Unique Career Paths in Bio/Life Sciences: Panel discussion and Networking

Join us for a panel discussion on how to carve out a unique career path in Bio/Life Sciences with a focus on Entrepreneurship.

Our panel discussion will be recorded and used as an episode of our WTJ? podcast.
There will be a chance to network with guests and panelists.

About the panelists

Sheetal Walsh '94 BA

Sheetal has 20 years of international experience in VC and technology; she created the VC strategy for Bill Gates at Microsoft globally and served as Deal Maker for the UK Government’s Global Entrepreneur Programme where she facilitated fundraising of 1 billion GBP for over 900 companies. She is advisor to climate tech fund Ignite and founded Soho Ventures Fund (first all-female led fund) and serves on several boards including Innovate Edmonton and Edmonton Global. In 2020- 2021 Sheetal was appointed as Chief Strategy Officer, Ministry for Jobs, Economy and Innovation in Alberta and she currently serves as CEO U of A Innovation Fund to invest in spin outs, commercialization of IP and scaling companies globally.

Sheetal is founder of a Canadian charity Shanti Life, that delivers financial inclusion to vulnerable women in India through a recycling microfinance fund so that they can access safe sanitation and create small businesses. 

Since she graduated, Sheetal has been an active member of Alumni groups and led events in London, San Francisco and Vancouver; and she received the Alumni Excellence Award. Sheetal has hired several U of A interns. Sheetal completed her MSc International Relations at London School of Economics in 1994. 

Sheetal is a die-hard Edmontonian, and has returned after 25 years of working internationally. She is a yoga teacher and plays drums. 

Paramita Chaudhuri Basu '21 MBA

Paramita Chaudhuri Basu is an innovation facilitator, scientist, and educator. She grew up in the city of Kolkata, India where she earned her Ph.D. in biochemistry. As a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Alberta, Canada, Paramita studied the structures of membrane proteins. In mid-2010 Paramita joined the prestigious Presidency University, Kolkata, India as an assistant professor in the Department of Life Sciences, where she taught and led a research group for six years.

Paramita’s avid interest in altruism and using scientific knowledge for the benefit of humankind brought her back to Canada as an MBA student. While pursuing graduate studies in management, Paramita continued to be involved in health innovation as an intern in multiple companies. Her involvement included not only scientific innovation to improve the quality of human health but also using artificial intelligence in these pursuits.

After completing her MBA from the University of Alberta, Paramita joined the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry as the Innovation & Entrepreneurship Manager, leading the Health Innovation Hub, a community incubator for early stage companies and startups in human health. Currently, she is the Director of Programs & Ecosystem Development at Applied Pharmaceutical Innovation, an Edmonton based not-for-profit, where she oversees all programs while continuing to lead the Health Innovation Hub.

Apart from health innovation, Paramita is also enthusiastic about reading, traveling and hiking in the mountains. She lives in Edmonton with her husband, where she spends her leisure time tending her garden or painting while listening to music.

Bindi Ferguson '06 BSc, '06 MSc

Bindi Ferguson is a Director, Commercialization (Health Innovation) at Alberta Innovates' corporations based in Calgary, Alberta. Previously, Bindi was a Senior Manager, Industry & Technology Initiatives at Solutions and also held positions at TEC Edmonton, Research Services, University of Alberta. Bindi received a Bachelor of Science degree from University of Alberta and a Master of Science from University of Alberta.