May 8, 2025 - Hello BioLinks Readers!

This week:

• Welcome to the LSBC Team
• LSBC Awards Nomination Deadline Approaching!
• BC Demonstrates Strength Out East
• Bloom Burton Healthcare Investor Conference
• Wendy Hurlburt Speaks at MaRS Impact Health 2025
• Countdown to Web Summit: 19 Days Away
• Today: R2WSV Investor Readiness Event
• Investor Bus Tour – Apply to Network with International Investors
• Life Sciences Day at Web Summit

LSBC is a small but mighty team, and we are beyond thrilled to welcome two new members. Join us in welcoming Niall Sendemir, Coordinator of Program and Partnerships, and Dr. Elyse Hope, Manager for LSBC’s Growth Catalyst Program.

Niall first joined LSBC in 2023 as a Partnerships & Memberships Co-op Specialist and transitioned to the role of Partnerships & Events Specialist in 2024. His time as a co-op convinced him that this was the place to start his career, and he joined full-time this year. 

Elyse will support a cohort of 25 life sciences-focused companies as they pursue their next stage of growth. She is an experienced program manager with an interdisciplinary scientific background. Before joining LSBC, she served as the Strategic Initiative Manager at the Science Philanthropy Alliance, a U.S.-based non-profit, and oversaw a $16M life sciences project portfolio at Genome BC. She holds a BS in Biology from Stanford University and a PhD in Genome Sciences from the University of Washington. Learn more about Niall and Elyse here.

Welcome to our new co-ops Cynthia Wei, a University of British Columbia student studying Biochemistry and Creative Writing, and Richard Yu, a fourth-year student studying Finance at the UBC Sauder School of Business. We are excited that Trixie Tobias will return for a second term at LSBC as the Marketing and Communications Specialist Co-op! Trixie is a Communication major and Publishing minor at Simon Fraser University.

Many thanks two departing co-op students, Onisha Virk and Alex Balbino, who have been a great part of our team. We wish you the best for your future endeavors!

We are approaching another exciting awards season. The annual Life Sciences BC Awards provide a unique opportunity for British Columbia's life sciences community to come together to celebrate our many accomplishments and recognize the tireless efforts of those who have dedicated their careers to advancing health innovations. The nomination deadline is fast-approaching, nominations are open until midnight on May 20, 2025. Learn more here and nominate today.

Every year, the Bloom Burton Heath Care Investor Conference invites Canada’s premier publicly-traded and venture-backed private companies as well as the most promising pre-venture companies in the healthcare industry to Toronto for an opportunity to connect with investors. This year, BC showed up, with many of our member companies presenting including AbCellera, NervGen Pharma, Aspect Biosystem, Zymeworks, Alpha-9 Oncology, Eupraxia Pharmaceuticals, Lumira Ventures, WELL Health Technologies, Canary Medical, Reverb Therapeutics, and Zucara Therapeutics.

LSBC’s President and CEO, Wendy Hurlburt hosted a fireside with Aspect Biosystem’s CEO Tamer Mohamad at the MaRS Impact Health 2025: Canada’s premier health innovation conference. The talk featured the incredible story and journey behind Aspect Biosystems, including the complexities of developing the company’s novel bioprinted tissue therapeutics. 

Web Summit, the global stage for tech and investment, is only 19 days away! Today we host the last of our three-part Road to Web Summit Vancouver (R2WSV) series on Investor Readiness. Thank you to our event partner, Innovate BC for your support! We hope this program was helpful in getting you prepared. 

Kick off your Web Summit experience with the Innovation & Investment Insider Tours and network with life sciences investors who will be in town for the event. Web Summit will attract over 600 investors. The life sciences tour will attract global asset managers, government-backed funds, and specialized venture firms providing capital and strategic guidance to early-stage and growth companies in biotechnology, healthcare, medical technologies, and related subsectors. Take part in this unique experience, apply today.

Each day of Web Summit will highlight a different innovation sector in BC. Thursday, May 29 is Life Sciences Day with a full program to showcase what makes our life sciences sector stand out. Stay tuned for more details on the BC Pavilion!

