NGBideas

This week on NGB Ideas , we’re revisiting a Season 1 conversation with Gordon McCauley, President & CEO of AdMare BioInnovations . Gordon has built his career at the intersection of politics, investment, and life sciences — and today, he’s at the center of Canada’s growing biotech ecosystem. In this episode, Gordon shares his journey from political staffer to venture capitalist to leading one...

Join Jim Wilson as he sits down with Bill Hunter, a pioneering figure in the Canadian life sciences community. From his early days in Mississauga to founding Angiotech Pharmaceuticals, Bill shares his journey of innovation, resilience, and the pursuit of medical breakthroughs. Discover how his passion for science and entrepreneurship led to the development of life-saving technologies and his visio...

In this episode of NGBideas, we sit down with Bharat Srinivasa, Co-Founder of Amplitude Venture Capital, to trace his journey from Bangalore to Canada and into the world of biotech investing. Bharat shares how curiosity, persistence, and networking shaped his path from biology labs to consulting and venture capital, and reflects on the growth of Canada’s life sciences ecosystem, the challenges of...

Join us for an insightful conversation with Matthew Miller, a distinguished scientist and academic leader, as he shares his journey from a small town in Ontario to becoming a key figure in infectious disease research. Discover how serendipity and mentorship shaped his career, the challenges of starting a lab, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on his work. Matthew also discusses the importanc...

Join us as we delve into the remarkable career of Neil Fraser, a visionary leader in the Canadian medtech sector. From his early days growing up in a nomadic family to becoming the president of Medtronic Canada, Neil's journey is one of innovation and leadership. Discover how he transformed Medtronic into a powerhouse in the industry, his insights on value-based healthcare, and his ongoing influen...

In this episode of NGBI Ideas, host Jim Wilson sits down with Alison Symington, a key leader in the Ontario life sciences community. Alison shares her journey from the UK to Canada, her academic pursuits, and her impactful career in life sciences. Discover how she bridges the gap between industry and academia, and her insights on the future of genomics and AI. Tune in for an inspiring conversation...

In this episode of NGBideas, host Jim Wilson sits down with Andrew Casey, the outgoing President and former CEO of Biotech Canada. They discuss Andrew's journey from his early days in Montreal to leading one of Canada's most influential biotech organizations. Andrew shares insights on the challenges and triumphs of his career, the future of the biotech industry, and his thoughts on leadership and...

July 23rd 2024 – This week we have the privilege of speaking with Amol Karnick, President and CEO of KA Imaging, spun out of the University of Waterloo, Ontario. Amol and his team are developing high dynamic range and lower dose x-ray detectors for the medical, industrial, and veterinary imaging markets. Their portable x-rays provide a high-resolution view of both hard and soft tissues, which Amol...

July 2nd 2024 – Join us this week as we have the privilege of speaking with Dr. Karen Mossman, a researcher and innovation leader from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. Karen previously served as the Vice President of Research at McMaster and was part of the team of researchers who first isolated the COVID-19 virus. We discuss her early aspirations, challenges in academia, and the importan...

June 25th 2024 – We are thrilled to announce that this week we will be welcoming Penny Walsh-McGuire from the Canadian Alliance for Skills and Training in Life Sciences (CASTL), based in Charlottetown, PEI. Join us as we delve into CASTL's role in the Canadian life sciences ecosystem, how they are fostering the next generation of biopharmaceutical manufacturing professionals, and learn about Penny...

June 18th 2024 – This week, we welcome Sarah Howe, Chief Operating Officer of St. Joseph’s Research Center in Hamilton, Ontario. Join us as we delve into Sarah’s journey, from founding Y-Space at York University to her triumphs and challenges in leading the next generation of mental health, lung and chest, kidney, and genitourinary research in Canada. St. Joe's Research Institute: research.stjoes....

June 11th 2024 –  This week, we have the pleasure of speaking with Ivy Parks, President of BD Canada. Ivy's  journey began in a customer service role, and over the past 20 years, she has risen through the ranks to lead the company. Join us as we explore her career path, the challenges she has overcome, and her vision for the future of BD Canada. BD Canada: BD.com Get Your Tickets to The NGBI Summi...

