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Examining Ontario's Life Sciences Investment Landscape

How Market Forces And Innovation Are Steering Investment and Development Decisions

Parimal Nathwani

Parimal Nathwani

CEO

Toronto Innovation Acceleration Partners

Gordon McCauley

Gordon McCauley

CEO

adMare Bioinnovations

Jean-Francois Pariseau

Jean-Francois Pariseau

Partner

Amplitude Ventures

Garrett Tone

Garrett Tone

Executive Director

Invest Ontario

Pari Nejatie
Moderator

Pari Nejatie

Founder

Nejatie Consulting

Parimal Nathwani

CEO

Toronto Innovation Acceleration Partners

Parimal Nathwani has over 15 years of experience in various aspects of the biotechnology industry including corporate finance, business development, transactions, intellectual property management, technology development and operations. He has been actively involved in forming and managing start-ups, preparing and executing on business plans, raising early-stage capital and in- and out-licensing activities.

Before joining MaRS Innovation, now Toronto Innovation Acceleration Partners (TIAP), Parimal was a healthcare analyst with a boutique investment bank, where he conducted equity research on publicly-traded biotechnology companies in Canada and the U.S. He has also led commercialization activities out of BC Women’s and Children’s Hospital as part of his role at the University of British Columbia’s Industry Liaison Office, and was a research scientist at a start-up biotechnology company involved in drug discovery targeting ABC Transporters.

Parimal received his MBA from Simon Fraser University and his M.Sc. from the University of British Columbia. He currently sits on the boards of TRIUMF Innovations, Zucara Therapeutics, and Vasomune Therapeutics, and is an observer on the board of Encycle Therapeutics.

Gordon McCauley

CEO

adMare Bioinnovations

Gordon C. McCauley was appointed President and CEO of adMare BioInnovations in 2016 after four years on the Board. Gordon has demonstrated leadership in various roles, notably executive and investment management in public and private biotech companies and venture capital firms. Additionally, Gordon was a senior advisor to several prominent Canadian political leaders and has integrated this experience into his work within the life sciences sector.

Gordon is currently the Chair of CGEn, Canada's national genomics enterprise. He is an independent Director of Forus Therapeutics and Montreal InVivo. Gordon Co-Chairs the Canadian Chamber of Commerce Life Science Council and is actively engaged with the Canadian Public Policy Forum Life Sciences Leadership Table.

Previously, Gordon has been Chair of BIOTECanada, LifeSciences British Columbia, Acetech, and The Toronto Rehab Foundation. In 2008, he was the first Canadian to join the Board of the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) in Washington, D.C., serving in leadership roles until 2013.

Gordon holds a B.A. in Political Science from McMaster University, an MBA (with honours) from IMD in Lausanne, Switzerland, and earned the ICD.D certification from the Institute of Corporate Directors and the Rotman School of Business at the University of Toronto. He is currently a doctoral candidate at Grenoble École de Management in Grenoble, France.

Jean-Francois Pariseau

Partner

Amplitude Ventures

JF Pariseau is a Partner at Amplitude and co-founded the firm in 2018. As a former scientist turned entrepreneur, JF has over 25 years of experience in biopharma, digital, and MedTech. His career spans R&D, entrepreneurship, and corporate strategy, and he has been integral to more than $2.5 billion of venture, licensing, and M&A deals.

Prior to launching Amplitude, JF spent 20 years building and growing the life sciences practice for BDC Capital and CDPQ. Prior to joining CDPQ, he co-founded and operated two life sciences startups as CEO and Vice President of Research. JF received his BSc in biotechnology from the University de Sherbrooke, his MSc in biomedical sciences from Université de Montréal, and his MBA from HEC-Montréal.

Garrett Tone

Executive Director

Invest Ontario

Garrett Tone is the Executive Director, Life Sciences for Invest Ontario, the province’s

economic development agency. Over the last 17 years, Garrett has held a variety of

senior leadership roles for both large multinationals and health tech start-ups across an

array of industries including MedTech, In-vitro Diagnostics and Biotech. He’s worked

with clients around the world, namely the US, Europe, Asia and Australia and with his

experience, Garrett brings a unique, well rounded and pan-industry approach to

securing high-profile investments on behalf of the province.

