Career Spotlight

Toronto welcomes back the largest international meeting of of stem Cell researchers

The International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) 9th Annual meeting, the largest international interdisciplinary forum dedicated to stem cell science, made its return to the Metro Toronto Convention Centre (MTCC). Running June 14-19, the event attracted some 3,500 researchers from academia and industry to discuss emerging science in the fi eld. Attendees were treated to outstanding speakers, a huge fl oor show and lecture schedule that was packed with the best and brightest the stem cell fi eld had to offer.

The latest discoveries in this rapidly moving fi eld were on full display as 111 speakers from academia and industry gave presentations while the fl oor show featured more than 1,400 poster abstracts and 132 exhibitors.

Three key awards – the ISSCR McEwen Centre Award for Innovation, the ISSCR Public Service Award and the Outstanding Young Investigator Award – were also handed out honouring some of the best researchers in the fi eld. The recipients of the inaugural ISSCR McEwen Centre Award for Innovation were Kazutoshi Takahashi and Shinya Yamanaka. The award recognized their paradigm-shifting work demonstrating the reprogramming of adult/tissue-specifi c cells using transcription factors that has resulted in a rapid development of novel tools and strategies for use in the pursuit of better understanding and treating disease. The inaugural ISSCR Public Service Award was presented to Robert Klein, chairman of the Governing Board of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), for his outstanding contribution of public service to the fi eld of stem cell research and regenerative medicine, while UCSF’s Robert Blelloch, MD, PhD, received the 2011 Outstanding Young Investigator Award from the International Society for Stem Cell Research, for his pioneering research on the role of molecular tools known as microRNAs in embryonic stem cells and cancer.

On the Canadian front, a community of local scientists used the ISSCR to launch an online portal to open the world of stem cells to the public. This virtual community, called Stem Cell City, is designed to teach people about stem cells and to inform them of the latest research aimed at defeating the most devastating diseases affl icting humans.

In other exciting Canadian news, a new partnership linking sixty-fi ve stem cell research laboratories from across Ontario known as the Ontario Stem Cell Initiative (OSCI), offi cially launched. Related to this, OSCI members also announced the launch of The Centre for Commercialization of Regenerative Medicine (CCRM), a new centre to drive commercialization of regenerative medicine and attract millions of dollars to Ontario. It was fi tting that on the 50th anniversary of Canadian researchers Drs James Till and the late Dr. Ernest McCulloch’s fi rst published a paper proving the existence of stem cells, that the event was hosted in the city where the milestone occurred.

While there are no immediate plans to bring the event back to Toronto, organizers agreed that it should make another return sometime soon. Already a date and time has been set for both next year and 2013. The 10th annual ISSCR meeting will take place June 13-16 in Yokohama, Japan. It will return to North America in 2013, June 12-15 in Boston.

CAreer SPOtLight

Bio-economy Career Profi le

Compiled by BioTalent Canada

Position: Bio-Strategy Consultant Name: Andrew Hessel Company: Alberta Ingenuity Fund (AIF)

What I do:

I promote synthetic technology in Alberta and beyond. AIF is a $1 billion fund that supports and encourages development in the areas of science, technology, and engineering. I focus my efforts in digital biology, founded on machines that print and assemble DNA code. The new technology allows software-based DNA manipulation to write new genetic programs easily for a broad range of applications. I work at three different levels for AIF in promoting the new technologies and by creating greater awareness of their applications. First, I develop outreach programs designed for students from high school to postgrad. Second, I work with universities to create courses and degree programs in digital genetic engineering. Finally, I work to raise awareness about the technology to science- funding and industry groups about the changing dynamics and economics of genetic engineering.

What education and skills do candidates need for this position?

My educational background includes a Bachelor of Cellular, Molecular and Microbial Biology, a Masters in Bacterial Genomics, and years of networking with leading scientists and engineers. You defi nitely require a strong scientifi c foundation combined with a broader understanding. Strong computer skills and experience using software tools are also required, as digital information and communication are key to modern life science. Social networking is becoming more important, as people working in digital biology need to collaborate and share data with others from around the world. An understanding of business and the use of intellectual property are crucial assets, since commercialization of technology is necessary for development and sustainable research funding. It’s essential to have a clear vision and the ability to communicate it effectively. You need to challenge convention and be willing to be disruptive at times. Many industries and their corporations have an institutional inertia that sometimes does not allow them to look beyond their organizations or rapidly commit to change. As a bio-strategy consultant, you need to always be looking for ways to improve what is already out there, and to re-evaluate and be willing to change conventional wisdom. A certain type of stubbornness is needed. Don’t be afraid to break out of your comfort zone and look in some very different directions, whether it’s an MBA, fi nance, or public speaking.

What are the best parts of your job?

The best thing about my job is that I connect with brilliant and empowered people from around the world, who look toward the future for the betterment of all. I work with people from academia, business, politics, and fi nance, who are interested in making fundamental change to existing systems and improving them.

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