Careers in non-academic research (Panel)

Are you interested in pursuing a career in non-academic research? 

Join us as we hear from panelists who have transitioned into diverse careers in non-academic research, including in government and industry. 

Whether it be strategies or career advice, this panel is intended to be relevant to postdocs and grad students from all disciplines and academic levels. 

This panel aims to explore the following topics: 

• The journey from graduate and postdoctoral work to non-academic research positions 
• Opportunities in the fields of non-academic research 
• Strategies for a successful job search 
• Ways to network and engage in this sector 

This panel is jointly hosted by UBC’s Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies and UBC Career Centre and Simon Fraser University’s Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. 

Moderator: Dr. Emad Naseri, current postdoctoral fellow at the School of Biomedical Engineering

PANELISTS 

Dr. Andrew Hegle is the Chief Science Officer of Entheon Biomedical, an early-phase drug discovery company developing psychedelic compounds for substance use disorders and mental health therapy. He previously led preclinical operations at Cannevert Therapeutics, a startup focused on cannabis-based treatments for chronic and acute pain. Dr. Hegle was a UBC postdoctoral fellow from 2007-2013 and is currently an adjunct faculty member in the department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics.

Kendra Munn is an Urban Solutions Specialist in the Education and Research group at Esri Canada. Her role focuses on developing educational resources on ArcGIS software, contributing to academic research projects, and delivering guest lectures and workshops at Canadian post-secondary institutions. She also supports the Professional Services group through the implementation of 3D and urban planning projects. She has an M.Sc. in Geography, with a focus on Geographic Information Systems, and a B.Sc. in Environmental Science, Applied Biology, from Simon Fraser University.

Dr. Olga Peña completed her Ph.D. at the University of British Columbia. Her research work contributed to a better understanding of the immunopathology of sepsis and the discovery of new sepsis biomarkers. She is a former Canada Vanier CIHR and Killam scholar and she was also selected as a MITACS Canadian Science Policy Fellow. Olga possesses extensive research and management experience, which she obtained working at various academic and research institutions in Colombia (where she was born and raised), the United States, Australia, and Canada and she has also worked in different Canadian government agencies of the health portfolio. Currently, she is at the Public Health Agency of Canada where she is leveraging and strengthening her expertise in infectious diseases, science/health policy, and health emergency management, toward advancing public health preparedness and response in Canada and worldwide. 
Olga is also a founder and supporter of health and social innovations and grassroots organizations supporting the next generation of scientists and policy-makers. Through her involvements, Olga connects her passion for science to the impact it can have in society, and she hopes to contribute to the development of evidence-informed policy in Canada and the strengthening of science diplomacy in the world, leading always with kindness and empathy towards an equitable and inclusive world.