Welcome to Azur: People at the heart of science

At Azur Health Science, people are at the core of everything we do.

Every day, our team brings expertise, curiosity, and dedication to advance research in rare diseases. Through this series, we shine a light on the individuals who contribute to our scientific mission, those whose work, passion, and stories shape Azur from the inside.

✨ Today, we’re delighted to introduce Léa Grégoire, who shares her journey, her inspirations, and her experience as part of the Azur Health Science team.

Léa, we’re so glad to have you with us in Welcome to Azur!

I started working at Azur Health Science as part of my master’s degree. I am currently working on a protocol amendment, which is the second protocol amendment I have had the opportunity to work on.

I have not only worked on protocol amendments though, I also worked on a lay person summary and other tasks related to the quality control of documents. At the start of my internship.

I feel like my typical day depends on what kind of project I am currently working on, but at the moment, I am mostly writing and attending meetings, whether they are with my colleagues, my managers, or sometimes with our clients.

Initially, I chose to pursue a master’s degree in translation and international communication specialised in health sciences. I gravitated towards health sciences because I wanted to work in a field where I could feel useful, and the possibility of using my linguistic background to achieve that seemed perfect.

One of the courses I took during my master’s degree was on scientific writing, and this is where I first became acquainted with medical writing. I enjoyed this course a lot and it helped me decide that I wanted to find an internship in medical writing. I feel like linguistics and science are two fields that work very well together, and I liked that I could shape how information is communicated.

I would say that in medical writing, the devil is in the details. It requires a great deal of rigour, an understanding of scientific concepts, and good writing skills.

All of these might not seem mutually exclusive, but it can be challenging to balance scientific accuracy, clarity, conciseness, and the right level of detail all at once. Aside from that, my biggest challenge has been learning how to give purpose to the information I am writing; I focus on what to say and do not always think enough about how to say it.

I think that as with most things, practice makes perfect. I also cannot stress enough the importance of receiving feedback. And no matter how difficult the process can be, it is always so rewarding to see the document you are working on evolve until it is eventually sent to the client and can serve its purpose for patients.

That writing is only one side of the coin. The other side is all the communication that goes along with it, which is as important as the writing. The medical writer always works within a team, and it is crucial to communicate well and be able to keep everyone involved in the loop.

We simply cannot do all the work alone, and I have learned that communicating well is the first step towards being a reliable partner in a project.

I think I will always remember fondly the very first “real” project I was assigned to: writing a lay summary of results. Of course, being responsible of a document for the first time was quite stressful, but I also remember that having hands-on experience was exciting.

Putting aside the fact that it was my first project, I really liked the exercise of having to think about how I could make complex scientific information understandable for a lay readership. With documents targeted at lay readers, I feel like it is easier to see how this work helps patients.

I grew up in a house where there was always music playing, so music is really important to me. I consider my cheap bass guitars my most valuable possessions. I also like spending time with my dog and going on walks with him, going off the beaten path and exploring the surrounding nature.

I moved out of my hometown when I started my internship, but I used to practise taekwondo and go on motorcycle rides when I was there. I would definitely like to eventually get back into both.

Although I do quite like protocols, I am curious to see how it is to work on other documents. 6 months is not that long, and I feel like there are still aspects of medical writing that I have yet to explore.

My main goal right now is to keep improving my skills. I want to develop my eye for detail and my ability to present information. I feel like my internship was a great opportunity to put a foot in the door, but I would like to keep the momentum going and become fully established in medical writing.

A Big Thank You, Léa

Thank you, Léa, for taking the time to share your story with us.

Your journey reflects how curiosity, dedication, and a genuine passion for science can shape a meaningful path. From your first steps at Azur to your growing role within the team, you’ve already built something that truly represents who you are.

We’re grateful to have you with us on this journey.

It’s been a pleasure hearing your experience, and we look forward to many more inspiring conversations here on Welcome to Azur. See you next time!

Until then, continue exploring Azur’s story and the people who bring our mission to life.