Career Conversations:Leveraging your PhD in STEM Outside of Academia (for York PhD students and postdocs only)
In partnership with the Faculty of Graduate Studies. Sponsored by York University Community and Alumni Relations.->
Are you interested in a career outside of the academy? Do you want to learn more about how to navigate the world of post-academic careers as a PhD? During this session, connect with professionals in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) professions and learn more about hiring practices, employer expectations and how to leverage higher education while exploring available career opportunities.
During this panel, professionals will share examples of the range of opportunities available within their fields, the particularities of applying as a PhD and talk about how to translate the skills developed in academia to non-academic careers. The panel will be followed by an open forum where PhD students will have the opportunity to ask the panelists their own questions
Registration is required.
You may register for this event on Eventbrite.
Participating Panelists:
Mathew Dionyssiou
Founding Program Director, PhDs4Hire
Alumnus: PhD Biology, Life Sciences, 2014
I created PhDs4Hire to help change the way Canadians perceive PhD holders one job at time, to support PhD holders looking to transition away from academia and to promote entrepreneurship by helping academic researchers find commercial applications for their research products.
David Cappadocia
Senior Consultant, IQVIA
Alumnus: PhD Kinesiology and Health Science, 2018
I am a Senior Consultant on the Canadian Commercial Effectiveness Services consulting team at IQVIA. I partner with clients in the pharmaceutical, biotech and other life sciences sectors to develop innovative and data-driven strategic insights to understand commercial opportunities and maximize the value of products and services.
I hold a PhD in neuroscience from the Centre for Vision Research at York University.
Sherry Boodram
CEO & Co-Founder,CannDelta Inc.
Alumna: PhD Chemistry, 2013
Driven by the need for change, I’ve taken many risks with my career over a short period of time to land me in the position to have my own company in an emerging and exciting industry. At CannDelta Inc., I lead a talented team of professionals where we provide regulatory and scientific cannabis consulting to small and large companies across Canada and the globe.->
Laura Reyes
Career Development Leader, Chemical Institute of Canada
Alumna: BSc Chemistry, 2011,PhD Chemistry (UofT)
After receiving my BSc in chemistry at York University, I completed my PhD at the University of Toronto where I worked with Geoffrey Ozin researching the surface chemistry of catalysts for solar fuels production. During graduate school, I helped start the student-led Green Chemistry Initiative, which I enjoyed so much that it led me to pursue a career outside of academic research. In my current position at the Chemical Institute of Canada, I am responsible for the organization’s professional development programs and initiatives.
Ikjyot Singh Kohli
Senior Data Scientist,Cineplex
Alumnus: MSc and Ph.D., Mathematics and Physics,2014
I always had a very deep interest in applied mathematics and physics. I was fortunate to combine both areas of research to complete a M.Sc. and Ph.D in Mathematical Physics. During this time, I published along with my supervisor, Michael Haslam, four original articles detailing new solutions to Einstein’s field equations of General Relativity.
After I graduated, I decided to try my hand at the professional world, obtaining a position of a Senior Risk Analyst within RBC’s Operational Risk Group. However, missing the academic world of teaching and research tremendously, I decided to go back to York, in particular, the Mathematics Department where I was a PostDoc for two years, lecturing a variety of courses and doing research in Dynamical Systems in General Relativity.
My work in Dynamical Systems led me to an interest in neural networks, which led to my interests in AI and Machine Learning. Therefore, after my PostDoc, I was fortunate to be hired at Cineplex to be the Senior Data Scientist working in applying AI and Machine Learning techniques to various aspects of the business. The work done is important and fulfilling and I use many of the skills learned throughout my academic career on a daily basis.
Sherry Boodram
CEO & Co-Founder,CannDelta Inc.
Alumna: PhD Chemistry, 2013
Driven by the need for change, I’ve taken many risks with my career over a short period of time to land me in the position to have my own company in an emerging and exciting industry. At CannDelta Inc., I lead a talented team of professionals where we provide regulatory and scientific cannabis consulting to small and large companies across Canada and the globe.->
Shervan Vafa
Manager, Personal Banking Analytics,TD
Alumnus: PHD,Economics, 2015
Economics is a discipline that requires long-term and strategic thinking. In that framework we try and explain why people and economies behave the way do. This was always a very attractive topic for me and led to many years of me trying to pursue as much knowledge as I can in this field. I eventually found my way into the world of data science after working as an economist and then an econometrician.
Jillian Hatnean
Business Development Specialist, Mitacs Inc.
BSc Honours Biochemistry with Thesis (University of Windsor, 2006)
PhD Chemistry (University of Windsor, 2011)
PDF Chemistry (University of Toronto, 2011-2013)
I always thought I’d be the mad scientist making ground-breaking discoveries at the bench. Eventually I fell out of love with the dream, but didn’t want to leave research entirely. Today, I’m like a professional matchmaker – helping bridge the gap between academia and industry. At Mitacs, I help fund collaborative research projects that provide our interns with real-world experience in a non-academic setting – work I find incredibly rewarding!
