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SUMMARY:Youth Perspectives on Science Policy
DESCRIPTION:Register HereThis panel brings together youth and early-career voices to explore how Canada’s science\, technology\, and innovation ecosystem can better reflect the realities\, aspirations\, and lived experiences of the next generation. Grounded in key insights and learnings that emerged from the STEM Youth Summit & Expo 2026\, this panel will center youth perspectives and will examine how existing structures may miss or overlook diverse voices. The discussion will explore gaps between training and opportunity\, barriers to participation\, and the role of youth in shaping more inclusive and forward-looking policies. By bringing youth voices directly into the conversation\, this panel aims to reimagine a policy landscape where young people are key contributors to Canada’s innovation future. \nSpeaker information coming soon!Nyasha Gondora (Moderator)Director of Research and Policy\, Society for Canadian Women in Science and Technology (SCWIST) See Bio×Nyasha Gondora\nNyasha Gondora was born and raised in Zimbabwe\, where she developed an early passion for science after witnessing the transformative impact of medicine and science in her community. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Trinity University in the United States\, where she was the recipient of nearly $100\,000 in academic scholarships\, and there she discovered her passion for research. She proceeded to complete a PhD in Neuropharmacology at the University of Waterloo\, becoming the first Black PhD graduate of her department in 2020. During her doctoral training\, Nyasha received numerous competitive awards recognizing her excellence in research\, research and science communications\, and community impact.\nFollowing postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Waterloo and the University of Toronto\, Nyasha transitioned into science policy through the Mitacs Canadian Science Policy Fellowship. She also spent six years as an academic consultant\, supporting more than 750 students across North America in their journeys to professional school (e.g.\, medical and pharmacy school) or research careers. Drawing on experience across academia\, consulting\, and government\, Nyasha brings an intersectional perspective to advancing science\, talent development\, and inclusive innovation.\nA passionate advocate for representation and empowerment\, Nyasha has held leadership and board roles in national and international organizations. In recognition of her leadership and impact\, she was named one of Canada’s Top 100 Black Women to Watch in 2024. Nyasha currently serves as Director of Policy and Research at the Society for Canadian Women in Science and Technology (SCWIST)\, where she is proud to be part of an amazing team advancing meaningful and lasting change for communities across Canada. \nGrace LeeYouth Ambassador from British Columbia See Bio×Grace Lee\nGrace Lee is a Grade 10 student from Vancouver and founder of MindwithGrace\, her passion project dedicated to raising awareness of Alzheimer’s Disease by hosting talks at school\, creating educational content to make research accessible to youth\, and advocating for more empathy in dementia care on social media. She’s inspired by the resilience and wisdom of people living with dementia and their families\, and believes youth have an important role in changing how society approaches these conversations. Grace volunteers in research labs\, visiting retirement homes to test interventions with patients and families\, and speaks at conferences about the significance of youth perspectives in brain health and the systems that shape how we understand Alzheimer’s. What brings her joy is connecting with people across generations. \nMelvin AdekanyeYouth Ambassador from AlbertaSee Bio×Melvin Adekanye\nMelvin Adekanye is an entrepreneur and builder focused on creating technology and experiences that help people connect\, grow\, and create meaningful impact. \nMaria PitanYouth Ambassador from OntarioSee Bio×Maria Pitan\nBio coming soon! \nRidhima AroraYouth Ambassador from AlbertaSee Bio×Ridhima Arora\nBio coming soon! \nBurhan HassanYouth Ambassador from AlbertaSee Bio×Burhan Hassan\nBio coming soon!
URL:https://sciencepolicy.ca/event/youth-perspectives-on-science-policy/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:Virtual Session
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://sciencepolicy.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/SCWIST-April22-Panel-en.png
ORGANIZER;CN="Canadian Science Policy Centre":MAILTO:info@sciencepolicy.ca
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260428T120000
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UID:33464-1777377600-1777383000@sciencepolicy.ca
SUMMARY:Unlocking the Promise of Cell and Gene Therapies in Canada Through Translational Research: Making Evidence Where It Matters
DESCRIPTION:Register HereCanada stands at a critical juncture in the development and adoption of cell and gene therapies (CGTs)\, transformative treatments that hold potential for curing or significantly improving the course of life-threatening and chronic diseases. Innovation is progressing rapidly; however\, Canada’s life sciences and healthcare ecosystem is not in a state of readiness to bring these advanced therapies to our patients.  \nRecent reports and discussions have focused on accelerated patient access to CGTs through system integration efforts such as aligning regulatory and reimbursement processes and bolstering healthcare infrastructure and coordination. This panel positions translational research as the lynchpin for converting scientific promise into clinical\, regulatory\, and payer confidence—providing the high-quality\, decision-ready evidence needed to reduce uncertainty and move therapies from discovery into clinical development and\, ultimately\, patient care.  \nUnlike most sectors\, advancing a technology in the life sciences requires repeated engagement with regulators across the full development continuum\, from preclinical programs\, to first-in-human studies\, to pivotal trials\, post-market evidence generation\, and back again as new questions emerge. For CGTs in particular\, this iterative pathway demands a laser focus on clinical translation: generating robust\, credible evidence that satisfies regulators\, payers\, clinicians\, and patients. Importantly\, this focus represents a shared metric of success for both academia and industry.   \nAnchoring this translational work in Canada points to important questions about where evidence should be generated\, how domestic clinical development shapes learning\, and what advantages may emerge when regulators\, researchers\, and developers evolve together through ongoing evidence generation. Drawing on international experts from Europe and the United States alongside Canadian leadership\, panelists with diverse experiences in the research\, healthcare\, industry\, and regulatory sectors will explore:  \n\nWhat evidence unlocks translation of CGTs\, and how does that differ for regulators\, health technology assessment (HTA) bodies\, clinicians\, patients and investors?