Christopher Choy came to TMU fresh out of high school to study biology. He stayed on to begin his master’s degree and ended up fast-tracking directly into the PhD program. After graduating, he landed positions at global vaccine giant Sanofi Pasteur — first as an industrial postdoctoral fellow, and then as a scientist. Most recently, he can be found in the MaRS Discovery District working for BlueRock Therapeutics, a leading engineered cell therapy firm with the vision of reversing devastating disease.
What does your role involve in stem cell development?
I work in process development — expanding, differentiating and maturing cellular medicines from stem cells into functional, authentic cell types. Ultimately, these specially developed cells will be injected into patients in the hopes of restoring normal function in their respective diseases. I focus on optimizing the process in order to maximize cell yield and to ensure their purity and consistency. The processes I develop are then passed onto our manufacturing team to generate the cells for clinical trials.
How did your degree prepare you — particularly for a career in industry?
TMU has a very good reputation of training job-ready individuals. My PhD gave me the necessary technical skills to adapt to a career in the private sector. Many of the base skills I use now, I learned in the lab of my graduate supervisor, Dr. Roberto Botelho. The other professors in the department always challenged me to be a better scientist and critical thinker. I also presented at local and international conferences, which helped me gain confidence in public speaking and distilling complex scientific topics into more understandable talking points. That’s very valuable in the private sector!
Fond memories as a student?
The great community amongst my peer group. Many of us grew up together from undergrad through to grad school. In the last few years, some have also become my co-workers in industry. I also served as president of the graduate course union and appreciated how the faculty and department always supported our activities — from ski trips and BBQs to networking and professional events.
