continue providing training to industry on all aspects of chemical regulations.

Why did you choose to study at Lancaster?

There were very few places in Europe where I could study environmental toxicology and Lancaster was one of them. In addition, the Lancaster Environment Centre was well renowned, so I could not miss the opportunity.

What was your favourite part of your degree and why?

I particularly liked the time spent at Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic. where I completed the lab work at the RECETOX facility for 3 months for my dissertation.

How do you think your time at Lancaster prepared you for what you’re currently doing?

My MSc was quite specific, however I am able to use my data management, report writing and toxicology skills in my current role, particularly when assessing data we receive from the lab and classifying substances based on their hazard.

What did you enjoy most about your time at Lancaster? (Including extra-curricular activities and beyond?)

Studying at Lancaster allowed me to study something that I was passionate about, and continue improving my non-academic skills. During my time at Lancaster, I joined the Film Production Society where I was the lead make-up artist. While in my home town of Cork, I was involved in numerous productions of award winning short films and Lancaster University allowed me to build on this experience.