In the latest instalment of our Alumni Spotlight series, we speak to Jane McAdam, graduate of the Bachelor of Engineering in Biomedical Engineering from UL's Faculty of Science and Engineering.
Jane's career has gone from strength to strength over the last ten years within Johnson & Johnson.
Now working as Quality Executive at Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine, Jane reflects on her journey from UL to a varied and exciting career in the biomedical industry, noting the importance of promoting women in STEM to inspire the next generation.
Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
I’m from Corbally, Limerick but living in Carlingford and working as a Quality Executive with Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine.
Growing up, I was really interested in sport and I played on almost all sports teams available in primary school, and went on to play Hockey in secondary school, Laurel Hill Coláiste FCJ. I carried my love of sport and the outdoors with me throughout my life and have been involved with tag rugby, crossfit and hiking in the mountains near my home in Carlingford at the weekends. I’ve also made sure to get involved with the Sports and Social club at work, we’ve had some really fun activities and outings over the years.
Another passion of mine growing up was music, music was a big part of life at home, I play the piano and studied music at junior and leaving certificate level.
From an academic perspective, I always enjoyed maths in school, I liked how there was always only one correct answer and found that this was the main reason for choosing to study engineering.
Why did you choose to study at UL?
I chose UL because having grown up in Limerick, I was familiar with the campus which I loved and I had always pictured myself attending someday as a student.
It helped also that UL had such a great reputation and was recognised and highly regarded throughout Ireland. Attending UL meant I would not need to travel long distances and I was lucky that they had all of the courses I was interested in.
What did you enjoy most about the course?
One of the parts of the course I enjoyed the most was the laboratory work, especially the modules which focused on the Biology side of the course.
As the course progressed and specialised more in the Biomedical side of engineering, I enjoyed the projects based on medical devices and real-life application. I particularly enjoyed getting the opportunity to attend surgical wards in University Hospital Limerick (UHL) to witness different types of surgeries and medical devices in use.
Can you tell me about your Co-Op experience/work placement and your FYP/thesis?
I completed my co-op placement in Boston Scientific in Galway. This was one of the most enjoyable parts of the course as it gave a real insight into the professional life after studying. It is what confirmed for me that I was studying a course in an area that I did want to pursue a career in. As part of my work placement, I supported manufacturing activities in a quality role including stability studies and investigating packaging defect trends.
For my final year project (FYP), I completed a study on the development of an experimental design to determine the diffusion properties of arterial plaque. I was delighted to have completed this FYP topic as it linked in closely to my placement in Boston Scientific which was in Drug Eluting Stents manufacturing area.
This FYP also included a lot of lab time and completion of a series of experiments to support a larger PhD project ongoing in the department.
What did you enjoy about UL? What is student life like here?
Student life in UL was one of the highlights for me. With UL being one of the largest universities all on one campus it meant there was always events, gigs and plenty of clubs and societies to suit everyone.
I think there is a difference however in the experiences of student life in UL depending on if you are staying in the various student accommodation or not. I was living at home and not on campus which had both positives and negatives.
Were you a member of any clubs and societies? If so, tell us about your experience.
In first year I joined the windsurfing club and met a lot of new people through this which helped as I did not initially know many people in my course.
How did UL support you throughout your studies?
My FYP supervisor Professor Michael Walsh was also a lecturer in of some of my core modules in the course and he and his team, including Dr Eoghan Cunnane provided support during my FYP completion. I must also call out Associate Professor Walter Stanley who was never afraid to give honest feedback during his lectures and always available to support students whenever needed.
More broadly I made lifelong friends through my studies in UL in my Biomedical course. We were a tight-knit group with approximately 20 people in the course and I can say some of my closest friends today I met while completing this course.
How did your studies prepare you for entering the workplace upon graduating?
I think the fact that I graduated with an engineering degree from UL was looked upon very favourably by the healthcare/medical device industry.
Although the technical knowledge is important, I think the most important parts of the course that prepared me for entering the workplace are the co-op placement, the modules focused on general industry and project work as these skills are almost universal and used the most.
Tell us about your own career journey so far.
After graduation I started as a graduate quality engineer in Johnson & Johnson Vision, which is a stones throw of the UL gates.
I had originally applied for the role as a manufacturing engineer however the hiring manager recognised an aptitude for quality and instead opened a role in quality for me. It turns out they were right, and I loved working in the quality operations department of the large manufacturing facility.
I was with Johnson & Johnson Vision, in roles of increasing responsibility for 5 years, I gained experience across multiple product ranges and business units.
From there I moved to a role within the Johnson and Johnson Medtech sector, as Senior Quality Specialist in the Commercial Local Operating Company in 2020. This role was based in Dublin, supporting the Commercial team in sales and marketing of medical devices to Ireland. I was also responsible for the medical device’s distribution centre based there and ensuring compliance to ISO 9001 requirements.
In 2023 I decided to broaden my experience in the healthcare industry and applied for my first role in Pharmaceuticals – again with Johnson & Johnson. Being part of Johnson & Johnson has provided me with lots of opportunities to move and progress my career all within the one company.
Any particular highlights in terms of projects you’ve been involved in?
In manufacturing one of the highlights was completing install and validation of new manufacturing lines, particularly the introduction of a totally new manufacturing platform. I also lead the assessment of new data integrity regulations and implementation of these across the site.
Within the commercial roles some of the key highlights for me were taking on leadership roles in external inspections from our health authorities with successful outcomes for the business.
I’ve also been given some brilliant opportunities to get involved in Corporate Social Responsibility Activities with Johnson & Johnson over the years. I travelled to the UK to help build up the bank on the River Chess which is a protected chalk stream. I’ve been involved in activities to promote Quality across the business and been given opportunities to speak at our company conference.
Engineers Week has been created to introduce primary and secondary school children to the diverse world of engineering. How important are initiatives like Engineers Week for women in STEM education?
I think engineers week is hugely important for women in STEM education as it gives us the opportunity to see the broad span of careers available and where women are succeeding, that may otherwise not be explored by students in primary and secondary level education.
I agree 100% with the saying, ‘If you can’t see it, you can’t be it,’ and introducing young girls in early education to careers in engineering and STEM has proven so successful over the years.
I have seen firsthand through being a member of Johnson & Johnson’s Women’s Leadership and Inclusion group that the initiatives run in this area are leading to more women taking up careers in STEM.
What advice would you offer to students considering what to study at third level?
I would advise second level students to choose a course based on the subjects they currently enjoy the most and find themselves most interested in at school.
I would also encourage anyone looking at third level courses to seek out work experience in these areas or shadowing family/friends or anyone they know working in these areas to get a true feel for what the career after study is like.
There is a lot to be said for spending some time in the workplace, trying to take some time to figure out what you like, apply for internships or work experience, or just talking to people in industry before rushing into a third level course if you are not sure what you want to do. I was lucky enough to get to speak to Dr Eoghan Cunnane about the Biomedical Engineering course when I was in my Leaving Certificate year at school. Dr Cunnane is now working as an Associate Professor in the Bernal Institute in UL but was just finishing the undergraduate Biomedical Engineering programme at the time and had great insights about it, his advice played a big part in my final decision to apply.
Are there any lessons or insights you wish you had known when starting your career?
Be open to opportunities as they come your way, there is always something to be learned from a project a new role or change in career.
Ensure you can get an opportunity to work outside of your comfort zone. It has been my experience that once I get too comfortable in a certain area/role it is time to move on and learn something new.