Sandeep Padda

About me

I was born/grew up in: Born and raised in Hamilton, Ontario

I now live in:  Brampton, Ontario

I completed my training/education at: University of Toronto. Graduated with Honours Bachelors of Science, and then completed a Masters of Biotechnology also at U of T.

What I do at work

Roche Canada is part of a global pharmaceutical company. As a Global Studies Manager, I work with people from different backgrounds and countries. My main role is to make sure our clinical trials are operating properly. I also make sure they operate safely, as well as on time and on budget. A clinical trial is a research study where we test how effective new drugs, new drug combinations, or new procedures are in helping sick patients. We use the data from clinical studies to educate doctors on new therapies and bring new medicines to sick people so that they can feel better.

In my role, it helps that I have a science and math background because I understand how medicines work on different diseases and the clinical trials results. However, soft skills are also very important. You need to be able to communicate, problem solve, collaborate and stay organized since clinical trials can be complex and require different experts to solve day-to-day problems.

My career path is

I have always enjoyed science so in high school I took all the science courses I could (e.g., biology, chemistry and physics). I did the same thing when I completed my undergraduate studies. It was in my third year of university that I fell in love with drug development but I didn't want to work in a lab. I learned of the MBiotech program and felt it would be a great fit for my personality and science interest. This program combines science and business courses and provides work experience. I specialized in pharma and medical devices. 

While I was doing my degrees, I worked a number of jobs that were not related to my area of study but they provided great learning opportunities. When I graduated with my Masters degree I started work in the pharmaceutical industry. I have enjoyed all the roles I have had and look forward to the next opportunities that come my way!

(Learn more about Sundeep by checking her MBiotech alumni profile located at https://www.utm.utoronto.ca/mbiotech/sandeep-padda)

I am motivated by

I enjoy working with different people! I feel what we do makes a difference and has a positive impact on the world. I also like that there are different opportunities and you can really make your career into what you want it to be. Pharma is always changing and so I am learning new things all the time.

How I affect peoples’ lives

I find it very fulfilling to have a drug that I worked on come into the market and be available for all patients. Not all trials are successful but I like to see the glass as half full because we still learn things even when a trial doesn’t end the way we had hoped. It is also great to hear patient stories on how a drug helped them live longer or beat their disease.

Outside of work I

I enjoy running and travelling.

My advice to others

Talk to people in that industry to get different outlooks. People are more willing than you might expect to share information about what they do.