Sonalika Jain

Fueling innovation and growth in Food R&D by building industry and academia relations, and leveraging external partnerships. Unlocked £1M grant funding for business capability building and client R&D programmes. Awards: Culture & Community, Chartered Chemist

Specialised in performing elemental quantification testing using ICP-QQQ/ICP-MS, ICP-OES, and MP-AES (to GMP and UKAS standards) for 60+ clients annually across the food, pharmaceutical and healthcare industries. • Wrote method validation protocols, reports, reviewed and signed certificates of analysis, delivering high-quality results for projects within tight deadlines, resulting in direct~£300k sales/yr for the department. • Managed portfolio for one of the largest clients in our department bringing in significant repeat sales year on year. • Trained analysts, managed clients, engaged in technical discussions, and expanded lab capability by developing a new analytical service for nanoparticle characterisation. • Authored prize-winning poster for nanoparticle characterisation at the CAMS (Community of Analytical Measurement Sciences) competition.

Supporting innovation and growth in a wide range of pharmaceutical and food companies as well as Mondelēz International, Inc. by providing state-of-the art analytical services for metals analysis using ICP-MS, ICP-QQQ, ICP-OES and MP-AES. Developing analytical methods to increase service offerings. Coordinating site-wide and global technical forums to enrich scientific community. Collaborating with various teams to promote diversity and inclusion across site and attract early-careers talent.

Established and scaled the world’s first Novel Foods Expert Network in under 10 months to accelerate regulatory approval and responsible market access for Novel Foods in the UK - in line with the UK Modern Industrial and Food Strategies. Backed by £0.5M funding under Innovate UK’s Regulatory Science & Innovation Networks programme. Currently architecting the strategy for our next global funding round. • Providing strategic leadership to a 15-person cross-partner team including RSSL, the Bezos Centre for Sustainable Protein, Pfeifer & Langen UK Ltd (ex-Supplant) & closely collaborating with the Food Standards Agency. • Shaping priorities and delivering across 3 streams - ecosystem building, regulatory and policy engagement, and knowledge exchange - convening 250+ members and 60+ experts across industry, academia and regulation. • Designed and delivered a flagship national launch conference (30+ speakers; 170+ delegates) - including delivering the opening address - positioning NFX UK as a credible sector convenor and Thought Leader. • Represented the network at 15 national and international forums, delivering keynote talks and engaging senior leaders across industry, academia, regulation and government to shape regulatory innovation discourse & action.

Industrial placement as analyst in the Metals Lab at Reading Scientific Services Ltd (RSSL), based at the Reading Science Centre for Mondelēz. • Conducted analysis using spectroscopic (absorption and emission) techniques for a range of projects for clients across the healthcare, food and pharmaceutical industries, and also supported research projects at Mondelēz. • Spearheaded a research project on evaluating a novel analytical technique for nanoparticle characterisation - presented findings to university and company in a report and oral presentation. Awards: Manager's Award & Intern of the Year (from a group of 15 interns) for outstanding performance

Summer placement at Alcatel Submarine Networks, Greenwich, UK, working in the Process Manufacture department to find a safer alternative to one of the key chemical processes used on site. Only chemist working amongst a group of engineers.

Taught Chemistry at International Baccalaureate (IB) Higher Level to a Year 13 class of 15 students at Westminster Academy London. Designed learning plan, developed teaching content and delivered weekly classes, significantly improving average performance and confidence in a short timeline.

Artistic Director for the Imperial College Indian Society - designed, managed and delivered ‘East Meets West 2015’, the longest running student-led cultural show in the UK, held at Richmond Theatre in London (300+ audience members), raising funds for the British Asian Trust against child-trafficking.

Co-led a bilingual art and craft activities for a class of around 15 children aged 3-5 years as part of a summer program of immersion in English for French students.

Elected in as leader & representative for the College student body (1000+ students). Responsible for leading the Prefect Body of 27 students to plan and execute service projects and coordinate internal communications between students and faculty. Delivered numerous speeches at school events, participated in interviewing candidates for the school leadership team, and served as Ambassador for external visitors.