Dr Emily Pegg: Thriving in Science and Family Life as a Woman
Posted on: Wednesday 11 February 2026
Celebrating International Day of Women and Girls in Science
Wednesday 11 February 2026
About Emily
Dr Emily Pegg FFPM started her career as a clinical doctor in the NHS in London before moving into the pharmaceutical industry in 2013. She started her pharmaceutical career at Novartis as Medical Advisor and over the past 12 years has worked in a variety of medical affairs roles at country and above country level at Novartis, Shire/Takeda and Eli Lilly. She is currently the Medical Director for UK, Ireland and Nordics at Lilly. She is a Fellow of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine and has a keen side interest in Lifestyle Medicine.
What first sparked your interest in science?
I was always really interested in how the body worked and the biological sciences and decided to pursue medicine as it was a great combination of deep science but with a practical application that could help people. I’m a very people person so the idea of a lab based role didn’t really appeal.
What gender-related challenges have you faced as a woman in science, and what helped you overcome them?
I am lucky in that I have never experienced any barriers other than those I put in place myself! The main challenge I have experienced is balancing a big and demanding job alongside being a Mum to two young children and trying to do both those roles to the absolute best of my ability.
What changes would you like to see to better support women and girls pursuing careers in science?
I think the challenge of taking on more senior leadership roles including management of people particularly at a time when people are often also prioritising family life is quite a big hill to climb. Actively supporting women to take that first step in more senior leadership and management would be hugely valuable. I was very fortunate to have this support from some fantastic mentors and managers but also a brilliant external coach.
What message would you like to give to women and girls aspiring to make their mark in the field of science?
Be in it for the long haul: pursue skills and knowledge that make you stick out but maintain your humility and human touch. Also always maintain a growth mindset: by nature I think scientists often feel they need to know all the answers but really none of us do and being agile and pursuing growth will mark you out as more than a pure technical expert.
Having recently been awarded Fellowship of FPM, how does this recognition reflect your journey in science, and what does it mean to you in terms of inspiring and supporting the next generation?
I’m incredibly proud of being awarded Fellowship and it felt like a really big moment of recognition in an industry and career in which I’ve really had to put myself out of my comfort zone and often go against the expectations of a traditional ‘medic’. The recognition was a ‘wow what a journey’ moment and a real sense of external validation. I hope it also in some way inspires other women to take the less trodden path and also know they can do it whilst focusing on their family: you don’t need to choose one or the other – you can succeed in both.
