Pathways in Life Science

Amir describes a non-linear path into science, switching from social sciences after rediscovering biology and finding organic chemistry intuitive and creative. She explains her PhD work at the University of Calgary in carbohydrate chemistry, synthesizing tumor-associated carbohydrates to support vaccine and detection research.  Amir outlines how Affinity Immuno started with off-the-shelf ELISA kit...

What does it actually look like to be at the heart of the gene therapy revolution in 2026? In this episode of Pathways in Life Science, Pat pulls back the curtain on the gritty, high-stakes reality of the Gene Therapy Scientist. Forget the futuristic holograms and shiny brochures—this is a world of 7:15 AM starts, "moody" cell lines, and the constant hustle of "failing forward.&quot...

Are you a "bench nerd" who’s a little too loud for the lab? In this session, Pat strips away the corporate jargon to explore the world of Medical Science Liaisons. Pat look's at the MSL role not as a sales position, but as the front-of-house engineer of drug discovery—making sure the science sounds exactly like it’s supposed to when it reaches the ears of the world’s top doctors. We...

What if your next "debugging" session didn't happen on a MacBook, but inside a yeast cell? Welcome to the era of the Synthetic Biology Architect. In this episode of Pathways in Life Science , Pat peels back the lab coat on one of the most pivotal roles in the 2026 bio-economy. We’re moving past the "Discovery" era of biology and straight into the "Design" era—whe...

How do you turn complex scientific data into a compelling narrative that drives sales and investment? In this episode, of the PATHWAYS IN LIFE SCIENCE podcast, we sit down with Paul Naphtali, founder of GenoWrite, to discuss the critical role of storytelling in the life sciences and biotech industries. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN: Science isn’t just about the data; it’s about making that data knowable...

In this episode, we sit down with David Remedios , National Sales Digital Pathology Specialist at Leica Biosystems , to explore the rapidly evolving landscape of digital pathology and the intersection of science and technology in modern healthcare. From the halls of the innovative Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital to remote diagnosis in Newfoundland, David shares his insights on how automation and digi...

In this episode of North Star Scientific, we explore the unconventional journey of Rob, who transitioned from a high school history teacher to a 15-year veteran in the life sciences sales industry. Rob shares his unique philosophy on being a "Chief Happiness Officer"—focusing on empathy, transparency, and helping customers succeed rather than just closing a deal. We also dive into how te...

What happens when a molecular biology major realizes they aren't meant for the lab bench? In this episode of North Star Scientific, we sit down with David Nathan, CEO of Scaler Marketing, to explore the intersection of science, storytelling, and entrepreneurship. David shares the raw reality of starting a business with a family of five, the unconventional lessons he learned from Amway, and ho...

"People make the difference." We sit down with Berendia Jackson, a high-impact sales leader in the biotech industry. Berendia shares her unique journey from the lab bench to leading commercial teams for global life science giants. We discuss the critical balance between technical expertise and soft skills, how the "customer journey" has evolved over two decades (from Palm Pilot...

Your degree only goes so far. Practical application is what makes you valuable. In this episode of the Pathways in Life Science podcast, we sit down with our own Managing Partner, Jeff Storelee, to discuss his transition from the QC lab at Bio-Techne to leading major sales teams. Jeff opens up about the "hard lessons" of the Northeast sales territory, why being an introvert didn't s...

We vastly overestimate what’s possible in 2 years, but we vastly underestimate what’s possible in 10. In this episode of Pathways in Life Science, we speak with R.J. about the early 90s origins of AI and his journey through the "dot-com bubble" to founding a healthcare-focused software firm. R.J. breaks down why AI isn't just about writing poems. It's about detecting gender in...

Culture isn't the people. It's the space between the people. In this podcast episode of Pathways in Life Science, we explore why even the best science and the most funding can't save a biotech company with a broken culture. Tom Froggatt, CEO of Singular, breaks down his "7 Building Blocks" framework for creating an environment that scales, retains talent, and navigates the...

Every time I fail at a venture, I learn something new and that’s how I get better. In this episode of the Pathways in Life Science podcast, we sit down with Mark Whittaker, founder of flywheel bio-conversion and co-founder of Abide Analytical. Mark shares his fascinating transition from a 20-year career at Bio-Techne to becoming a "kinetic learner" in the world of startups. We dive into...

Your target audience doesn't just care about specifications. They care about the job they have to do. In this conversation on the Pathways in Life Science podcast, Jasmine walks us through her pivot from an NIH post-doc studying protein-associated fat droplets to leading marketing at companies like Amersham, GE Healthcare, and Gyros Protein Technologies. We explore the "myth" that s...

Every path is winding, and it doesn't matter where you start, you can always make an impact in the life sciences. In this podcast episode of Pathways in Life Science, we sit down with Carl, the man often described as the "quarterback" of Montreal’s scientific community. Carl discusses his early days in the travel industry and how a single billboard from Air Canada signaled the end o...

Sometimes laziness is the mother of ingenuity—I was just too shy to cold call. In this episode of Pathways in Life Science, we sit down with Guillaume, founder of Biotech Connect. Guillaume explains how his hatred for cold calling led him to start hosting coffee-and-donut socials at the University of Montreal, which eventually snowballed into Canada’s premier turnkey event service for life science...

Breakthroughs in medicine are useless unless patients can access them. In this episode of the PATHWAYS IN LIFE SCIENCE podcast, Kaitlyn Sai shares her harrowing journey of being diagnosed with ITP, a condition where the immune system destroys its own platelets. After traditional treatments failed and she ended up in the emergency room with life-threatening bleeding, her doctor prescribed a game-ch...

Every path is winding, and most of the time it goes up and down. In this episode of the Pathways in Life Science podcast, we sit down with Sarah, Sales Manager at Atelerix, to talk about the reality of finding your place in the life sciences. Sarah opens up about her "chaotic" background—starting with a biotechnology degree and a year-long stint testing dishwashing pods that made her nev...