January 29, 2026 - Hello BioLinks readers!

This week:

• Thanks for making Career Connect Day a success
• UBC researchers develop a way to edit genes through the skin
• Growth Catalyst Program meet and office hours
• Survey: Help shape workforce solutions for BC's life sciences economy
• Apply by February 9: Strategy sessions for pre-seed and seed companies

Thank You for Making Career Connect Day 2026 a Success!

What an incredible day! Career Connect Day 2026 brought together job seekers, employers, industry leaders, and anyone interested in the sector for a day of learning, networking, and opportunity. Attendees heard inspiring Leader's Journeys and learned about various career paths and training opportunities in the life sciences. Thank you to our speakers, exhibitors, partners, sponsors, and every attendee who contributed to strengthening BC's life sciences talent pipeline and building our connected community.

UBC Scientists Develop First Gene-editing Treatment For Skin Conditions

Last year, you may have remembered that the world’s first personalized CRISPR therapy for genetic disease was performed at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, enabled by technology from BC’s own Acuitas Therapeutics. This week, scientists at UBC, together with researchers from the Berlin Institute of Health continue to advance CRISPR and have developed the first gene therapy capable of correcting faulty genes when applied directly to human skin. Altering genes through the skin, incredible. Read more.

LSBC Growth Catalyst Program Winter Cohort Meeting

This week, LSBC hosted Growth Catalyst Program companies for their winter cohort meeting. The focus of the meeting was ‘founders learning from founders,’ and we welcomed speakers Geof Auchinleck (Claris Healthcare), Norma Biln (Augurex Life Sciences), Tom Frohlich (Jade Biosciences), Lana Janes (Abdera Therapeutics), and Kevin Chaplin (Kardium). Speakers shared stories from their experiences building companies, with themes including navigating failure, scaling beyond core competencies, managing board relationships, and adapting to new markets. The morning offered networking sessions and office hours with speakers. We thank PacifiCan for partnering with LSBC to offer this program. Learn more here. 

Survey: Help Shape Workforce Solutions for BC’s Life Sciences economy

BioTalent Canada is inviting employers across BC’s life sciences sector to share their insights through a short 8 to 10 minute survey. Your knowledge will build a better understanding of the skills gaps, credential and training needs and barriers to hiring and retaining talent, including immigrant talent across the province.

Please take the survey and help shape the future of our life sciences sector.

Round Table Opportunity: BioTalent Canada, is hosting a facilitated, in-person roundtable discussion in Vancouver on March 6, 2026 . For more information on participating, please contact Colleen Hayes at chayes@biotalent.ca.

Apply by February 9: Strategy Sessions for Pre-seed and Seed Companies

In collaboration with Innovate BC, we are hosting two Road to Web Summit sessions. This cohort-style program will include two strategic virtual sessions to build capacity and visibility by connecting early-stage companies with expert mentors, investors, and peers. Companies will receive tools and feedback related to fundraising and market expansion, and an invitation to an exclusive networking event during Web Summit.

 Session 1: Investment Readiness | March 4, 2026 10:00 am – 12:00 pm PT

 Session 2: Market Expansion | April 9, 2026 10:00 am – 12:00 pm PT

Apply here by February 9, 2026 (5:00 pm Pacific Time). Applying companies must be available for both virtual sessions and plan to attend Web Summit in May.

Member Highlights 

Centre for Heart Lung Innovation Principal Investigator, Dr. Zachary Laksman, has co-founded MyTrials.ai, a platform that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to streamline clinical trial recruitment and support patients in making informed decisions about their care. Read more.

AstraZeneca’s Tagrisso® and Calquence® among first oncology treatments granted accelerated access through Ontario’s new Funding Accelerated for Specific Treatments (FAST) program. With the introduction of FAST, the Government of Ontario has taken a significant step toward accelerating access to cancer medicines. Read more.

Ecosystem Highlights 

BC is expanding Foundry mental health and addiction services to five smaller communities, improving access to free, youth-focused sports for people ages 12-24 and their families across the province. Read more

The Government of Canada is funding six community-based dementia projects to support people living with dementia and their caregivers, with a focus on improving access, inclusion, and quality of life in diverse communities across Canada. Read more

Kudos

Congrats to Aspect Biosystems for being recognized by the BC Export Awards as the winner of the Advancing Technology category! Read more

People on the Move

Ivan Goundrov has been appointed as the Director of Investments at Zymeworks Inc. Read more

Congratulations to Marika Filiatreault as she steps into her new role leading membership, marketing, events, and partnerships in BIOQuébec. Read more

Congratulations to Allison Goodman on her new leadership role as Director, Protein Science at Abcellera. Read more

Jennifer Antonchuk has recently taken on the position as the Vice President of Research and Development at TrailHead Biosystems. Read more

Congratulations to Kevin Vos, on his new role as Venture Capital Associate – Biotechnology at Sectoral Asset Management. This next chapter builds on his experience supporting early-stage companies on the west coast. Read more

Applications Open

The Trade Commissioner Service of Canada is inviting Canadian companies to participate in the Team Canada Trade Mission to the Republic of Korea. The mission targets key sectors including life sciences, aerospace and defence, clean energy, and ICT, and offers market briefings, networking opportunities, and pre-arranged B2B meetings for eligible SMEs. Applications are due February 13, 2026. Read more

Vast Space is seeking professionals for ground- and space-based research aboard its Haven-1 Lab and potential private astronaut missions to the ISS. Areas of interest include biotech, pharmaceuticals, human health, materials science, AI, and STEM, with applications for space exploration and Earth. Learn more

A Switzerland co-innovation mission focused on medical biotechnologies will take place May 3-8, 2026, and is open to Canadian SMEs. The mission includes participation in the Eureka Global Innovation Summit 2026, Swiss Biotech Day, and curated pitch sessions and B2B meetings with Swiss biotech companies and investors. Registration deadline is January 30, 2026. Learn more

The Eurostars Call for Proposals supports international R&D collaboration across 35+ countries and is open to Canadian SMEs and organizations in all sectors except military. Projects are known for high impact and fast selection timelines. Registration for new NRC IRAP clients closes February 19, 2026, and the proposal submission deadline is March 19, 2026. Learn more

The Applied Bioinformatics Micro-Credential builds job-ready skills for BC’s life sciences and biotech sectors, with a focus on genomics and transcriptomics. Delivered part-time in a hybrid format, the four-week program trains learners to analyze NGS data, run genome assembly workflows, and perform RNA-seq and differential expression analyses using R and command-line tools. Learn more

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

Member Spotlight

NervGen Pharma Corp. is a clinical stage biotech company dedicated to developing innovative treatments that enable the nervous system to repair itself following damage, whether due to injury or disease. NervGen’s lead drug candidate, NVG-291, is currently in a Phase 1 clinical trial in healthy volunteers. After completing our Phase 1 clinical trial, we plan to study the effectiveness and safety of NVG-291 initially in people with Alzheimer’s disease, spinal cord injury and multiple sclerosis. Learn more

Ashley Perkins is an architect practicing in British Columbia at Perkins&Will with experience in science and technology, higher education, and civic projects. She emphasizes collaborative processes, strong design leadership, and the integration of sustainable design principles to deliver thoughtful, high quality architectural solutions. Learn more

Until next week!

LSBC Team

February 3 - The Blakes Breakfast Speaking Series: Precision Medicine: The Next 25 Years is a hybrid event focused on the evolution and future of precision medicine. The discussion brings together industry leaders to share perspectives on emerging innovations, trends, and opportunities shaping personalized healthcare over the next quarter century.

February 25 - The 11th Annual Access to Innovation conference brings together leaders from industry, research, government and health care to discuss how BC’s life-sciences innovations move from discovery to real-world impact. This year focuses on trends shaping the sector, including the growing role of AI, and offers talks, panels and networking opportunities.