Member Highlights 

Eupraxia Pharmaceuticals announces sustained positive treatment outcomes in its ongoing Phase 1b/2a trial for patients with Eosinophilic Esophagitis. Read more. 

ViewsML expands to Asia Pacific, in-licensing technology from A*STAR. ViewsML is excited to announce the launch of a new subsidiary in Singapore. The new Singapore subsidiary will focus on expanding the application of ViewsML’s virtual biomarker staining platform to a broad range of drug development and diagnostic initiatives. Read more. 

AMR Law is launched by three-time winner of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women award and internationally ranked corporate lawyer Atoussa Mahmoudpour. AMR Law is a modern legal firm built for companies shaping the future of healthcare, life sciences, artificial intelligence, and technology. Read more. 

BC Cancer rolls out the most advanced CT scanner in Canada. This new scanner, installed and operational at BC Cancer uses leading-edge photon-counting technology to deliver more accurate imaging with less radiation exposure to patients. Read more.

Kudos

Congratulations to Optigo Biotherapeutics for receiving the People’s Choice Award at Eyecelerator 2025. Read more.

VoxCell BioInnovation was recognized with the Innovative Excellence (Software & Service) award at the 2025 Victoria Tech Community Awards. Congrats! Read more.

People on the Move

Tentatrix Biotherapeutics welcomes Dallas Jones, Ph.D, as its new Senior Vice President, Biology. Read more.

Rakovina Therapeutics appoints Dr. David Kideckel as Chief Financial Officer. Read more.

Dr. Samantha Pollard has been appointed as the Health Economist by the Faculty of Health Sciences at Simon Fraser University and BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute. Read more.

Applications Open

Nominations for Health Research Foundation’s 2025 Diversity and Equity in Research Award are now open. To nominate an outstanding individual, submit the nomination form by July 23 to wdeen@imc-mnc.ca. Learn more.

Applications open for OBIO’s Cybersecurity & Digital Health Training for Health Science Professionals. Receive training and upskilling on the critical intersection of software development and cybersecurity in health products and medical devices. Submissions are accepted on a rolling basis. Learn more.

See our expanded list of current life sciences opportunities on our website.

Member Spotlight

Axis Insurance - Axis Insurance is a leading national insurance brokerage offering comprehensive risk management services to local, national, and international clients. Established in 1928, Axis has grown rapidly through strategic acquisitions and organic growth, now employing over 350 professionals. Specializing in commercial insurance, life, employee benefits, and wealth advisory, Axis operates with a strong corporate culture that encourages employee ownership. Guided by the principle of transforming risk into opportunity, Axis empowers clients to strategically manage and leverage risk for growth. Learn more.

AMR Law Corporation - Business-minded Law, for AI, Tech & Life Sciences - Headquartered in Vancouver with a presence in Toronto, AMR Law provides sharp, strategic legal counsel tailored to the complex needs of high-growth and global companies. The firm focuses on corporate transactions, M&A, AI governance, privacy law, commercial contracting, and fractional General Counsel services, advising clients across North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. Learn more.

Until next week!

LSBC Team

May 26 - Join us for Innovation & Investment Insider Tours

The Innovation & Investment Insider Tours is a curated investor experience showcasing groundbreaking innovation in cleantech, life sciences, and creative tech. Connect with high-growth companies, industry leaders, and investors in a dynamic setting designed for meaningful conversation. The event will begin with transportation from downtown Vancouver to Surrey, the fastest-growing city in the Metro Vancouver region, for a networking lunch, followed by three sector-specific investment tours.

May 27-30 - Join us for Web Summit Vancouver

Web Summit Vancouver is one of the most anticipated global technology conferences, bringing together industry leaders, startups, investors, innovators. Attending this event offers companies unparalleled networking opportunities, access to cutting-edge insights, and exposure to potential business growth avenues.

WELLSTAR Technologies Launches Nexus AI: A Transformative AI Platform for Canadian Healthcare Providers

WELLSTAR Technologies Corp. has launched Nexus AI™—a groundbreaking, Canadian-built artificial intelligence platform that seamlessly integrates with popular Canadian EMR systems...Read more.

CASTL Launches Simulated Cleanroom for Biomanufacturing Training

The Canadian Alliance for Skills & Training in Life Sciences (CASTL) provides hands-on biomanufacturing training at its GMP-simulated training facilities across the country...Read more.

