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Summer by Design Group

How do you move innovative discoveries out of the lab efficiently and effectively so patients benefit sooner? What are the steps involved in translating and commercializing regenerative medicine discoveries? What career opportunities exist beyond academia?

Apply for Summer by Design, an intensive program for PhD students and post-doctoral fellows from Canadian and international universities, which will run from June 2 to 11, 2025, at the University of Toronto.

Summer by Design is hosted by the University of Toronto’s Medicine by Design initiative, in partnership with CCRM, the Rotman School of Management and Stem Cell Network

Overview

This eight-day program will feature expert-led, interactive sessions including lectures, group work and case studies. Participants will:

  • Learn from experts across various aspects of the technology translation continuum and be introduced to important topics including:
    • Conducting technology assessments (market opportunity, competitive landscaping)
    • Product conceptualization
    • Pivotal experiments
    • Technology strategy and intellectual property (IP)
    • Scale-up and biomanufacturing
    • Regulatory affairs and reimbursement
    • Marketing
    • Strategic communications and pitching including one-on-one coaching to develop presentation and pitch skills.
  • Explore Toronto’s dynamic life sciences hub by meeting with clinical and industry leaders in the field of regenerative medicine
  • Meet and collaborate with other Summer by Design participants, a diverse group of Canadian and international peers

Toronto: A global leader in regenerative medicine

Toronto skyline iconStem cells were first discovered in Toronto in the 1960s by researchers James Till and Dr. Ernest McCulloch. Since then, a world-leading regenerative medicine ecosystem has developed with a thriving startup community, incubators and accelerators, venture funds and biotechnology companies.

Medicine by Design was launched in 2015, thanks in part to a $114-million grant from the Canada First Research Excellence Fund, to further advance Toronto as a leading regenerative medicine hub.

Program information

Selection criteria

Summer by Design participants are selected in a competitive process with consideration of both the video submission and short answer questions. Applicants will be evaluated based on the following selection criteria: 

  • Applicants must be PhD candidates or post-doctoral fellows in engineering, life science or medicine whose research is focused on regenerative medicine.
  • Applicants should have a strong interest and/or experience in clinical translation or commercialization.
  • Applicants demonstrate enthusiasm for working as part a team or group, an interest in international collaboration, and enthusiasm for sharing their expertise, research and insights from their home institution with the larger group.

Notes:

  • Applicants must commit to participating fully in Summer by Design. Sessions typically run from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays throughout the program.
  • All applicants must provide a letter from their supervisor indicating they support the applicant’s participation in Summer by Design.

Dates

Costs

Medicine by Design will pay for instructional costs and, for participants from outside the Toronto area, accommodation in a university residence and breakfast each day.

Participants will be responsible for

  • Booking travel and paying for travel costs to and from Toronto.
  • During Summer by Design, participants will also be responsible for some lunches and most dinners, incidental expenses and health insurance.
  • Participants will also be responsible for securing appropriate travel documents to enter Canada, where applicable.

This SCN award provides financial assistance for eligible trainees to attend the Summer by Design workshop in Toronto, June 2-11, 2025. Applicants can indicate if they are applying for the travel grant on the application form.

The SCN award will cover the following travel expenses associated with attending the course for Canadian trainees not based in Toronto:

  • travel to/from the course location
  • accommodation in the University of Toronto downtown campus for the program duration
  • meals not provided during the course.

A limited number of applications will be accepted from PhD candidates and post-doctoral fellows from a Canadian lab who are working in the field of stem cells and regenerative medicine.

Applications

Please use this form to send your completed application and supporting documents (CV, letter of support, video submission).

News

Since 2017, Summer by Design welcomed participants from the University of Toronto and partner institutions and institutions from around the world, including the University of Cambridge, University of Loughborough, York Biomedical Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, Technical University of Munich, The Rockefeller University, Lund University, Monash University, Hannover Medical School, Karolinska Institute, Kyoto University, National University of Singapore, Queensland University of Technology and more.

Summer by Design participants outside the MaRS building in Toronto.

Testimonials

“The program tied in everything we, as academics, need to understand about the regenerative medicine industry. I learned so much about what makes research translatable, and this knowledge will impact how I design experiments and steer my research. It was also inspiring to learn about the career journeys of the speakers and eye-opening to learn about all the options that exist in the field. Your tagline for Summer by Design could really be “Designed by Scientists, for Scientists.”
–Sharmin Haideri, Post-Doctoral Fellow, University Health Network
“I created connections that go beyond new friendships; they are also potential collaborations for future projects. I also learned a lot more about the different aspects of translating our academic findings to a commercially viable product, and this information will be so valuable to me as I move into industry in the future.”
– Miriana Dardano, PhD, Hannover University, Germany
“I learned that, as a translational scientist, I need to acquire multiple mindsets. I should not only think about the science but also consider the economics behind a potential therapy and look at a project from the perspective of a business developer, for example. Wearing all these different hats is important for bringing innovations to the market as early as possible.”
– Quincy Nlandu, PhD student, Erasmus University, Netherlands

About Medicine by Design and Toronto

Medicine by Design is a strategic hub where scientists, engineers and clinicians converge to conceive and translate regenerative medicine approaches to transforming human health. Our community of researchers is from the University of Toronto and its affiliated hospitals, and we also work with the biotechnology industry, government and not-for-profit partners to integrate discovery and translation with biomanufacturing and clinical implementation. Read more about Medicine by Design.

With about 2.9 million people, Toronto is Canada’s biggest city and the fourth-largest in North America. It is also one of most diverse, livable and safe urban centres in the world. Learn more at Tourism Toronto.

Questions

Please contact us by e-mail at info.mbd@utoronto.ca.

Our partners

CCRM Commercializing Living Therapies
Rotman School of Management logo

Photos by Neil Ta, Johnny Guatto and Jackie Denholm