- Are you curious about career opportunities beyond the bench?
- Want to network with alumni who have navigated going from the bench?
In this session with U of T alumni, you will learn strategies and the decision-making process that alumni engage in when going from the bench to beyond! You will have the opportunity to listen to each alumni’s key career stories and the factors that went into them going beyond the bench, followed by an opportunity to mingle in small breakout rooms.
You will:
- Reflect on the role of parallel planning and career flexibility in navigating multiple spaces
- Connect with engineering alumni who have navigated career transitions
Our featured panellists are:
- Darren Rodenhizer, Director, Customer Empowerment – Lumerate
- Gitanjali Shanbhag, Manager, Postdoctoral Affairs and Programming Development – University of Waterloo
- Hanna Wabnitz, Scientific Communications Specialist – The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation
- Tyler Saumur, Senior Medical Writer/Supervisor, Medical and Scientific Writing – Everest Clinical Research
Darren Rodenhizer, Director, Customer Empowerment – Lumerate
Dr. Darren earned his PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of Toronto in Prof. Alison McGuigan’s lab, where his research on TRACER was published in Nature Materials. He then led business development at AmacaThera, a U of T spinout, securing $1.8M+ in non-dilutive funding and forming multiple pharma partnerships to advance AmacaThera’s hydrogel drug delivery technologies. Now, as Director of Customer Empowerment at Lumerate, he leads development of a SaaS platform helping biotechs perform investor and competitor intelligence. Darren brings a unique perspective on career transitions and bridging science, business, and strategy beyond academia.
Gitanjali Shanbhag, Manager, Postdoctoral Affairs and Programming Development – University of Waterloo
Dr. Gitanjali Shanbhag is the Manager of Postdoctoral Affairs and Programming Development at the University of Waterloo, where she leads initiatives to support the academic and professional growth of postdoctoral scholars and graduate students. With a MASc and PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Waterloo and an MEng in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Toronto, she successfully transitioned from bench research to higher education administration, leveraging her expertise in research, teaching, and program development. She is also a sessional instructor at the University of Waterloo. Passionate about career development and mentorship, Dr. Shanbhag enjoys helping researchers explore diverse career paths beyond the lab. Outside of work, she loves solving puzzles, discovering new cuisines, and attending musicals.
Hanna Wabnitz, Scientific Communications Specialist – The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation
Dr. Hanna Wabnitz is a Scientific Communications Specialist at The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation, which raises money for Princess Margaret Cancer Centre. Her role involves translating complex science into engaging donor-centred proposals and impact reports, interviewing clinicians and researchers and acting as a scientific advisor to the team.
Tyler Saumur, Senior Medical Writer/Supervisor, Medical and Scientific Writing – Everest Clinical Research
Bio & Photo forthcoming
Moderated by Aanshi Gandhi, Institute of Biomedical Engineering
Aanshi is a fifth-year PhD candidate in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Toronto, working in the Garton Lab. Her research focuses on redesigning proteins to prevent graft-related arrhythmias following the transplantation of stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes. With a background in Integrated Sciences, specializing in Biomedical Physics from McMaster University, Aanshi brings a multidisciplinary perspective to tackling challenges in cardiovascular health. Passionate about mentoring, she encourages the next generation to explore science through creative and innovative approaches.