BDC SOCIETY SHOWCASE: PROGRAM, STUDENT, AND COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

On September 27^th, 2019 students from all three levels of the Biomedical Discovery and Commercialization (BDC) program at McMaster University attended a faculty-organized Industry Preview Event. With over 20 companies, the event exposed students to a wide range of industries in the pharmaceutical space.

BDC Director Dr. Andrew McArthur began the event with opening remarks, welcoming all in attendance and setting the stage for a new initiative – Career Talks from BDC alumni. The three alumni came from diverse industries (large pharma – GlaxoSmithKline; consulting – Cannabis Compliance; and Biotech – Enhanced Medical Nutrition), which gave students a sense of the wide range of opportunities available to them. Their talks touched upon both their current endeavours and how BDC prepared them with the skills they needed to succeed.

Third year student Cole Shulman found these talks especially engaging. “The talks gave me a good understanding of what I can expect to learn from this program going forward. The presenters did a great job highlighting both technical and soft skills that are instrumental in the pharmaceutical space.”

The subsequent networking session gave students the opportunity to talk to the many companies in attendance. Some used this time to focus on specific industries or companies that they found interesting. Others took it as a chance to learn about different roles and opportunities available in pharmaceuticals. Regardless of which route was taken, students found it to be a very valuable experience.

Shift Health was one of many industry partners who attended the Career Fair.

Simultaneously, many of the industry partners took it as a chance to mentor students – something that was greatly appreciated. Between skill development tips and ways to stand out in a competitive job market, there was a lot to learn. Students could be seen taking notes and subsequently sharing tips they had gathered with their peers – an indication of the collaborative culture the program proudly fosters.

For Master of BDC students, the networking session proved to be a great opportunity to talk to potential employers. With their internship term quickly approaching, this showcase has historically been an amazing resource for these students. The event not only brings together a large number of pharmaceutical companies, but also has many BDC alumni present as company representatives. Ultimately, having a BDC graduate on the other side of the table gives the program greater credibility.

“The growing reputation of the BDC program is evident,” said Shadman Khan, president of the BDC Society. “Compared to last year’s showcase, there are many more companies from a much wider range of disciplines. In my mind, it shows how well-equipped BDC students are for the workplace. The attention our graduates are garnering continues to grow.”

All in all, the event was viewed as a great success. Students from all three levels gained insight into the plethora of opportunities available at the intersection of biomedical discovery and business and left with a better understanding of the skills they should seek to develop to succeed in this space.

None of this would have been possible without our industry partners who took the time to attend the event, as well as the meticulous planning of the BDC faculty office.

This year, BDC Engage was held on Friday, April 5, 2019. Students, faculty, staff, and industry members gathered early in the morning to listen to presentations, partake in a networking session, and view posters made by students of the Biomedical Discovery and Commercialization (BDC) and Master of Biomedical Discovery and Commercialization (MBDC) Programs.

The event started off with a keynote from Jim Hall, Vice President and General Manager of Covis Pharma who emphasized the importance of networking, specifically “ABN” (always be networking).   Following the keynote, there were a series of talks from MBDC students and alumni. First, alumnus Tom Wei shed light on his role as a Global Health Economics and Market Access associate at Johnson and Johnson. Then, MBDC candidate Daniel Celeste showcased his role at Bayer as a Medical Operations and Governance Intern. Finally, MBDC candidate Alice Guan talked about her time as a Hematology-Oncology Marketing Intern at Celgene Inc. All presentations focused on the speaker’s personal journey and advice for students in the audience.

Jim Hall, VP and General Manager Covis Pharma, delivers an engaging keynote presentation.

“The presentations were amazing. It’s nice to hear about how BDC students apply what they learn in the classroom to their new positions. We’re happy to see how they continue to advance and build upon their knowledge,” said Dr. Brian Coombes, Chair and Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University.

