LSO IDEAS TO ACTION LIFE SCIENCES FORUM 2025
Accelerating Competitiveness: Reimagining Ontario’s Life Sciences in a Changing World
Tuesday, September 23rd
Now in its 16th year, Life Sciences Ontario’s Ideas to Action Forum returns as the premier gathering for life sciences leaders from industry, academia, and government to shape the future of Ontario’s health innovation ecosystem.
Get ready for TED-style talks, high-impact audience engagement sessions, and a political pundit panel diving into real talk behind science policy, funding, and global collaboration. With a sharp focus on Ontario’s global advantage, the future of collaboration, and navigating science in a new world order, this year’s Forum promises fresh insights and bold ideas.
From dissecting misinformation and the “attack on science,” to addressing the economic realities facing the sector, to spotlighting advanced therapeutics and biomanufacturing, Ideas to Action is where real conversations drive real change.
Whether you’re leading strategy, shaping policy, or championing innovation, this is the room you want to be in.
| Time | Session | Speakers/Details |
| 8:00 – 8:30 AM | Registration & Networking Breakfast | |
| 8:30 – 8:40 AM | Welcome | |
| 8:40 – 9:00 AM | Opening Remarks | To be announced |
| 9:00 – 9:45 AM | Keynote Address – Forward Looking | Tim Caulfield Professor in the Faculty of Law and the School of Public Health, and Research Director of the Health Law Institute at the University of Alberta |
| 9:45 – 9:50 AM | Audience Polling | Interactive polling session |
| 9:50 – 10:50 AM | Debate Panel: Competing Visions for Canada’s Life Sciences | Moderator: Garret Tone, Executive Director Invest Ontario Panelists: Alison Symington, Strategic Life Sciences Consultant Parimal Nathwani, President and CEO, Toronto Innovation Acceleration Partners More panelists to be announced |
| 10:50 – 10:55 AM | Final Audience Polling | |
| 10:55 – 11:15 AM | Morning Break | |
| 11:15 – 11:35 AM | TED Talk #1 | Matt Cahill, Strategic Advisor; CFO Nomic Bio |
| 11:35 – 12:05 PM | TED Talk #2 | Jovan Matic, Director, Health Innovation Policy Branch, Ontario Ministry of Health |
| 12:05 – 12:55 PM | Buffet Lunch | |
| 12:55 – 1:55 PM | Panel: Health System Readiness & Technology Adoption | Moderator: Christine Elliott, Partner, Fasken Panelists: Alaine Grand, VP Market Access & Strategic Customers, Johnson & Johnson Innovation Medicine Connie Cote, CEO Health Charities Coalition of Canada More panelists to be announced |
| 1:55 – 2:15 PM | Afternoon Break | |
| 2:15 – 2:35 PM | TED Talk #3 | Cate Murray, President and CEO Stem Cell Network |
| 2:35 – 2:55 PM | TED Talk #4 | Speaker: Suzanne McGurn, President and CEO, Canada Drug Agency |
| 2:55 – 3:55 PM | Panel: Political Pundits – Inside the Policy Machine | Moderator: Bill Dempster, President, 3SixtyPublic Affairs Panelists: Kim Wright, Wright Strategies Sarah Letersky, Senior Vice President, Rubicon Strategy Jason Lietaer, President, Enterprise Canada Stevie O’Brien, Senior Advisor, McMillan Vantage |
| 3:55 – 4:10 PM | TED Talk #5 | Anne Mullin, Principal, Shift Health More Speakers to be announced |
| 4:10 – 4:20 PM | Close the Day & Next Steps |
4:20-6:00 pm: Cocktail Reception & Networking with Guest Speaker
-Bradley Harker, Principal Commercial Officer, US Consulate (Toronto)
Date: Tuesday, September 23rd
Time: 8 A.M – 5 P.M
Venue: The Arcadian, 401 Bay Street, Simpson Tower, 8th Floor, Toronto
Ticket Prices:
Member: $250.00 + HST
Non-Member: $350.00 + HST
Government / Student Member: $100 + HST
Virtual Attendee: $100 + HST
Speaker Bios
Timothy Caulfield
Timothy Caulfield is a Professor in the Faculty of Law and the School of Public Health, and Research Director of the Health Law Institute at the University of Alberta. He was the Canada Research Chair in Health Law and Policy for over 20 years (2002 – 2023). His interdisciplinary research on topics like stem cells, genetics, research ethics, the public representations of science, and public health policy has allowed him to publish almost 400 academic articles. He has won numerous academic, science communication, and writing awards, and is a Member of the Order Canada and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences, and the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. He contributes frequently to the popular press and is the author of national bestsellers, including: The Cure for Everything: Untangling the Twisted Messages about Health, Fitness and Happiness (Penguin 2012); Is Gwyneth Paltrow Wrong About Everything?: When Celebrity Culture and Science Clash (Penguin 2015), and Relax, Dammit!: A User’s Guide to the Age of Anxiety (Penguin Random House, 2020). His most recent book, a #1 national bestseller, is The Certainty Illusion: What You Don’t Know and Why It Matters (Penguin Random House, 2025). Caulfield is also the co-founder of the science engagement initiative #ScienceUpFirst and has written, hosted and produced documentaries, including the award-winning TV show, A User’s Guide to Cheating Death, which has been shown in over 60 countries, including streaming on Netflix in North America.
Thank you to our Sponsors
Read last year’s Ideas to Actions Forum Report
