STRATEGIC INITIATIVE

IP&C Establishes Commercialization Advisory Board to Guide SickKids Innovations

The Industry Partnerships & Commercialization (IP&C) Office at is excited to announce the launch of the Commercialization Advisory Board (CAB), a strategic group assembled to support the advancement of SickKids innovations from research through to commercialization.

Members will provide guidance, mentorship, and advice on commercialization pathways, partnerships, and investment opportunities. By leveraging their collective experience, the CAB will help IP&C and SickKids researchers navigate challenges in translating discoveries into solutions that extend beyond our institution. A key role for the CAB will be advising on IP&C’s Technology Advancement Program (TAP), providing insights and advice on investment in projects with high commercial potential.

The CAB brings together a select group of highly experienced industry and investment leaders, including experts in biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and life sciences venture capital:

Jessica Chutter is Vice Chair and Chair of Biotechnology Investment Banking at Morgan Stanley, where she has spent over 30 years building the firm’s biotechnology franchise, overseeing $75 billion in capital raising and $85 billion in strategic transactions. She has led major company-building efforts, including raising billions for Moderna, GW, and BeiGene, and advising on transformative deals such as Galapagos’ partnership with Gilead. Chutter holds a BA in Commerce/Honours Economics from McGill University and an MBA from Harvard Business School, and serves on the boards of Toronto Innovation Acceleration Partners and SickKids.

Theodore Witek is a Special Advisor for Lumira Ventures and former President and CEO of Boehringer Ingelheim’s Canadian and Portuguese operations, with nearly 25 years of experience in pharmacology and clinical research. He has held leadership roles in global product teams and corporate partnerships, served on multiple industry and academic boards, and is Professor & Senior Fellow at the University of Toronto’s School of Public Health and Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy. Dr. Witek holds a Doctor of Public Health from Columbia University, a Master of Public Health from Yale University, and an MBA from Henley Management College.

Michelle Doig is a Partner and Head of Corporate Development at Omega Funds, bringing over 20 years of experience advising life sciences companies on equity financing, private placements, and M&A transactions. She serves on the boards of Artios Pharma and BridgeBio Oncology Therapeutics and as a board observer at Arrakis Therapeutics. Previously, Michelle held senior roles at Third Rock Ventures, Abingworth, and several leading investment banks, and she holds an Honours degree in Business Administration from the Richard Ivey School of Business.

Parimal Nathwani has over 15 years of experience across biotechnology, including corporate finance, business development, technology commercialization, and start-up management. He currently serves as President and CEO of Toronto Innovation Acceleration Partners (TIAP) and sits on the boards of TRIUMF Innovations, Zucara Therapeutics, and Vasomune Therapeutics, as well as serving as a board observer at Encycle Therapeutics. Parimal holds an MBA from Simon Fraser University and an M.Sc. from the University of British Columbia.

Rami Hannoush is a Venture Partner at Versant Ventures, bringing deep expertise in drug discovery and investment to early-stage life science company creation. Previously, he was General Partner at Mubadala Capital, where he built the U.S. healthcare platform, and Co-Founder and CEO of EpiBiologics, with over 16 years of prior experience in R&D leadership at Genentech. Rami holds a Ph.D. in Chemistry from McGill University, completed postdoctoral training at Harvard University, and maintains strong professional networks across North America.

Paul McCracken leads investments in growth-stage private healthcare companies as Managing Director, Growth Equity at CPP Investments, having previously built the healthcare team and launched multiple strategies for CPPIB Active Equities. Earlier, he held senior roles at Barclays Capital and Lehman Brothers, leading healthcare analytics for public equities and derivatives, and has experience across financial services, start-ups, and strategy consulting. Paul holds a BA (Hons) in Chemistry and English, a BSc (Hons) in Chemistry, and a PhD in Organic Chemistry from Queen’s University.

Ronald Cohn has served as President and CEO of SickKids since 2019 and previously held leadership roles including Chief of Pediatrics and Chair of Pediatrics at the University of Toronto. A physician-scientist with a focus on genetics and Precision Child Health, his research centers on genome editing for neurogenetic disorders, and he has established internationally recognized clinical programs in medical genetics. Dr. Cohn received his medical degree from the University of Essen, Germany, completed postdoctoral training at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and has received numerous awards for his clinical and research contributions.

Stephen Scherer, Chief of Research at SickKids, is an internationally recognized genomic scientist whose pioneering work on structural variation and gene copy number has defined the genetic architecture of autism spectrum and related disorders. He directs The Centre for Applied Genomics and the University of Toronto McLaughlin Centre, has co-published over 690 papers, and secured more than $350M in research funding. Dr. Scherer has also founded several major initiatives, including the Autism Genome Project and the Canadian Personal Genome Project, advancing translational genomics in Canada and globally.

“The formation of the CAB represents an important step in our mission to ensure that innovative ideas developed at SickKids can achieve their full potential. Their guidance will be invaluable in helping us accelerate the development of solutions that have meaningful impact in health care.” – Ihor Boszko, Executive Director, IP&C.

By providing strategic guidance and expertise, the CAB reinforces SickKids’ leadership in paediatric health research and innovation, helping ensure that discoveries are translated into practical, scalable solutions that reach patients and communities worldwide.

The 2025-2027 SickKids Commercialization Board

From left to right: Paul McCracken, Theodore Witek, Rami Hannoush, Jessica Chutter, Parimal Nathwani, (Ihor Boszko), Ronald Cohn, Stephen Scherer. Not pictured: Michelle Doig.

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