Summer by Design’s 2026 participants
For almost 10 years, PhD students and postdoctoral fellows from Canada and around the world have gathered in Toronto, Ontario, during the summer to learn, network and explore the city as participants in Summer by Design.
Summer by Design, founded by Medicine by Design and its partners (CCRM, the Rotman School of Management, the Stem Cell Network and Talk Boutique), is an intensive commercialization and translation program for exceptional graduate students studying regenerative medicine, including cell and gene therapy. Through sessions on intellectual property, fundraising, regulatory affairs, biomanufacturing, marketing and more, participants explore the practical realities of how to turn scientific discoveries into products and therapies that benefit patients.
Since the program launched, it has hosted 187 trainees from 66 global institutions in 14 countries.
An added benefit for some alumni has been employment. Beyond the curriculum, Summer by Design has also become a source of talent for the sector. Several graduates have gone on to join partner organizations, including CCRM, translating lessons from the program into careers in life sciences innovation.
The first cohort visited Toronto in 2017, two years after Medicine by Design was established. Medicine by Design was funded through a historic $114 million grant from the Canada First Research Excellence Fund to the University of Toronto to harness Canada’s strengths in regenerative medicine. Its mandate was to undertake transformative research and clinical translation in regenerative medicine, enhance capability in synthetic biology and computational biology, and foster translation, commercialization and clinical impacts. Another priority included strengthening the University of Toronto’s international partnerships in regenerative medicine, making Summer by Design a logical fit.
Aileen Gracias participated in the inaugural program. Born in Goa, India, she earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Toronto before pursuing a PhD in Neuroscience at Sweden’s Karolinska Institute. While completing her doctorate, she also participated in an advanced entrepreneurship program in Stockholm. In 2017, she described Summer by Design as “the perfect platform to build on my interests in translational research and commercialization in regenerative medicine.”
Dr. Gracias did a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Toronto, in the lab of Dr. Molly Shoichet, and joined CCRM in 2018, where she has had progressively more senior roles and is now a Senior Associate with CCRM Enterprises, the investor arm of CCRM.
“Summer by Design came at a crucial point in my career, when I was beginning to think about how I could contribute to the advanced therapies ecosystem beyond the science,” explains Dr. Gracias. “The program introduced me to the strategy, regulatory, investment, and business considerations involved in translating promising science into therapies for patients. Just as importantly, it expanded my network, which has stayed with me well beyond the program. Summer by Design introduced me to a career path I ultimately pursued.”
She continues: “It has been wonderful to see the program evolve over the years to reflect the changing biotech landscape. I would highly recommend it to anyone curious about the many career paths available in life science innovation and commercialization.”
Dr. Gracias’s experience is not unique. Many participants have maintained professional relationships formed through the program, and some have returned to the ecosystem as colleagues and collaborators.
“Every year I get to meet the new Summer by Design group, and I always point out that the contacts and friendships developed at Summer by Design can be a great asset as they navigate their careers and professional development,” says Michael May, President and CEO, CCRM. “What I didn’t predict, when we established Summer by Design, is the number of great hires we would make in the future.”
In late 2023, Medicine by Design and CCRM announced a strategic alliance that resulted in Medicine by Design joining CCRM as its academic engagement division in 2025.
After nearly a decade of successful programs, Summer by Design is taking a purposeful hiatus in 2027 to reflect on the program’s achievements, integrate new insights, and build an even more robust curriculum for 2028.
To learn more about past Summer by Design programs and read participant testimonials, visit Medicine by Design’s Summer by Design page.