\nHow do regulators act as partners in CGT translation\, not just gatekeepers?\nHow do we anchor translational research domestically and why does it matter?\nWhat can Canada learn from other countries seeking to enable safe\, timely\, and equitable access to CGTs through product and policy innovation grounded in high-quality evidence?\n\nSpeaker information coming soon!Stéphanie Michaud\, PhDPresident and CEO\, BioCanRx See Bio×Dr. Stéphanie Michaud\nStéphanie Michaud\, PhD is the President and CEO of BioCanRx\, a not-for-profit in Canada that seeks to accelerate the delivery of innovative immunotherapies from the bench to the bedside. In this position\, Dr. Michaud is responsible for running all facets of the organization. She brings more than 20 years of public\, government and private sector experience in research and Science & Technology innovation policy. She strives to create partnerships between government\, not-for-profits\, academia and industry to maximize the impact of research funded by the BioCanRx network on the lives of those affected by cancer. \nPrior to joining BioCanRx\, Dr. Michaud was Deputy Director of the flagship Government of Canada Networks Centres of Excellence (NCE) program. In addition to responsibility for its performance\, management and delivery\, she led the implementation of high profile bilateral international initiatives and provided strategic advice to government and stakeholders. She is a strong contributor to S&T policy\, most notably in intellectual property. Dr. Michaud earned a PhD in Organic Chemistry from McGill University. She is involved with a number of not-for-profit organizations and is a member of the Board of Directors of Research Canada and CQDM and also\, the Advisory Board of the Canadian Cancer Research Alliance.  \nPeter Marks\, MD\, PhDSenior Vice President\, Molecule Discovery & Head of Infectious Disease\, Eli Lilly See Bio×Peter Marks\, MD\, PhD\nPeter Marks\, MD\, PhD received his graduate degree in cell and molecular biology and his medical degree at New York University and completed Internal Medicine residency and Hematology/Medical Oncology training at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. He has worked in academic settings teaching and caring for patients and in industry on drug development. In 2012\, he joined the Food and Drug Administration and served as Director of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research from 2016 to 2025. He is currently Senior Vice President for Molecule Development and Head of Infectious Disease at Eli Lilly and Company\, has published extensively\, and is a member of the National Academy of Medicine. \nNatasha Kekre\, MD\, MPH\, FRCPCHematologist\, Transplantation and Cellular Therapy Program\, The Ottawa Hospital See Bio×Dr. Natasha Kekre\nNatasha Kekre\, MD\, MPH\, FRCPC is a Transplant Physician/Hematologist within the Transplant and Cellular Therapy Program at The Ottawa Hospital (TOH)\, Scientist and Program Director of the Cancer Research Program within the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (OHRI)\, and Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Ottawa. She holds the Research Chair in Advanced Stem Cell Therapy at TOH. She obtained her medical degree from the University of Ottawa\, where she also trained in Internal Medicine and Hematology. She went on to do a fellowship in stem cell transplantation at Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston with a Masters in Public Health from Harvard University. \nDr. Kekre’s research focuses on translating home-grown therapeutic strategies into early phase clinical trials for patients with hematologic malignancies. She collaborated with scientists and physicians across Canada to build the internationally recognized Canadian-Led Immunotherapies Collaborative (CLIC) program and initiate the first clinical trial of a made-in-Canada CAR-T therapy. Building on these transformational achievements\, she is now working to expand this platform to other made-in-Canada CAR-T products. Other research interests include clinical research focused on blood and marrow transplant and CAR-T therapy recipients\, and projects with an epidemiologic focus. \nPatrick Bedford\, MBA\, MBHL\, BHScVice President\, Regulatory & Strategic Operations\, Morphocell Technologies See Bio×Patrick Bedford\nPatrick Bedford\, MBA\, MBHL\, BHSc is the Vice President of Regulatory & Strategic Operations at Morphocell Technologies\, Inc and Founder of weCANreg Consulting Group\, Inc. He brings deep expertise in translational\, regulatory\, and compliance strategies for emerging biotechnologies\, having led policy development for biosimilars\, transplant materials\, and cell & gene therapies during his career at Health Canada\, where he also represented Canada internationally on classification and harmonization committees. Since 2016\, Patrick has been a prominent Canadian advocate in the global cell & gene therapy community\, supporting dozens of early-stage programs and multiple commercial cell and gene therapy products. In addition to his industry leadership\, he continues to shape regulatory policy in North America and actively contributes to Canada’s innovation ecosystem as a guest lecturer at universities and an advisor through accelerators such as Creative Destruction Labs and Lab2Market. \n \nCarmen Sanges\, PhDEU Initiatives Scientific & Strategic Project Lead\, Cellular Immunotherapy Program\, University Hospital Würzburg See Bio×Dr. Carmen Sanges\nCarmen Sanges\, PhD is a medical biotechnologist with a PhD in Molecular Biology and Medical Biotechnology and over seven years of industry experience in clinical operations and translational research. She is EU Initiatives Scientific & Strategic Project Lead at the Cellular Immunotherapy Program of the University Hospital Würzburg (UKW) and Executive Director of the T2EVOLVE Association. Carmen coordinates and contributes to multiple European initiatives in advanced therapies\, with a strong focus on CAR-T and TCR cell therapies\, regulatory science\, manufacturing innovation\, and patient access\, and is committed to building sustainable\, cross-stakeholder ecosystems across Europe.
URL:https://sciencepolicy.ca/event/unlocking-cgts/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:Virtual Session
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://sciencepolicy.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/BioCanRx-April28-Panel-en.png
ORGANIZER;CN="Canadian Science Policy Centre":MAILTO:info@sciencepolicy.ca
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