May 28th 2024 – Join us this week for a conversation with Dr. Tom Mikkelsen, President and Scientific Director of the Ontario Brain Institute in Toronto, Ontario, and Co-Director of the Hermelin Brain Center at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan. Dr. Mikkelsen is recognized as one of the top 0.04% of scholars researching glioblastoma, the most aggressive form of brain cancer, over the past d...

May 22nd 2024 – This week we’re thrilled to welcome Nicole Dekort, President & CEO of Medtech Canada. Join us as we dive into Nicole's journey, from her early days with the Ontario Liberal Party to leading Medtech Canada, and the triumphs and losses along the way. Medtech Canada: medtechcanada.org Get Your Tickets to The NGBI Summit: nextgreatbigideas.com Lab Occupier: laboccupier.com

May 14th 2024 – Our guest this week is Raphael Ronen, Director of Business Development at Sunnybrook Research Institute. Sunnybrook holds the designation of being recognized as a Centre of Excellence by the Focused Ultrasound Foundation—the first in Canada, and one of only seven worldwide. Regarded as one of the most comprehensive and globally successful programs, Raphael helps get their technolog...

May 7th, 2024 – Join us this week as we welcome Tamara Seales, President of Seaford Pharmaceuticals, a Canadian-made and family-owned business. Founded in 1991 by the Seales family, Seaford Pharmaceuticals boasts a proud legacy. Today, Tamara leads the company, continuing the vision set forth by her father, Ron Seales. Under her guidance, Seaford Pharmaceuticals is dedicated to developing pharmace...

April 16th 2024 – This week we’re speaking with Rob Henderson, the President and CEO of BioTalent Canada, a national not-for-profit organization headquartered in Ottawa. Since Rob assumed leadership in 2011, the organization has expanded from a team of five to now employing 50 staff members and collaborating with over 80 partner organizations. In 2023, BioTalent Canada received accolades, being na...

April 9th 2024 – We welcome professor Christine Allen from the University of Toronto, a renowned figure in drug formulation and development, and a distinguished researcher, industry leader, and entrepreneur. A co-founder of NanoVista, recognized in its groundbreaking work in high-precision, image-guided cancer therapy, Christine has held key roles in various biotech and pharmaceutical companies. R...

April 2nd 2024 - Join us this week as we welcome Mark Smithyes, President of Janus Life Sciences Consulting and National Director of Life Sciences at Delphic Research. With an extensive background in the industry, including serving as the former chair of Life Sciences Ontario, Mark shares his insights on founding startups, his extensive volunteer work, and his advocacy for Canada's Life Sciences s...

March 26th 2024 - Our guest this week is Brad Wouters, Executive Vice-President of Science and Research at University Health Network.  We appreciate Brad talking about his passion for Medical Biophysics, his post-doctoral work at Stanford, his time in the Netherlands  and what inspired his return to Canada to join UHN.

Sep 19, 2023 - Our guest this week is Dave Smardon, who is President and CEO of Bioenterprise, Canada's food and Agri tech engine. We are delighted to have Dave talk about his passion for music, his early years of the insurance sector, how he pivoted into tech, then venture-capital, and eventually into running one of the key Agri tech organizations in Canada's life sciences industry.   Bioenterpri...

Sep 12, 2023 - Our guest this week is Gordon McCauley, who is President and CEO of AdMare Bioinnovations. We talk today about how Gordon navigated from politics to investment banking to becoming one of the key leaders in the Canadian life sciences community. For decades, scaling start ups in Canada's life sciences sector have struggled for funding, facilities, and support. Most cities across Canad...

Aug 29, 2023 - Our guest this week is Cate Murray, who is President and CEO of the Stem Cell Network (SCN) in Ottawa. This organization is a Canadian not-for-profit that supports three main objectives. First, stem cell and regenerative medicine research secondly, training the next generation of researchers and lastly supporting and sharing research in this incredible field. SCN was created in 2001...

Aug 22, 2023 - Our guest this week is Ella Korets-Smith, who is Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Virica Biotech in Ottawa, Ontario. Virica Biotech has developed unique viral sensitizers to turn off antiviral responses in cells. The work they're doing is exciting and another example of the groundbreaking research being done in Canadian life sciences. Ella and her family immigrated to Canada...