Science, entrepreneurship and music: a dynamic and successful convention
On October 10 and 11, the 25th CRCHUM Student, Postdoctoral Fellows and Resident Convention, organized by the CHUM Research Centre's (CRCHUM) Student and Postdoctoral Affairs team, was in full swing. This year, nearly 350 people once again attended the convention.
They were able to appreciate the vast diversity of research themes through oral presentations and scientific posters.
Knowledge sharing was the highlight of the event, and a panel on entrepreneurship and an award ceremony set the pace for a lively second day.
Combining science and entrepreneurship
At the convention, a panel of experts discussed the challenges and opportunities of entrepreneurship for scientists in academia.
The meeting was facilitated by Caroline Chevrier, Entrepreneur in Residence at Centech (a university business incubator) and brought together Gabrielle Hurtubise-Radet, Startups Program Manager at MILA-Institut québécois d’intelligence artificielle, Frédéric Leblond, CRCHUM Researcher and Entrepreneur (Lumed Lab) and Noura Daadaa, Google’s Healthcare & Life Sciences AI for Startups Lead.
From the outset, the three panelists emphasize that, contrary to popular belief, being a scientist and embarking in entrepreneurship is absolutely not incompatible.
Caroline Chevrier reminds us: “1 in 4 scientists who hold patents will start their own business.”
And to the question, “Can a researcher become a good entrepreneur?”, Gabrielle Hurtubise-Radet answers: “Yes, but knowing how to surround yourself with the right people is an essential condition for success. Successful startups are those that manage to have a nice balance between people from the scientific and the business communities.”
Even though there is still much to be done to improve diversity in entrepreneurship (for example, only 7% of Canadian SMEs are owned by women), you need to learn to be daring.
Dare to jump into the void, knowing that there is a whole community that can support scientists through the entrepreneurial approach.
“There's never a time when you're ready. Do it now if you have a good idea. Don't be afraid to fail. There will be a lot of uncertainty and many challenges, but a lot of gratification at the end of the day,” concludes Noura Daadaa.
Award-winning research
After a lively performance from Université de Montréal’s choir, Isabelle Doré, Interim Associate Scientific Director of Student and Postdoctoral Affairs, moderated the conference award ceremony.
The winners shared scholarships of $400 to $1,000 that highlight the quality of their research.
A total of $10,200 was awarded at the ceremony by Marie-Eve Desrosiers, Interim President and CEO, CHUM; Pierrette Gaudreau, Assistant Dean of Fundamental Sciences, Université de Montréal's Faculty of Medicine; France Grenier, Executive Director, Institut du cancer de Montréal; and Geneviève Dalpé, Program Manager, Fonds de recherche du Québec—Santé.
A big thank you to Joanne Auclair, Hana Maalaoui and Isabelle Doré (CRCHUM Student and Postdoctoral Affairs team), as well as the members of the CRCHUM Student Committee for their considerable involvement in the successful organization of this convention.
Here is the list of students and postdoctoral fellows who won an award at this 25th edition of the convention. Congratulations to the recipients and thank you to the sponsors!
Science, entrepreneurship and music: a dynamic and successful convention