ViewsML Expands to Asia Pacific, In-Licensing Technology from A*STAR

ViewsML, an innovator in AI-driven spatial biology and virtual diagnostics, is excited to announce the launch of a new subsidiary in Singapore...Read more.

Certain Bacteria in Breast Tumour Environments May Fuel Cancer Spread

Researchers from the UBC faculty of medicine and BC Cancer have discovered that certain bacteria found in breast tumours could be linked to the spread of cancer to other parts of the body...Read more.

Xifaxan® (rifaximin) Treatment Following Overt Hepatic Encephalopathy (OHE) Hospitalization Associated with Reduced Risk of 30-Day OHE Rehospitalization

Bausch Health and Salix Pharmaceuticals announced new data showing that people hospitalized due to overt hepatic encephalopathy had a reduced risk of OHE-related rehospitalization within 30 days if treated with Xifaxan...Read more.

Optigo Biotherapeutics Wins People’s Choice Award at Eyecelerator and Presents Compelling Preclinical Data on Long-Acting Intravitreal Biologics at the ARVO 2025 Conference

Optigo Biotherapeutics, a biotechnology company pioneering long-acting, bi-functional intravitreal biologics, announced that it has been awarded the People’s Choice Award at Eyecelerator 2025 in Park City, Utah...Read more.

Rakovina Therapeutics Announces Appointment of Dr. David Kideckel as Chief Financial Officer

Rakovina Therapeutics Inc. is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. David M. Kideckel, Ph.D., MBA, as Chief Financial Officer (CFO)...Read more.

BC Cancer Rolls Out Most Advanced CT Scanner in Canada

​This new scanner, installed and operational at BC Cancer – Vancouver, uses leading-edge photon-counting technology to deliver more accurate imaging with less radiation exposure to patients...Read more.

Health Canada has Granted Approval for Tzield®, the First and Only Disease-modifying Therapy in Autoimmune Type 1 Diabetes in Canada

Health Canada has issued a Notice of Compliance (NOC) for Tzield® (teplizumab), a first-in-class disease-modifying therapy for autoimmune type 1 diabetes (T1D)...Read more.

Eupraxia Pharmaceuticals Announces Sustained Positive Treatment Outcomes in Patients with Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EoE) After Nine Months of Receiving EP-104GI

Eupraxia Pharmaceuticals Inc. announced positive treatment outcomes from its ongoing RESOLVE Phase 1b/2a trial evaluating EP-104GI for the treatment of eosinophilic esophagitis...Read more.

UBC Announcement – Strengthening Biomanufacturing Talent Development In B.C.

The University of British Columbia’s School of Biomedical Engineering (SBME) is partnering to launch a new hands-on training opportunity in biomanufacturing...Read more.

Business-minded Law, for AI, Tech & Life Sciences

Atoussa Mahmoudpour officially launches AMR Law, a modern legal firm built for companies shaping the future of healthcare, life sciences, artificial intelligence, and technology...Read more.

Communications Specialist, Content and Events

The Communications Specialist is a member of the Communications and Societal Engagement team. Reporting to the Senior Communications Manager you are an impeccable storyteller who is comfortable creating content for all media...Learn more.

Research Associate 2, Biology

The incumbent will provide technical in vivo support for our preclinical drug discovery projects. The successful candidate will conduct in vivo pharmacology experiments to characterize the pharmacokinetics, efficacy and safety of compounds...Learn more.

Research Associate 3/Senior Research Associate 1, Biology (In Vivo)

The incumbent will provide technical in vivo support for our preclinical drug discovery projects. The successful candidate will conduct in vivo pharmacology experiments to characterize the pharmacokinetics, efficacy and safety of compounds...Learn more.

Director, CMC

This position is responsible for managing all technical operations for the supply of existing and new sustained-release drug products, including manufacturing, manufacturing process development, formulation development, analytical and stability testing, and quality control...Learn more.

Scientist – Chemoinformatics & Computational Chemistry

This position includes responsibilities such as lead data pipeline automation, benchmarking, and platform parameterization for drug design, while managing a data science team and cross-functional collaboration....Learn more.

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