Ellie Voutsinas, Digital Marketing Specialist at Haltech Regional Innovation Centre, said, “The students had strong presentations and it was evident that the BDC program prepared them well to be strong, articulate speakers. I noticed that the presenters followed similar structures and delivery styles. Overall, the students were very well-spoken, and professional.”

After the presentations, third-year BDC students and Master’s students displayed their commercialization project and internship posters during a networking session. During this time, many students reflected on their BDC experiences. Alice Guan, MBDC student, emphasized how BDC differs from other undergraduate programs. “The BDC program teaches hard skills in biochemistry and business, but the most valuable of all was the soft skills I learned. These soft skills, such as collaboration or self-directed learning, are invaluable traits to have while working in the biopharmaceutical, biotechnological, or medical devices industry.”

Konrad Noronha, Director of Marketing and Head of Market Research at Celgene, backs up Guan’s claims. “We’ve had two BDC students so far, and they have come in academically prepared. However, what is more impressive is their open-mindedness, positivity, and willingness to learn. BDC students like Alice are strong in independent learning. For example, she is constantly doing research to best prepare for meetings and to inform her work. This, coupled with her personal drive to succeed, has enabled Alice to exceed our expectations.”

BDC students learn about various industries and roles during the MBDC poster presentations.

Kirill Pankov, a BDC and MBDC alumnus, followed the program’s development throughout the years. “BDC has made good connections with industry members. When the program first came to these big companies, I imagine they were kind of confused. But now, they have a better idea of BDC’s performance and reputation. The program prepared me for my experience at Enhanced Medical Nutrition. Not only did I obtain science and business knowledge, I have also learned to work without strict guidelines. The program has taught me how to be self-guided, open-minded, adaptable, and 100% okay with standing out from the crowd. If I were to sum it up, BDC makes you comfortable with the uncomfortable!”

Henry Hu, MBDC alumnus, who also works at Enhanced Medical Nutrition, provided some insight about his own experience. “I came through biomedical engineering and did two years of healthcare investment. I came back to school for the MBDC program. I found MBDC to be the perfect mix between business and biotechnology. Although I already had a master’s degree going into the program, I benefited from the connections I developed throughout the year. Other master’s programs do not have the same quality of networking opportunities compared to MBDC.”

After the networking sessions, two fourth-year BDC students presented their thesis research. Jason Tran from the Hyne’s lab investigated how natural competence enables bacteria to upgrade its CRISPR-Cas spacer memory to gain immunity against bacteriophages, and Sarah Hordienko from the Coombes’ lab explored the role of the type IV secretion system in the pathogenesis of Crohn’s Disease-associated Escherichia coli. To conclude the event, three third-year BDC groups out of a total of twelve were selected to present their commercialization projects. The selected groups pitched their ideas to the audience, treating them like a group of potential investors.

Dr. Yingfu Li announces the BDC third-year group presenters.

Overall, students felt that they benefited from the event. “I am thankful for BDC,” says Lucy Zhou, a fourth-year BDC student. “Students usually don’t have the opportunity to network with staff, students, and industry members. These opportunities help me prepare for the next steps after graduation. They have helped me understand different roles within companies, and this gives me more direction and insight when applying for a full-time position.”

Dr. Andrew McArthur, Associate Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences and Cisco Research Chair in Bioinformatics, said, “I enjoyed this year’s BDC Engage. The poster sessions went well. I can tell that students are getting stronger every year, and faculty is getting better at tweaking the program for future students.” He leaves us with a suggestion. “In the future, it would be nice if we could hear a company’s perspective on the MBDC internship. This way, we can see the whole picture: how interns benefit from companies and how companies benefit from the interns.”

Congratulations to Kyle Jackson and the rest of the Interdisciplinary Satellite Team for being selected by the Canadian Space Agency to participate in the Canadian CubeSat Project where they will help design and build a satellite to launch into deep space.