Terry Sachlos
Associate Director, BEST Program – Lassonde School of Engineering
Degree: PhD, Oxford University, 2004
Postdoc: MIT, Harvard and McMaster
A serial entrepreneur having co-founded several start-up companies, Terry’s current endeavour is as the CSO of Bikanta Corp – a company developing fluorescent nanodiamonds as next-generation medical imaging probes. Terry completed his doctorate in bone tissue engineering at the University of Oxford. His research resulted in the development of a novel 3D ink-jet printing technology for bone tissue engineering at which point he co-founded Tissue Engineering Oxford (TEOX) Ltd, a university spin-out company to commercialize novel customisable bone grafts for maxillofacial restoration. During his postdoctoral tenure, he specialized in stem cells with Prof Bob Langer at MIT, Prof Debra Auguste at Harvard University and more recently with Prof Mick Bhatia at McMaster University. Working with Prof Bhatia and as part of a $26M stem cell screening initiative, Terry spearheaded the development of a novel stem cell screening platform which culminated in a 2012 first-authored pub! lication in the top-tier journal, Cell. This paper identified thioridazine, a drug used for decades to treat schizophrenia, as an agent able to selectively target cancer stem cells present in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients. These promising findings have led to the initiation of a clinical trial to repurpose thioridazine for relapsed AML patients. To date, Terry has first-authored or co-authored 14 peer-reviewed articles and filed 8 patents applications, all in the area of regenerative medicine. He is an Editorial Board Member of the Regenerative Medicine journal. Terry recently returned to Toronto from a visiting scholar post at the UC Berkeley Stem Cell Center to help develop the Bergeron Entrepreneurs in Science and Technology program at the Lassonde School of Engineering, York University.
Elissa Strome
Executive Director, SOSCIP (University of Toronto)
Elissa was appointed Executive Director of SOSCIP in June 2015. Elissa completed her PhD in Neuroscience from the University of British Columbia in 2006. Following a post-doc at Lund University, in Sweden, she decided to pursue a career in research administration. Her first role was at York University, where she was the Faculty of Science and Engineering’s primary research administrator from 2007-8. In November 2008, she joined the University of Toronto’s Office of the Vice-President, Research and Innovation and was Director of Strategic Initiatives from January 2011 to June 2015. In that role, she led a small team dedicated to advancing the University’s strategic research priorities, including international institutional research partnerships, the institutional strategy for prestigious national and international research awards, and other strategic initiatives, including establishing the SOSCIP research consortium in 2012.
Scott Tanner
Adjunct Professor, York University
Former CTO of Fluidigm Canada; Founder and CEO of DVS Sciences
Alumnus: BSc Science, 1976 & PhD Chemistry, 1980
Scott D. Tanner retired in 2015 from his last position as Chief Technology Officer of Fluidigm Corp (South San Francisco CA and Markham ON). He was the founding President and CEO of DVS Sciences and saw the company through the development and commercial launch of its first products, securing of Series A financing, and the subsequent establishment of its facilities both in Markham Ontario (R&D and instrument production) and it’s headquarters (commercial and reagents production) in Sunnyvale California. Dr. Tanner assumed the CTO position following the merger of DVS Sciences with Fluidigm in 2014.
The products that DVS Sciences has brought to the global market were originally developed at the University of Toronto where Dr. Tanner was a Professor in the Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering and then in Chemistry. Dr. Tanner received the 2011 University of Toronto Inventor of the Year Award for Biomedical and Life Sciences, the 2011 ThermoFisher Scientific Spectroscopy Award, the 2003 W.A.E. McBryde medal from the Canadian Chemical Society, and the 2001 Manning Innovation Foundation Award of Distinction. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (UK) and of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering.
Scott Tanner
Adjunct Professor, York University
Former CTO of Fluidigm Canada; Founder and CEO of DVS Sciences
Alumnus: BSc Science, 1976 & PhD Chemistry, 1980
Scott D. Tanner retired in 2015 from his last position as Chief Technology Officer of Fluidigm Corp (South San Francisco CA and Markham ON). He was the founding President and CEO of DVS Sciences and saw the company through the development and commercial launch of its first products, securing of Series A financing, and the subsequent establishment of its facilities both in Markham Ontario (R&D and instrument production) and it’s headquarters (commercial and reagents production) in Sunnyvale California. Dr. Tanner assumed the CTO position following the merger of DVS Sciences with Fluidigm in 2014.
The products that DVS Sciences has brought to the global market were originally developed at the University of Toronto where Dr. Tanner was a Professor in the Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering and then in Chemistry. Dr. Tanner received the 2011 University of Toronto Inventor of the Year Award for Biomedical and Life Sciences, the 2011 ThermoFisher Scientific Spectroscopy Award, the 2003 W.A.E. McBryde medal from the Canadian Chemical Society, and the 2001 Manning Innovation Foundation Award of Distinction. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (UK) and of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering.
Scott Tanner
Adjunct Professor, York University
Former CTO of Fluidigm Canada; Founder and CEO of DVS Sciences
Alumnus: BSc Science, 1976 & PhD Chemistry, 1980
Scott D. Tanner retired in 2015 from his last position as Chief Technology Officer of Fluidigm Corp (South San Francisco CA and Markham ON). He was the founding President and CEO of DVS Sciences and saw the company through the development and commercial launch of its first products, securing of Series A financing, and the subsequent establishment of its facilities both in Markham Ontario (R&D and instrument production) and it’s headquarters (commercial and reagents production) in Sunnyvale California. Dr. Tanner assumed the CTO position following the merger of DVS Sciences with Fluidigm in 2014.
The products that DVS Sciences has brought to the global market were originally developed at the University of Toronto where Dr. Tanner was a Professor in the Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering and then in Chemistry. Dr. Tanner received the 2011 University of Toronto Inventor of the Year Award for Biomedical and Life Sciences, the 2011 ThermoFisher Scientific Spectroscopy Award, the 2003 W.A.E. McBryde medal from the Canadian Chemical Society, and the 2001 Manning Innovation Foundation Award of Distinction. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (UK) and of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering.
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