PhD student gains a new perspective at innovation conference

I am a first-year Health Research Methodology PhD student at McMaster University, specializing in Health Technology Assessment, in the department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics. I work in the Programs for Assessment of Technology in Health Research Institute and am undertaking a Mitacs Accelerate internship with my industry partner, Proteocyte Diagnostics Inc.

I was invited by Mitacs Alumni Relations to attend the Ontario Centres of Excellence Discovery 2015 Conference in Toronto. The conference focuses on innovation-to-commercialization and brings together representatives from academia, industry, and government.

The conference was an ideal venue for me to share my research project alongside the many interesting projects, businesses, and ideas being showcased by researchers in different disciplines. Furthermore, I had the opportunity to network with employers from various sectors and learn about current and future opportunities. This experience allowed me to expand my network by meeting well-respected leaders from different organizations. 

Discovery 2015 was very different from the academic conferences I have attended, which were specific to my field of study. Overall, the experience was a positive one and its business focus has exposed me to success from a new perspective.  My interactions with other attendees reinforced that success — in any discipline —requires three pillars: innovation, hard work, and determination.

Current or past Mitacs participant? Sign up for the Mitacs Alumni Newsletter and join the Mitacs Network.

Mitacs

Mitacs empowers Canadian innovation through effective partnerships that deliver solutions to our most pressing problems. By driving economic growth and productivity, we create meaningful change to improve quality of life for all Canadians.

More posts by this author Contact Me