Path to Patient Innovation and Leadership Launchpad (PILL)

Eligibility
3rd and 4th year students in a life science program interested in exploring a career in the pharmaceutical industry outside the lab.

 
 

Co-created by UTM alum Derek Choi (Class of 2022) and UTSC alum Abira Jeyakumar (Class of 2020) - both Life Science graduates - the program was shaped by their own journeys navigating career options beyond the lab and classroom. 

Their vision: to give students a meaningful opportunity to apply their knowledge, grow their professional networks, and discover career directions they may not have considered. 

Through a combination of course based and team projects, students will:  

• Communicate key value propositions for pharmaceutical products  

• Conduct thorough economic and pricing analyses grounded in health economics  

• Develop market access strategies to support the launch of innovative therapies 

• At Mackenzie Health, Abira leads projects aimed at delivering coordinated care and creating pathways to better living by building strong relationships with community partners and stakeholders, while leveraging digital health and technology to address healthcare challenges. 

• Previously, Abira served as a Market Access Intern at Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine, where she supported the Market Access department by conducting policy analyses on pharmaceutical industry trends and drug shortages, and supported documentation for submission to Health Technology Assessment (HTA) bodies 

• During her MBA, she gained experience in market access, patient education, and process improvement through roles at Vertex Pharmaceuticals and Humber River Health, where she led cross-functional projects supporting patient-centered care. 

• Following her undergraduate studies, Abira gained valuable front-line experience at Mackenzie Health in the Patient Flow and Management department and supported system-level initiatives through the Western York Region Ontario Health Team. 

• Outside of work, Abira is an avid gym-goer who enjoys playing pickleball, swimming, and performing the Indian classical arts, staying grounded in both wellness and culture. 

DEREK’S EXPERIENCE: 

• At Canada’s drug agency, Derek combines clinical and patient important outcomes with economics while maintaining academic rigour to perform health technology assessments. 

• Previously, Derek obtained an internship at Johnson and Johnson Innovative Medicine (formerly, Janssen Inc), where he supported the Market Access department, delivered budget impact estimates to publicly and privately funded drug plans, and chaired cross-functional meetings.  

• While balancing his Master’s degree and internship at JnJ, Derek has participated and placed in several notable health science case studies. 

• During his undergraduate studies, Derek supported strategic decisions at MaRS Discovery District by investigating the weaknesses of the Canadian Biotechnology industry and offered recommendations to the Health Science team. 

• In his spare time, Derek dabbles in a number of hobbies such as card counting, playing tennis, and writing.  

EON'S EXPERIENCE: 

• Eon Ting is the Director of Payer Evidence, Methods, & Access Affairs at AstraZeneca Canada, where he partners with clinical experts, academics, and industry leaders to advance methods and bring out the best in health economics and HTA. With nearly two decades of experience spanning market access, HEOR, and new product launches, Eon is excited to work together on sustainable, innovation-ready, patient-centered healthcare systems.
• Most recently, his focus is on patient preferences in decision-making, artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML) in HTA, and new surrogate endpoint valuation methods. Eon is currently President-Elect at the Canadian Association for Population Therapeutics (CAPT), a scientific advisor at Health Technology Assessment International (HTAi), and an expert reviewer for International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR).

ERICA'S EXPERIENCE: 

• Erica is a Senior Manager, Private Payer at Takeda Canada with over 10 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry. She has worked on in-line and pipeline reimbursement strategies (both public and private) for products across many therapeutic areas including rare diseases, neuroscience, oncology, vaccines, and gastrointestinal diseases. Erica holds a Bachelor of Science (BSC) degree from McGill University and a Master of Management of Innovation (MMI) degree from the University of Toronto.

CAL'S EXPERIENCE: 

• Cal holds the position of Senior Manager, Payer Evidence, Methods & Access Affairs at AstraZeneca Canada where is responsible for shaping market access strategies across multiple therapy areas. Prior to joining AstraZeneca, Cal was a Lead in Health Economics at Canada’s Drug Agency (CDA-AMC). Cal holds a BSc in Economics with Banking from the University of Greenwich, London, UK and an MSc in Health Economics from City St George’s, University of London, UK.

NAUSHAD'S EXPERIENCE: 

• Naushad Budhwani is an experienced Market Access professional with over 8 years of experience in the Canadian Pharmaceutical industry. Currently serving as an Associate Director of Pricing and Market Access at Vertex Canada, Naushad is responsible for designing and implementing strategies, to support both public and private reimbursement for medicines across multiple therapeutic areas.
• Naushad is well versed in the various components required to facilitate access to emerging treatments, including HTA and Payer submission dossier development, pharmacoeconomic and budget impact modelling, as well as managing payer relations and negotiations.