Dr. Sam Aparicio of BC Cancer, studying medicine was always the plan, but research became his passion. Unbeknownst to him, research also involves many skills that didn’t expect, such as grant-writing, which he had to learn along the way. This led him down other side pathways, such as starting a biotech company to commercialize some of the findings in the genomics field.

Every day is different for Allison Macfarlane – and she would have it no other way. Despite her position as a director of a public policy affairs faculty, her journey didn’t start there – in fact, her education moved her to places like the Himalayas, Ecuador, Greece, and more. Her decision to change fields from science led to a chance meeting, which fuelled a shift towards public policy; she hasn’t looked back since.

Cancer is a complicated topic involving different scopes – Dr. Linda Carlson knows that well. As a researcher, she focuses on all aspects of cancer care. This goes beyond traditional approaches, but also psychological aspects and using mind wellness as cancer care. Her findings are vital for a more holistic understanding of patient care.

For Krystle Wittevrongel, life is exciting but the days are long. Her role at the Montreal Economic Institute is to keep an eye on public policy of all types, in order to provide useful advice for stakeholders – an area that rarely takes a break. But she wouldn’t have it any other way.

Dr. Aziz Ghaharya’s business is in research – and it really is like running a business, from idea development to funding to reaching the finish line. And the competition is tough. He didn’t start out as a burn unit researcher; by using other studies as stepping stones, he was able to become a full professor and one of Canada’s foremost experts in burn and wound health.

When Jeanette Jackson took over a clean-tech accelerator called Foresight, it was a team of two. Today, that number has grown to 50. To get there, she had to start with a hands-on strategy, doing everything from ideas to pitching them. Over the years, she transitioned into the leadership role that she serves today. Her biggest advice to others is to get a handle on fine details such as numbers for financials and keeping track of projects’ progress.

When a large company needs a revolutionary new plastic and can’t figure out what to do, they come to Chris DeArmitt. He got into it when a fellow scientist told him that the demand for plastic knowledge is more than the supply of plastic itself, inspiring him to start his journey. And being taught to “use your own brain” growing up and surrounded by great teachers, this career’s pathway seemed to be tailor-made for him.

Dr. David Harper’s specialty is in diet, but he emphasizes that he is a PhD in life sciences, not a medical doctor. His true love is education and teaching, which he has done for more than 40 years, something he sees as an example of giving back to the field that gave him his purpose. He sees himself as an advocate for healthy diet who goes beyond the commercial interests of the industry. To him, the key to success is having a vision, being authentic, being accountable for your own actions, not being afraid to be vulnerable, being empathetic, and having courage to be all of the above. ”Don’t worry about failure,” he says, “but fail fast and fail forward.”

Rory Mullen, as the head of BioPharma and IDA Ireland, meets a lot of people, to say the least. He started studying in business and working in advertising, but wanted to expand his horizons internationally, outside his native Ireland.

The life of a family doctor is jam-packed. Dr. Devyn Parsons sees between 30 and 35 patients per day. But somehow, she manages to squeeze in even more – she investigates lab results and contacts patients for follow-up, on top of even more work as an obesity specialist.

Matt Harper’s job at Invinity Energy Systems is all about balance. As he says, “It is a job that does not let one get bored.”

Amani Saini took the experience of a family member’s adverse drug reaction to launch a nonprofit dedicated to furthering research and awareness of adverse drug reactions.

David Smith is a doctor and internist with a rich history in the field, ranging from biomimetics technology to traumatic brain injury. But it was far from a straight line to get to where he is today.

Chana Davis, PhD is a scientist and mother of three who who loves helping others to discover and enjoy a healthy diet, rich in delicious, nutritious plants. Chana is equally passionate about empowering others to make food choices from a place of knowledge rather than rooted in fear or hype.

Leslie is an author who, in her book Feminist City: A Field Guid, provides a detailed guide to feminist city-building. She points out that cities were designed with men in mind; women were an afterthought. As such, urban environments frequently put women’s well-being and safety at risk.

To become the Vice President for Salmon, you really have to know salmon. These magnificent beings that are part of one of the world’s great migrations are in trouble in the North Pacific. One of their homes is in the rivers and streams of British Columbia.

Dr Fasano was born and raised in Italy, where he studied pediatric gastroenterology. He was determined to cure diarrhea – an elusive goal, one he failed to achieve. However, that failure led him on a path to new research that revealed zonulin, which regulates intestinal permeability.

In this edition of Careers That Matter, we meet volcanologist Glyn Williams-Jones, whose enthusiasm for his job makes you want to say, "Where do I sign up?" He says volcanoes are just like people: they each have their own personality. Each one is unique, each one shifts, expands and, at times, explodes.