Careers Outside Industry and Academia
Community Engagement and Government
I grew up in Southern Ontario just outside Toronto. I always had an interest in pursuing science, but was never sure where it would take me. So I decided to keep my options open and completed my B.Sc. in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Waterloo in 2007. I considered applying to medical and pharmacy school toward the end of my undergraduate studies. Ultimately I decided that I was interested in researching pathogenic bacteria with the end goal to obtain an FSO-type position at a University. I moved to Edmonton to pursue grad school at the University of Alberta with Dr. Stefan Pukatzki studying the Type VI Secretion System of Vibrio cholerae. Nearing the completion of my Ph.D I considered post-doctoral positions and also applied for three jobs. I was fortunate to be hired for the job that was my top choice - as the research director at CanBiocin. I defended my Ph.D and started with CanBiocin in July 2013 where I am leading a project for developing a novel probiotic product for canines.
Heidi
Bates
Isabelle Girard
MSc
Research Officer at Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency
Isabelle grew up on a cattle and grain operation in Quebec and developed a passion for agriculture. In 2008, she earned her B.Sc. in Agronomy at Laval University, Quebec city, during which she had the chance to do co-op work in dairy, pork and poultry productions. During her B.Sc., Isabelle also very much enjoyed working for research groups in soils science and animal science without realizing where this would lead her. In her third year, after spending a semester in Toulouse to discover the agricultural diversity of Southern France, Isabelle decided that she wanted to undertake an M.Sc. in meat science in Western Canada. She then moved to Edmonton and completed a M.Sc. on beef meat quality at the University of Alberta in collaboration with the AAFC Lacombe Research Centre. After working shortly in the food processing sector, she joined the Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency in 2011 and since then has been working as a Research Officer.
MSc - Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development
Guru of Food Science, Product Development, Food Safety, Business Development & Continuous Improvement
Dana works for the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development where her role is to help Alberta Food Processors benefit from government programs and funding. Dana’s work matches food processors with the right resources at the right time to support business growth. Dana also works with companies in the areas of market development, productivity, continuous improvement, and lean and strategic planning. Her background in food science, product development, food microbiology, and food safety; provides unique technical expertise and understanding of business constraints in food manufacturing.
Dana
Pierce