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.

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.

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.

Troy Clifford identifies as a paramedic, but his mission is much more. He is the president of a union for ambulance and paramedics union, which is also the profession’s de-facto organization in British Columbia. His role is to support its workers and be the face of BC’s ambulance service.

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.

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.

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.

Dr. Seely is a leader in the development of integrative and naturopathic oncology. He is the founder and executive director of the Ottawa Integrative Cancer Centre and he is the executive director of research at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine.