Welcome to my website! If you’re looking for a professional translator or interpreter specialising in pharmaceutical and medical fields (German to English), you’re in the right place. Let me tell you a little about myself and why I’m the right choice for your project.
Before becoming a translator, I worked as a scientist. I have over 15 years of experience translating from German to English. With a Master’s in Organic Chemistry and certification from the Institute of Translators (ITI), I focus on pharmaceutical and medical device regulatory documents and clinical trial records.
In addition to my science background, I have a strong interest in cancer research and fields like genetic engineering, DNA technology, and new antibody therapies.
For more details about my qualifications, visit the ‘About Me‘ section. If you’re curious about what drives me, check out my page on Translating and Neurodiversity.
My services comprise
If you’re a private client needing confidential medical records translated, don’t worry. I ensure your sensitive information stays secure. I work to the requirements of ISO 17100:2015 and ISO 18587:2017.
For my agency clients, post-editing machine translations is a big part of my work. Why? Because these documents are often already formatted, so I don’t have to retype messy PDFs, allowing me to focus purely on refining the language.
Whilst I don’t mind the occasional challenge of deciphering handwritten doctors’ notes or engineering records, I know from experience that machines can’t handle tricky handwriting or complex, shorthand language—like the notes in master batch records or more obscure abbreviations in medical records. Robots simply aren’t truly “intelligent” yet, and they can’t make sense of imperfect or specialized input. That’s where I come in to fix those translations.
My more conventional work history before the arrival of the robots spans experience from training as a medical secretary in Germany to Sales & Marketing support roles in technical environments alongside engineers. As I’ve already mentioned, deciphering handwritten notes is my speciality!
But don’t just take my word from it, check out some testimonials from some of my clients
My translation experience started in 1990 with an in-house translation role for the Hong Kong buying office at mail-order company Quelle. Working with English source text written by non-native English speakers, turned out to be excellent preparation for post-editing Machine translations.
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I earned my undergraduate degree in Chemistry as a mature student through the Open University while working full-time in Medical Device Sales. This shows that continuous learning and taking on new challenges come naturally to me. I wasn’t content with just an upper second-class degree, so I took a year off work to complete a Master’s in Organic Synthesis at the University of Nottingham.
I also spent a summer internship at GlaxoSmithKline, gaining hands-on experience as a Medicinal Chemistry researcher. My strong interest in Oncology, rare diseases, Genomics, and Therapeutic Antibodies is backed not just by research but by real time spent in the labs, helping to deepen my understanding.
As a member of the ITI, I am fully qualified to translate from German into English. Although English is technically my second language, I have reached a native-level proficiency after spending several decades working and studying in the UK. In 2024, I expanded my services to include business and conference interpreting as well.
My work experience included roles as Marketing Manager for industrial weighing specialist Bizerba, the construction formwork company Peri, followed by Sales roles ar Rehau and its medical device spin-off Raumedic, and most recently as Technical Sales Agent for the Rockwell Automation subsidiary Lektronix who specialise in the repair of Industrial Automation Equipment. All of these roles involved Liaising between customers and technical staff in the UK and Germany giving me further exposure to technical vernacular language that might leave many translators with a more traditional CV stranded.
Freelance translating can be a lonely job, and it’s not for everyone. If you’re someone who needs the structure of a regular 9-to-5 job to stay motivated, or if you prefer the security of a steady paycheck, then freelance translating might not be the right fit for you.
If you enjoy office chatter and find it helps you get through your work, this career probably won’t suit you either.
However, if you, like me, prefer quiet and find distractions like office gossip annoying, and if you love working with language so much that you lose track of time (and sometimes even forget to eat), then this could be the perfect fit.
I also benefit from the way my neuroatypical brain works. I was diagnosed with autism later in life, and while autism has often been seen negatively, it also offers some advantages.
If this concept is new to you, I recommend reading Tony Attwood’s 1999 paper, where he discusses the positive aspects of Autism (then referred to as Asperger’s). In my case one of my early symptoms was hyperlexia (aged 3) and this love of the written word has remained with me for life.
More and more companies are recognizing the value of hiring neurodivergent individuals for roles that require intense focus on technical tasks.
The benefits of hiring someone like me include a strong attention to detail, a solid work ethic, and a commitment to quality. When I say I will meet a deadline, I mean it—I make sure my estimates are realistic and stick to them. My ability to hyperfocus on tasks for long periods is definitely one of my strengths.
Unsurprisingly, I am not unique amongst translators and in 2021 I got together with a couple of other autistic translators to form the ITI’s Neurodiversity Network in an attempt to change the narrative around neurodivergence.
Translating, Interpreting, Proofreading, Machine-Translation Post-Editing
My translation rates vary depending on the complexity and technicality of the source text as well as the desired turnaround time and range from £0.06 to £0.15 per source word.
Intepreting, proofreading and subtitling rates are available on request.
Payment terms
If I work for you regularly, I’m happy to talk about payment terms, for example issuing one invoice at the end of each month.
Methods of payment
I accept payment by paypal or bank transfer into a Euro, Pound Sterling or US Dollar account. I will provide you with paypal or bank details along with my invoice.
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