Barbara completed her PhD in Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology at Yale University, where she studied the roles of adipocytes in skin wound healing and stem cell development in mice. After her PhD, she realized that she was looking for a career where she could communicate science to the public, so she became an associate editor at Genome Biology, covering the topics of epigenetics, developmental biology, and single-cell genomics. She spent seven years at Genome Biology, including four years as Chief Editor, before joining Nature Biotechnology at the beginning of 2022.  After a short stint as a Senior Editor, she became Chief Editor at the end of that year. She now runs a team of 10 people, based all around the world, publishes research articles, and writes and edits commentaries and editorials.

Dr. Brian Cox completed a BSc and an MSc in Applied Biochemistry at the University of Guelph and a PhD and postdoctoral fellowship in Molecular Genetics under Dr. Janet Rossant at the University of Toronto. He has worked in the biotechnology industry and federal government on projects covering atmospheric chemistry, estrogen receptor biochemistry, mass spectrometry-based proteomics of pathogenic bacteria, and mouse genetic models. Currently, he serves as an associate professor in the departments of Physiology and Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Toronto, Canada. He is a former recipient of a Canada Research Chair tier II in fetal and maternal health (2013-2023). His research group focuses on trophoblast development and placental pathologies. Projects related to trophoblast development employ various genome-wide and systems-biology approaches to identify the genetic regulatory mechanisms underlying cell fate specification and differentiation. Projects investigating placental pathology use mathematical modelling and class discovery approaches on large-scale datasets from human patient samples to understand disease heterogeneity and gene-to-phenotype relationships.

Martin Krzywinski presents clearly, connects broadly, sparks imagination, and encourages enthusiasm for inquiry and explanation through visuals that combine analytical clarity with artistic dimension. In 1999, he built the Genome Sciences Centre’s computing systems, later invented port knocking, optimized keyboard layouts that inspired a Brazilian fashion line, and created Circos and hive plots. His information graphics have appeared in The New York Times, Wired, Scientific American, and on covers of books and journals including Science, Nature, and PNAS. A co-author of the Nature Methods Points of Significance and Points of View columns, he teaches scientific figure and poster design through critique by redesign. He has made maps of nothing, shot fashion photography, found poems in spam, creates annual Pi Day art, tells mathematical stories through music and video, loves typography, runs Hitchmas, and is the former owner of Alex, the world’s most popular rat.

Alison Paprica is the principal and founder of Research Project Management, a senior fellow and adjunct professor at the University of Toronto’s Institute for Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, and a leader in health data, research strategy, and research management. Her previous roles include Executive Committee member at Health Data Research Network Canada, inaugural Vice President of Health Strategy and Partnerships at the Vector Institute, Director of Strategic Partnerships at ICES, and director responsible for research at the Ontario Ministry of Health. With experience across government, academia, health data organizations, and pharmaceutical R&D, she focuses on data governance, research data infrastructure, public involvement in data-intensive health R&D, evidence-informed policy, and research leadership. An early PMP-certified project management adopter, she has taught research leadership and management widely and is the author of Research Project Management and Leadership: A Handbook for Everyone, published by University of Toronto Press in 2024.

Gayle Piat has a background in Medical Laboratory Technology and over 30 years of experience in the life sciences field, including 12 years specializing in Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) and 15 years in Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP). She earned the designation of Registered Quality Assurance Professional in GLP in 2003 through the Society of Quality Assurance while working as Quality Assurance Manager at a GLP toxicology facility at the Alberta Research Council. Since joining the University of Alberta in 2011 as Project Manager for the construction of a GMP cell therapy manufacturing facility, Gayle has played a key role in the growth and development of Alberta Cell Therapy Manufacturing (ACTM). She is now Director of ACTM, a state-of-the-art GMP facility supporting the manufacture of innovative therapies for early-phase clinical trials. In 2016, she earned her Regulatory Affairs Certification (RAC) through the Regulatory Affairs Professionals Society. Gayle is an active contributor to the Canadian biomanufacturing ecosystem. She previously served as a Board Member of ISPE Canada Affiliate and is currently a member of CASTL’s National Training Advisory Committee. She is committed to advancing workforce development, GMP training, and the translation of innovative therapies from research to clinical application.