The 2024 Summer by Design participants.
Medicine by Design’s Summer by Design, an eight-day intensive program at the University of Toronto (U of T), wrapped up on June 19. Thirty five participants — PhD students and post-doctoral and clinical fellows from Canadian and global institutions — were accepted into this year’s program.
Summer by Design sessions provided an in-depth look at the business aspects of commercializing science, explored the regenerative medicine ecosystem in Canada and introduced participants to career possibilities in the life sciences sector.
Participant spotlights
Since it began in 2017, Summer by Design has attracted more than 200 participants from 45 institutions in 15 countries. Along with learning from the unique global perspectives of experts and their peers, participants build professional networks that could spark scientific or entrepreneurial collaborations.
Miriana Dardano
PhD, Hannover University, Germany
Research area: “I work with organoids. I created a stem cell-based organoid model that resembles heart and blood cell development in the native human embryo. The system allows researchers to study human development and provides a new platform for drug discovery and disease modeling.”
Future aspiration: “I’m done my PhD and I’m going to start a post-doctoral fellowship in Germany. In the future, I’d like to move to industry. I’m currently working in academia and I find it very exciting, but I’d like to work in R&D to work closer to patients and clinics.”
Reflection on Summer by Design: “One of the highlights of the program for me is connecting with peers working in different labs. I created connections that go beyond new friendships; they are also potential collaborations for future projects. I also learned a lot more about the different aspects of translating our academic findings to a commercially viable product, and this information will be so valuable to me as I move into industry in the future.”
Sharmin Haideri
Post-doctoral fellow, University Health Network
Research area: “I generate insulin-producing pancreatic beta cells from stem cells, aiming to translate these discoveries into potential treatments for people living with Type 1 Diabetes”
Future aspiration: “We are now in a time where stem cell therapies are becoming a reality. My dream is to be a part of it.”
Reflection on Summer by Design: “The program tied in everything we, as academics, need to understand about the regenerative medicine industry. I learned so much about what makes research translatable, and this knowledge will impact how I design experiments and steer my research. It was also inspiring to learn about the career journeys of the speakers and eye-opening to learn about all the options that exist in the field. Your tagline for Summer by Design could really be “Designed by Scientists, for Scientists.””
Fahmida Islam
PhD student, Monash University, Australia
Sponsored by CCRM Australia
Research area: “I work on cancer immunology. I’m genetically modifying stem cells and developing them into powerful immune cells as a cell therapy that can combat cancer”
Future aspiration: “I work on ovarian cancer and my ultimate goal is to develop breakthrough therapies that dramatically improve patient survival rates. I want to provide every woman, especially those who do not respond well to current treatments, a better chance of survival.”
Reflection on Summer by Design: “As an introverted person, I find it challenging to communicate what I do, especially since research is such a fast-paced area where you can easily feel out-competed. I feel that all the sessions at Summer by Design have significantly improved my ability to speak about my research, which I believe will lead to more impactful collaborations with researchers”
Quincy Nlandu
PhD student, Erasmus University, Netherlands
Research area: “My research area is in the field of kidney transplantation, trying to stop scar tissue from forming on transplanted kidneys and restore kidney function.”
Future aspiration: “I would like to bring a therapeutic drug on the market that can help patients with kidney diseases.”
Reflection on Summer by Design: “I learned that, as a translational scientist, I need to acquire multiple mindsets. I should not only think about the science but also consider the economics behind a potential therapy and look at a project from the perspective of a business developer, for example. Wearing all these different hats is important for bringing innovations to the market as early as possible.”
Thristan Taberna
PhD candidate, University of British Columbia
Sponsored by Stem Cell Network
Research area: “My research is about producing off-the-shelf cell therapies from stem cells by combining developmental biology with process engineering. Specifically, I’m making blood and immune cells at scale using bioreactor technologies.”
Future aspiration: “Here in Canada, we are fortunate to have access to transformative treatments, such as CAR T-cell therapy. This isn’t the case in other, less privileged countries. My long terms goal is to engineer technologies that improve the accessibility of these therapies, so that more people can benefit from them.”
Reflection on Summer by Design: “At Summer by Design, you get exposed to a lot of people with different backgrounds. Through the speakers and the sessions, the program really emphasized the balance between making sure you have a plan but at the same time being open to serendipitous moments, which I found inspirational.”
Experts led sessions and provided perspectives
Commercialization road map
Throughout the multi-day program, participants worked through a ‘road map’ that charted the stages of commercialization. Foremost Canadian experts in the field provided their insight and knowledge in a range of areas.
(From left to right:) Moderator Allison Brown, Medicine by Design’s executive director, with panelists Stacey Ivanchuk, director, alliance management, BlueRock Therapeutics; Yasaman Soudagar, co-founder and CEO, Neurescence; and Mathew Platt, global venture recruitment lead, Creative Destruction Lab.
A program highlight was an Ecosystem Day panel of three key ecosystem players: Mathew Platt, global venture recruitment lead, Creative Destruction Lab, Stacey Ivanchuk, director, alliance management, BlueRock Therapeutics, and Yasaman Soudagar, co-founder and CEO, Neurescence. This wide-ranging conversation provided insight into the panelists’ experiences and career journeys.
Medicine by Design runs Summer by Design along with its lead partner CCRM. The Stem Cell Network provided travel support to cross-Canada participants. The Rotman School of Management at U of T provided networking opportunities and facilitated workshops.
