Science Communication Panel
Wondering what else you can do with your science graduate degree other than teach or conduct research? Come discover what scientists are doing in the private and public sectors. This panel of science professionals will discuss their career paths and share how they capitalized on their graduate training in the Sciences, brainstorm about your career options and answer any questions you may have about the industry at large.
Panelists:
Jordanna Bermack, PhD, Freelance Medical Writer & Editor
Jordanna is a freelance Medical Writer and Editor. She completed her PhD in Neuroscience at McGill University in 2004 followed by a postdoctoral fellowship in Molecular Neuroscience at University of Ottawa. She then began her career as a medical writer working at an agency specializing in pharmaceutical sales training. Shortly after that, she started a new role as medical liaison at a Medical Device Company which led to a later promotion to the global medical communications team where she worked for 5 years. More recently, she led a team of writers at an agency specialized in continuing medical education. Following the birth of her second child 2.5 years ago, she decided to set up as a freelance medical writer. She also teaches medical writing Concordia's Department of Extended Learning. During her career she has been involved writing a variety of medical communications including sales force training, peer review journal articles, guidelines documents, marketing material, learning programs, etc., in a wide range of therapeutic areas.
Scott Carroll, PhD Scientific Project Manager, Algorithme Pharma
Since completing his PhD in Human Genetics at McGill University, Scott has spent the past 5 years building his management career in the pharmaceutical industry. After attending a McGill sponsored career fair in 2010, Scott joined IC Axon, a pharmaceutical sales training agency, where he began as a Medical Writer. Following a quick transition to the role of Project Manager, Scott spent three years managing the development of award-winning digital, print, and live pharmaceutical sales training. Scott then joined Algorithme Pharma in 2014, where he currently manages early phase clinical research for both the innovator-drug and generic-drug markets.
David Mendes da Silva, Medical Translator
I grew up in Belgium and Portugal. After a BSc in Microbiology and Genetics from the University of Lisbon and some experience in research and teaching, I came to Montreal to do my doctoral thesis work at the Montreal Institute of Neurology, having received a PhD in Cell Biology from the University of Coimbra, in Portugal. My interest in languages and in science communication has brought me where I am today professionally and although I am no longer at the bench, science is still central to what I do now.
Nathalie Ross, PhD, Freelance Science & Medical Writer
Former Research Scientist and Professor, Nathalie Ross, Ph.D. has been working as a Freelance Science and Medical Writer since 2011. Her writing expertise comprises medical writing (investigator’s brochures, product monographs, and clinical study reports), scientific writing (grant proposals and research papers), and conference coverage (abstracts, slide presentations, posters, and proceedings). Her curriculum also includes a Senior Manager position in Regulatory Affairs at CanReg (Now Mapi Group), where she managed a large number of drug and medical device applications for Health Canada and the FDA in a wide spectrum of therapeutic areas (cardiovascular, dentistry, gastrointestinal, oncology, orthopaedic, paediatrics, and plastic surgery). Nathalie developed teaching and R&D skills through her positions as a Research Scientist (Environment Canada) and as an Assistant Professor (University of Ottawa). She is a member of the American Medical Writers Association (AMWA), Canadian Association of Professional Regulatory Affairs (CAPRA), and Association des communicateurs scientifiques du Québec (ACS). She loves yoga and spending time outdoors cycling or cross-country skiing.