Julia Paiva

About me

I was born/grew up in: Mississauga, ON

I now live in: Mississauga, ON

I completed my training/education at: I attended the University of Toronto where I completed my Undergraduate and Masters level education)

What I do at work

I work at Roche Canada, where I help teams select countries and sites for clinical trials. This is part of our process of getting new medicines to patients, faster. In my role, I am part of a global team. We use data and insights to select countries and sites for fast, safe, and effective clinical trials. My background in STEM is very helpful. My Undergraduate degree in molecular biology and a Masters in Biotechnology, give me the scientific background to be successful in this role.

My career path is

In high school, I discovered a passion for biology in the eleventh grade. At that time, my goal was to become a pharmacist. During my undergraduate degree, I completed an internship in the pharmaceutical industry. I really enjoyed the work. As a result, when I completed this internship, I decided to do a Masters that combined both science and business. This program was geared toward working the pharmaceutical industry.

I am motivated by

I enjoy being able to combine my scientific background with my communication skills to help the lives of patients. I enjoy working within a global team.

How I affect peoples’ lives

By helping start new clinical trials, I am able to be a part of teams that bring new medicines to patients.

Outside of work I

I enjoy watching movies, baking, and enjoying the outdoors.

My advice to others

I would suggest that students try to get volunteer or Co-op experience in the field they think they want to pursue.