Isabelle Caron
“My time at the INRS’s Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie has been filled with incredibly rich encounters, both intellectual and human. This institution has obviously educated me scientifically, but above all it has taught me the value of collaboration and professional ethics.”
“For me, receiving the 2024 Prix Lumières Award in the Starburst category is recognition of the countless efforts, sacrifices and compromises I have made over the last 24 years to establish myself as a female executive leader in a male-dominated environment. I hope that this award will be an inspiration to all those young women in science who aspire to become inspirational leaders, but above all to build a strong, resilient and enviable Canadian life sciences ecosystem.”
—Isabelle Caron, Masters in applied microbiology (2001), President and Chief Executive Officer, Biologics Manufacturing Centre (BMC) inc.
Flash interview with our 2024 Prix Lumières award winner • Starburst category
Why did you choose to study at INRS?
During my final year of undergraduate studies, I realised that if I wanted to become a formulation specialist in the pharmaceutical industry, I had to finish my studies with a Master’s degree. So I looked for an institution that would allow me to achieve this goal while also giving me enough freedom to determine the exact direction I needed to take.
It was at this point that I found myself leafing through a brochure from the Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie (formerly the Institut Armand-Frappier), presenting the applied microbiology programme, which seemed a logical choice for me. When I looked further into this option, I was very pleased to see that it would allow me to collaborate closely with Dr Zamir and work on anti-cancer biomolecules. I was lucky enough to be able to join this team and benefit from the Biochem Pharma Fellowship, which was my first networking initiative in the pharma-biopharma community! In all honesty, my landing at the institute was a combination of conscious choice and luck!
What do you remember about your experience at INRS?
Autonomy, empowerment, rigour, collaboration and camaraderie. I learned that it’s possible and important to give your all and have fun at the same time!
Do you have a favourite memory of the campus?
The magnolias in bloom, which I could admire while doing my experiments in the laboratory! I also have fond memories of my student cohort. I remember a close-knit group that wanted everyone to succeed. It was a group that was very committed to teamwork, but also to extra-curricular activities that enabled us to forge very strong links over the two years we spent together.
What is the most important lesson you have learned from your time at INRS?
Success is not measured by effort alone. It’s not enough to work hard, you have to get results! And to get results, you have to dare to take calculated risks!
Tell us about your career path since graduating.
It took me a long time to find my path. I was curious, I had several areas of interest in which I performed well, but I didn’t stand out in anything. I didn’t have that unique talent that makes your path obvious to you and saves you from having to make choices.
However, after a few years on the job market, I realised the value of diversification and versatility and realised that what I thought was a weakness was actually an advantage. This completely changed my outlook on my professional development and from then on I made my choices with the sole aim of diversifying my skills as much as possible. I have to admit that this has served me rather well.
Over the years, I’ve managed to develop a unique range of skills, an amalgam that’s relatively rare on the market in Canada and especially in Quebec. This is undoubtedly what enabled me to rise to the position of President & Chief Executive Officer of the Biologics Manufacturing Centre that I currently hold.
It’s been a difficult journey, full of pitfalls, which has forced me to expose myself and step out of my comfort zone on many occasions, but it has shaped the professional I am today, and if I had to do it all over again, I’d do the exact same thing!
How did your time at INRS prepare you for your career?
My two years at INRS taught me independence, rigour, perseverance, structure and conciseness. These are assets that I needed from my first year on the job market. Not only did my time at INRS enable me to perfect my technical skills, it also allowed me to develop my general skills as well as my personal values. This has been instrumental in my development towards management roles.
What advice would you give to current students?
It’s scary to graduate and find yourself facing the unknown. Challenge your fears and seize the opportunities. Allow yourself to be challenged and pushed towards new opportunities to learn and grow, because to grow, you have to make mistakes! Go for it and learn!
What are your wishes for the future?
Certainly, positioning women in positions of power and supporting the development of future generations are issues that are close to my heart. I’ve reached a position where I now have the means to influence the direction our country takes in terms of innovation and bio-production, while respecting fairness. I therefore hope to be able to make an active contribution to promoting networking between life sciences companies in order to build a strong, resilient ecosystem supported by a highly qualified local workforce. I aspire to make Canada an enviable model on the world stage for its ability to respond rapidly to health emergencies and to protect the health interests of its citizens.