See full article here: https://dailynews.mcmaster.ca/articles/neudose-satellite-project-passes-csa-milestone/

Congratulations to our MBDC students on completing their career development and employability milestone. It was a very busy two months of career-related workshops, but our MBDC students are now well prepared for the internship and post-grad recruitment cycle! We wish them nothing but success as they embark on this new chapter in their careers! A very special thanks goes out to all of our recruitment partners for the 2018/2019 year.  Your engagement and support of the Biomedical Discovery and Commercialization program has been incredible, and we look forward to working with you over the next year.

On Friday September 21^st, 2018, the BDC program hosted its third annual BDC Industry Preview. The event, which took place in the form of a career fair, offered students a chance to listen to a series of talks from biotechnology/pharmaceutical representatives and attend an engaging networking session.

List of companies attending the BDC career fair:

Students gather in CIBC Hall on a Friday morning to hear Career Talks delivered by industry professionals.

To kick-start the event, BDC Director Dr. Eric Brown welcomed students, staff, and industry representatives with his opening remarks. This was followed by a Career Talks session, which had the following guest speakers: Ricky Ghoshal (Mirexus/Gysantis), Dr. Anne Mullin (Shift Health Consulting), Dr. Gail Martin (St. Joe’s Hospital), Kimberlite Mayordomo (Eli-Lilly), Rami Reda and Dr. Kiva Ferraro (Radicle Cannabis). Each presenter took a few minutes to discuss their career, their academic pathway, and their personal journey. The talks were a new addition to the career fair, and were met with overwhelming praise.

“The Career Talks session was my favourite part of the event,” noted Sally Min, a fourth-year undergraduate BDC student. “It felt more like a candid conversation rather than a presentation. The industry members became much more approachable and relatable. After all, they face struggles, deal with uncertainty of the future, and have second thoughts about their dreams just like we do! It definitely made me want to reach out to other company representatives to ask about their personal journey.”

Leaders from pharmaceutical/biotechnology sectors provide advice to BDC students during the networking session.

The networking session was a different experience for students at different points in their education pathway. For many undergraduate third-year BDC students, the event showed them new perspectives and exceeded their expectations.

“It’s better than other career fairs that I’ve been to,” said Julie Nguyen, a third-year BDC student. “The personalized business cards from the BDC student society definitely boosted our confidence. The [industry members] were surprisingly super nice and I feel like they had a lot of wisdom to share, rather than 100% discussing job opportunities. At the end of the day, I’m sure everyone gained something from it!”

On the other hand, students in the BDC Masters (MBDC) program saw the career fair as a showcase of internship opportunities. “The positive reputation that the administrative team has cultivated for the BDC program is something to be cherished, and the fruit of their labour is the annual BDC career fair,” said Krish Khurana, an MBDC candidate.

“From my perspective as a student, this event is invaluable because it brings the industry right to our doorstep. I see that the industry partners are equally enthused because it’s their opportunity to recruit some of the brightest minds at the nexus of science and business. It’s truly a win-win. With that much synergy, I look forward to attending this event again, albeit with the hope that I’ll be representing one of the companies!”

BDC students visit informational booths that are set up by industry members around the room.

In summary, BDC students responded to the career fair with satisfaction and appreciation. “As a fourth-year BDC student, I am regularly contemplating what life will be like after my bachelor’s degree is complete,” said Hamdi, president of the BDC student society (BDCS). “It’s a time full of excitement, but also a time full of extreme pressure and doubt.”

“The BDC career fair is an excellent opportunity for students to see the fantastic careers that lie between the world of biomedical science and business. Attending this fair is one of the great highlights of this program as it provides students with networking opportunities that other programs can’t offer.”

The event would not be possibly without the meticulous planning of Emily Taylor, BDC career and development and relationship manager, as well as Jennifer Crane, who will be taking on Emily’s role during her leave-of-absence. Thank you and best wishes to Emily, and a warm welcome to Jennifer!