WTJ? Live: Academic & Research Administration careers in the Life Sciences

Eric is an alumnus of the University of Alberta’s Department of Surgery. For the past 10 years he has been working with Mitacs helping build community and industry collaborative projects with Canada's post secondaries. He started the role focused on being the Advisor for the University of Alberta eventually becoming the Regional Director - Prairies overseeing a team of Mitacs Advisors in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Prior to working at Mitacs, Eric was very engaged in the UofA Let's Talk Science group acting as a co-Site Coordinator which allowed him to share his passion for science with the community.

Grant Kemp is a Research Partner at the University of Alberta, supporting researchers in the Faculty of Science and those seeking international funding. An Edmonton native, he worked as a postdoc and Staff Scientist at Stockholm University for nearly a decade before returning to Edmonton in 2023. Throughout his career, Grant has actively helped students, postdocs, and researchers navigate academic and administrative challenges, eventually chairing the National Junior Faculty of Sweden and representing early career researchers in Sweden at the university, national, and European levels. As a Research Partner, Grant enjoys hearing innovative ideas from researchers and assisting with grant applications to make those ideas shine.

Helen Coe is a Senior Partnership Lead at the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). After completing her Bachelor of Science in Genetics at the University of Alberta and a summer project at the National University of Singapore, Helen returned to U of A for her Doctorate in Medical Sciences. She then pursued a Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Texas Southwestern before returning to Edmonton to take on an academic adjacent position at her alma mater. Throughout her career, Helen has gained extensive experience across the health research lifecycle: from bench research to research administration, supporting grants, and developing national strategic funding opportunities. Born in Toronto to immigrant parents, Helen is a proud Eurasian Canadian. She views her work and personal life through an inclusive, humble, and strengths-based lens.