The S2BN Virtual Career Cafe - In Focus: Law & Science

**ONCE REGISTERED AN EMAIL WILL BE SENT TO YOU CONTAINING LOG IN INFORMATION. PLEASE CHECK YOUR JUNK FOLDER OR CONTACT US IF YOU DO NOT RECEIVE THIS EMAIL**

Join us for the S2BN Virtual Career Café! This interactive, online event series aims to profile career paths for scientists outside of academia. During these one and half-hour, ask-me-anything events, attendees can ask our featured guests questions about their career journey, current role, and seek advice on navigating career transitions from academia. Our fifth event focuses on the intersection of law and the health, biotech, medtech, and science space. 

Objectives: 

• Profile the career journeys of two scientists turned lawyers
• Provide an overview of roles and responsibilities in law applicable to the life sciences
• Answer your questions related to career transitions from science to the law field

Featured Guests:

Gabriella Chan, PhD, JD, Prinicpal Lawyer and Founder, Yocto Law PC

Melanie Szweras, BSc, PhD (Genetics), LL.B. , Partner, Bereskin & Parr LLP.

Moderated by: Bruce Seet, PhD, MBA, Founder & President S2BN; Director of Medical Affairs, Sanofi Pasteur. 

Guest Biographies

Gabriella Chan, PhD, JD, Prinicpal Lawyer and Founder, Yocto Law PC

Dr. Gabriella Chan is a lawyer, scientist, educator, and startup mentor. In her legal practice, she advises individuals, companies and institutions in the life science, biotech, medtech, healthtech, and medical science sectors. In addition, she is the lead-legal mentor at the Health Innovation Hub (H2i) and a core faculty member at the Translational Research Program in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto where she teaches Intellectual Property, Privacy, Procurement, and Regulatory Affairs. 

Melanie Szweras, BSc, PhD (Genetics), LL.B. , Partner, Bereskin & Parr

Melanie Szweras is a partner with Bereskin & Parr LLP. Melanie's practice focuses on biotechnology and pharmaceutical patents including drafting and prosecution of such applications; providing validity and freedom to operate opinions as well as patent litigation matters.Melanie lectures on aspects of Biotechnology and The Application Process at the University of Toronto’s Patent & Trade Secrets Law course and Osgoode Hall’s LLM Patent Law course. Melanie is a past Chair of the Intellectual Property Institute of Canada’s (IPIC) Biotechnology Patents Committee. Melanie is also Community Leader of the American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA) Biotechnology Committee.Melanie received numerous awards throughout her education including the Medical Research Council Studentship and a University of Toronto Open Scholarship. She was also the Bronze Medalist for her class of 2003 at Osgoode Hall Law School. 

Supporters 

The S2BN would like to acknowledge and thank PHMI at Queen’s University for supporting this event.

For those interested in transitioning into pharma and gaining internship experience check out the Pharmaceutical & Healthcare Management and Innovation Graduate Diploma program at Queen’s University:  https://www.queensu.ca/sgs/programs-degrees/pharmaceutical-healthcare-management-and-innovation