Will I be able to get a job in the future?
This is a question that every grad student asks themselves as they move closer to the date of
graduation. In the current global economy, employment prospects are looking more dire than
ever before. And yet, as immunologists, we are fortunate to be a part of a fascinating, dynamic
area of study in which discoveries at the bench are increasingly shaping real-world solutions,
driving innovation across fields such as biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and medical diagnostics.
In this issue of IMMpress Magazine, we seek to highlight the pathways, challenges, and
opportunities involved in turning fundamental science into life-changing technologies, ultimately
preparing our fellow students for a life beyond academia.
As a background refresher, we begin with an overview on the life cycle of a biotech startup (pg.8).
Our featured articles cover the modern-day success of Ozempic (pg.10), technological
advancements in drug development and regulation (pg.12), and the different funding sources
available to get a startup off the ground (pg.14). It’s not easy bringing a drug to market, and we
delve into some of the challenges of commercialization in areas such as rare disease treatment
(pg.16) and CAR-T cell therapy (pg.18). We’ve invited Juan Mauricio Umaña, an M.Sc. alumnus
who is now a Principal Research Associate at BlueRock Therapeutics, to share his story of
professional success (pg.20), and we further explore the success of biotech companies in the
greater Toronto area (pg.22), across Canada (pg.24), and beyond (pg.26). It may be daunting to
step into the private sector for the first time, so we highlight national initiatives (pg.28) and some
general tips (pg.29) to help bridge students from academia to industry. And while there is value
in our degrees (pg.30), there is also a lot we can do to build up our marketable skills (pg.32) to
survive in this current economy (pg.34), as well as other career avenues to investigate (pg.36).
Lastly, we wrap up this issue with a book review on Doctored by Charles Piller (pg.38), a sobering
reminder of the importance of our work and how bench-side discoveries can translate into
altering the course of people’s lives.
While it’s impossible to guarantee a job right after graduation, at the very least we should try to
graduate with no regrets. We hope this issue can help inspire our peers to move forward with
confidence in each of their own professional journeys. As always, we thank the fantastic writers,
editors, and designers who contributed to this issue. As a student-run publication, this magazine
truly wouldn’t be possible without you.
Co-Editors-in-Chief
Meggie Kuypers & Manjula Kamath
IMMpress
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