Pari Nejatie

Moderator

Nejatie Consulting

Pari is a trusted Headhunter with over 20 years of experience in the Life Sciences sector, specializing in executive recruitment. She has a strong track record of placing top-tier talent in roles such as CEO, CFO, COO, and core, key executive leadership positions. Pari partners with organizations to strengthen their leadership teams and enhance human capital performance, offering expert, honest, and tailored recruitment solutions that align with evolving market dynamics and strategic business goals. Known for her integrity, diligence, and commitment to excellence, Pari delivers professional recruitment services grounded in trust and results.

Innovation And Growth In Toronto's Life Sciences Sector

Exploring The Forces Driving Breakthroughs In Sector Growth

Doris Qamar

Doris Qamar

CEO

Spec Labs

Randal Froebelius

Randal Froebelius

Project Executive & Senior Adviser

MaRS Discovery District

Sonya Donovan

Sonya Donovan

Managing Director, Real Estate

University of Toronto

Cary Solomon

Cary Solomon

Managing Partner

Seeker Labs

Maura Campbell

Maura Campbell

CEO

OBIO

Jay Levine
Moderator

Jay Levine

Science+Technology Practice Group Chair, Partner

DIALOG

Randal Froebelius

Project Executive & Senior Adviser

MaRS Discovery District

Randal Froebelius has been a senior member of the MaRS Discovery District Real

Estate team for over 18 years participating in the design, construction, property

management, leasing and financing of the MaRS Centre, North America’s

largest urban innovation hub, located in Toronto. He is currently Project

Executive and Senior Adviser to MaRS and led the design and construction of the

MaRS Nucleus space at the Waterfront Innovation Centre in Toronto.

Randal is currently Chair of the Building Owners and Managers Association

(BOMA) International, and is a Past-Chair of BOMA Canada, BOMA Toronto and

the BOMA Floor Measurement Standards Committee. In 2019, he became a

BOMA Fellow.

Randal also serves on the boards of the Northern Centre for Advanced

Technology in Sudbury, Ontario, and Halmont Properties Corporation.

Randal has 35 years of experience in property management, leasing, project

management and construction. Randal holds a Bachelor of Engineering

Science (Civil) degree from the University of Western Ontario, an MBA from the

Richard Ivey School of Business, a Master of Laws from the University of Toronto

and is a Licensed Professional Engineer in the Province of Ontario. He has held

progressive positions with construction, real estate development and

management companies throughout his career.

Sonya Donovan

Managing Director, Real Estate

University of Toronto

Sonya Donovan is the Managing Director, Real Estate at the University of Toronto. Prior to her current position, Sonya was the Director of Real Estate at the University of Guelph, where she spearheaded the implementation of the real estate development strategy for the University’s extensive non-academic real estate land holdings. Sonya worked at Oxford Properties for several years holding progressively senior roles in investments, leasing, and development.

Sonya sits on the board of CRE8, a not-for-profit organization that she co-founded with four other women to help increase the advancement and participation of women in the commercial real estate sector. Sonya is a CPA, CA, and an Honours Business Administration degree from the Richard Ivey School of Business at University of Western Ontario.

Maura Campbell

CEO

OBIO

Dr. Maura Campbell is the President and CEO of OBIO®, a not-for-profit, membership-based organization dedicated to advancing health technology innovation and commercialization. Dr. Campbell has more than 30 years of experience in all key areas of biotech, including private and public companies, universities and research institutes, and government-funded public sector research organizations.

With expertise in technology transfer and commercialization of intellectual property, Dr. Campbell has held various roles in senior management, most recently as the Vice-President of Intellectual Property and Contracts for Turnstone Biologics, which went public on the NASDAQ. Previously, Dr. Campbell served as: Director, Intellectual Property at VBI Vaccines; Research Program Manager, and Manager of Technology Transfer & Commercialization at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute; Director of Intellectual Property for PainCeptor Pharma Corporation; and Manager of Technology Transfer at the Institute for Robotics and Intelligent Systems National Centre of Excellence. Dr. Campbell has also served as an IP consultant to a number of Canadian start-ups including Neurochem, Conjuchem, Aonix, AMRIC and Sussex Research Labs.