AstraZeneca’s Tagrisso® and Calquence® Among First Oncology Treatments Granted Accelerated Access Through Ontario’s FAST Program

AstraZeneca’s Tagrisso and Calquence are among the first cancer treatments to receive accelerated public funding through Ontario’s new FAST program. The initiative aims to shorten the time it takes for patients to access high-impact oncology treatments, improving timely care across the province... Read more

BD Helps Scientists Advance Immunology and Cancer Research with AI-Powered Insights and Automation

BD has introduced an AI-powered research tool that helps scientists work faster and more efficiently in immunology and cancer research by automating key laboratory workflows... Read more

Health Canada authorizes Gazyva® (obinutuzumab) for Adults with Active Lupus Nephritis

Health Canada has approved Gazyva for adults with active lupus nephritis, offering a new treatment option to help protect kidney health for people living with lupus... Read more

Gilbane-Turner-HOK Team Has Begun Construction on $1.7 Billion Public Health Laboratory

Construction has begun on a $1.7 billion public health laboratory, led by Gilbane, Turner, and HOK, bringing advanced public health research and testing into a single, modern facility... Read more

Global expansion of Idorsia’s QUVIVIQ continues with EMS partnership for Latin America

Idorsia is expanding access to its sleep medicine Quviviq through a new partnership with EMS, bringing the treatment to patients across Latin America... Read more

DARZALEX FASPRO®-based Quadruplet Regimen approved in the U.S. for newly Diagnosed patients with multiple Myeloma who are Transplant Ineligible

A Darzalex Faspro–based quadruplet therapy has been approved in the U.S. for newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients who are not eligible for transplant, offering a new treatment option earlier in care... Read more

Labcorp Collaborates with Roche to Bring Fully Automated Mass Spectrometry to U.S. Clinical Labs

Labcorp is partnering with Roche to bring fully automated mass spectrometry to U.S. clinical labs, improving efficiency and access to advanced diagnostic testing... Read more

Platform co-founded by HLI researcher uses AI to connect patients with clinical trials

A new platform co-founded by a researcher from HLI uses AI to help connect patients with relevant clinical trials, making it easier for people to find and join research studies that match their needs... Read more

Scientists develop first Gene-editing treatment for skin conditions

Scientists have developed the first gene-editing treatment for certain skin conditions, offering a new approach to correct the underlying genetic causes and potentially improve outcomes for patients with these disorders... Read more

Full Stack Developer

This role involves working across frontend and backend systems, collaborating with machine learning engineers, and helping scale prototypes into production-ready applications in a fast-paced, innovative environment... Learn more

Machine Learning Engineer 

The role focuses on collaborating with cross-functional teams to turn research into scalable, production-ready solutions while optimizing model performance... Learn more

Lab Manager

A Lab Manager’s role requires technical knowledge of chemistry, as well as proficiency in equipment maintenance, and a commitment to upholding the highest standards of laboratory safety and quality... Learn more

Account Executive

This role will drive revenue growth by selling ViewsML virtual biomarker staining solutions to biopharmaceutical companies, tissue banks, clinical laboratories, academic institutions, and CROs... Learn more

Process Development Scientist

This role will be responsible for developing manufacturing processes for novel solid and viscous liquid formulations in the Vancouver, Canada laboratory, including responsibilities for process scale-up and tech transfer to contract manufacturing facilities... Learn more

Research Scientist/Senior Research Scientist

The Research Scientist/ Senior Research Scientist role requires a well-qualified and experienced scientist with strong expertise in E. coli/yeast expression and protein purification, as well as the potential to lead CRO projects... Learn more

Product Manager

The Product Manager’s role includes collaboration with cross-functional teams to define and prioritize product features, enhancements, and integrations that align with the needs of our commercial and R&D partners... Learn more

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