Jay Levine

Moderator

DIALOG

Driven to do work that matters, Jay is a leader in the programming, planning, design, and execution of specialized pharmaceutical, biotechnology, GMP compliant, academic and life sciences research facilities. By integrating architecture and engineering, Jay creates

high-performance spaces that facilitate team collaboration, support advanced research, and accelerate breakthrough discoveries.

As Science+Technology Practice Area Chair for DIALOG, Jay unites a community of practitioners across five studios, balancing technical pragmatism with creative design vision. His leadership in lab planning and technical building performance innovation has set new standards in architectural practice for laboratory design and research environments.

Why You Can't Miss This 2025 Toronto Life Sciences Event

What You'll Learn: 

  • Innovation and Commercialization: Discover the latest innovations emerging from Toronto’s leading life sciences institutions and learn about how the commercialization process for life sciences innovations is being streamlined in the region.

  • Supply and Demand: Discuss current dynamics and learn about how developers and investors are working to address the lack of supply in relation to demand.

  • Funding and Investment: Gain insight into various funding sources, including venture capital, private equity and government grants and if there will be a continued trend of large investment after AstraZeneca's C$820M investment into Canada. Learn about the current trends in life sciences investment in Toronto.

  • Sustainability and Resilience: Learn about sustainable practices in biotechnology and pharmaceutical research, and discover how these practices can enhance long-term viability and marketability.

  • Collaborative Efforts: Dive into the impact of partnerships between academia, healthcare and industry on advancing life sciences.

  • Support Systems: Learn about the role of incubators, accelerators and funding opportunities in nurturing life sciences startups.

Why You Should Attend:

Toronto is rapidly emerging as a global hub for life sciences, driven by significant investments, innovative research and a vibrant ecosystem that supports commercialization and growth. Understanding the latest trends, regulatory changes and investment opportunities is crucial for stakeholders looking to make a meaningful impact in this dynamic sector. Investors will gain critical insights and build valuable connections that can enhance the ability to navigate the complexities of life sciences development, financing and sustainability in Toronto. Through the knowledge and relationships gained at the event, investors can ensure their projects are both innovative and compliant.

Who You Will Meet: 

Engage with stakeholders, including top researchers, industry leaders, researchers, industry leaders, investors, policymakers and representatives from government agencies who are at the forefront of Toronto’s life sciences sector.

DON'T MISS OUR PREMIER LIFE SCIENCES & BIOTECH EVENT THIS FALL
Want even more life sciences x commercial real estate content & networking? Check out our third annual Bisnow International Life Sciences & Biotech Conference, taking place Sept. 10 & 11 in San Diego, CA. 

For questions regarding content, speaking, and sponsorship opportunities, please email our Toronto Event Producer, Joshua Piquion, at joshua.piquion@bisnow.com. To request disability-related accommodations, please contact janet.fernandez@bisnow.com no later than seven business days prior to the event.

Venue

The Omni King Edward Hotel
37 King Street East
Toronto, Ontario M5C 1E9

Ballroom: Sovereign Ballroom, Lobby Level


$45+ self-parking located at 65 King Street East

Get Directions

Agenda

Time Activity
1:30 PM
2:30 PM
Coffee, Breakfast & Networking
2:30 PM
3:15 PM
Examining Ontario's Life Sciences Investment Landscape

1.) Explore the investment landscape for life sciences in Toronto by examining funding strategies, investment trends and opportunities for growth. Discussions will cover the various sources of capital available and the key considerations for analyzing investment opportunities.

3:15 PM
3:30 PM
Networking Break
3:30 PM
4:15 PM
Innovation And Growth In Toronto's Life Sciences Sector

1.) Delve into the current landscape of Toronto's life sciences sector, focusing on innovation, growth trends and strategies to accelerate research, development and commercialization. Highlight key projects, institutions and collaborations driving the sector forward.

4:15 PM
4:30 PM
Post-Event Networking

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