Leading scientist and entrepreneur focuses career on translating research to patient impact

Scientists and entrepreneurs often share a certain set of fundamental skills – creativity, determination, resilience.

But as Christine Allen, professor at the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy and expert in drug formulation and development, knows well, entrepreneurs always need to be thinking about whether their technology can be used in the real world.

“It’s not just about whether you have an interesting idea. You also have to identify a use case for your technology that addresses the problem better than the existing technology, and successfully do everything it takes to get the technology to the patient,” says Allen, an experienced entrepreneur who has launched multiple start-ups during her career. “You need to have a clear target market and differentiated value proposition.”

Listen to Christine Allen discuss her work on the I'm Pharmacy Podcast

From the beginning of Allen’s research career, her goal has been to translate discoveries into clinical tools that can help patients. Following her postdoctoral training at the BC Cancer Agency, she worked as a scientist at Celator Pharmaceuticals before moving to academia, taking a role at U of T’s Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy. Since setting up her lab, she has worked closely with the pharmaceutical industry and clinicians to license her patented technologies and support the development of new drugs.

“One of the reasons is that I really want to work on research that will result in a new drug or technology or device that can be used in the real world or in patients.”

“Since I started at the University of Toronto, I’ve always worked with companies,” she says. “One of the reasons is that I really want to work on research that will result in a new drug or technology or device that can be used in the real world or in patients.”

She has also founded start-up companies to advance promising technologies developed in her lab. Allen co-founded Nanovista to develop nanotechnology that illuminates tumours to allow for precise image-guided surgery and cancer therapy. The company is currently raising capital to enter a phase 1 clinical trial.

In 2023, Allen partnered with Alán Aspuru-Guzik, professor in the departments of chemistry and computer science at U of T and world leader in artificial intelligence, to build Intrepid Labs. Intrepid has developed a proprietary technology that uses machine learning and robotics to accelerate drug development through better, faster drug formulation.

The company is the first start-up to emerge from the Acceleration Consortium, a strategic initiative at U of T led by Aspuru-Guzik that is designed to accelerate the discovery of materials and molecules needed for a sustainable future.

In developing technology for drug development, Allen says that centring the needs of patients and clinicians is critical.

“The path is not a straight line. You need to iterate, adapt, and accelerate.”

“As an entrepreneur, you can’t stop thinking about the market, your customers’ problems and how you will solve them,” she says. “The path is not a straight line. You need to iterate, adapt, and accelerate.”

Pauric Bannigan started as a postdoctoral fellow in Allen’s lab, then becoming senior research associate, before launching Intrepid with Allen, Aspuru-Guzik, and Riley Hickman. He says that launching a company requires effort and resilience, but the team’s commitment to the technology helps them push through the challenges.

“My time in Christine’s lab provided a unique vantage point on the pharma and biotech ecosystem, laying a strong foundation for navigating the entrepreneurial world. Despite this background, the shift to a start-up led to many new challenges – from recalibrating our research for market needs to understanding the intricacies of intellectual property and direct customer engagement,” he says. “Looking ahead, I'm optimistic. Our team is committed, and our technology has the potential to make a significant impact. As we continue to grow and evolve, the experiences gained from each challenge only strengthen our resolve and commitment to success.”

Longstanding interest in women’s health and women in STEM

In her lab, Allen continues to work with pharmaceutical companies to develop new formulations. In recent years, she has been working with Jazz Pharmaceuticals to develop a new therapy for ovarian cancer, a field of research that she is particularly interested in.

“Women’s cancer is something that’s really important to me, particularly, ovarian cancer because standard of care hasn’t changed much over time,” says Allen.

She will be presenting this work as the keynote speaker at a women’s health session at the July 2024 Controlled Release Society (CRS) annual meeting.

Allen was invited to speak at the session by Hagar Labouta, assistant professor at the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy; they first met through the CRS’s Women in Science Group – currently led by Allen – which hosts virtual and in-person events for women in the society and provides annual awards.

“Women experience certain challenges that often only resonate fully when shared with other women. It's comforting to know others have navigated similar issues successfully, reinforcing the belief that you can overcome these challenges..”

Allen also organizes U of T’s Women in STEAM: Leading and Reading book club, which invites students and faculty from across the university and hospital community to discuss books, as well as issues and experiences they face as women.

“Women experience certain challenges that often only resonate fully when shared with other women. It's comforting to know others have navigated similar issues successfully, reinforcing the belief that you can overcome these challenges, too,” she says. “Initiatives like the book club and the Women in Science Group foster a sense of community. They ensure individuals feel heard, seen, and that they belong – a sentiment that might be hard to find in large organizations.”

Major shift in acceptance of entrepreneurship

Throughout Allen’s more than 20 years at U of T, she has seen attitudes toward entrepreneurship shift, with greater support for scientists and trainees looking to launch start-ups and commercialize their research. And Allen has been on the forefront of this shift, taking on leadership roles in the university and in industry, including a one-year appointment at adMare Bioinnovations, an organization that helps support Canadian life science companies and researchers.

This commitment to translational research and commercialization carries over to her trainees. Bannigan notes that Allen’s connections within industry offer trainees unique learning and networking opportunities that help trainees gain deeper understanding of entrepreneurship and commercialization.

“Christine always encourages interdisciplinary collaboration, allowing members to work on projects that merge fields such as pharmaceutical science and data science,” he adds. “This interdisciplinary approach is crucial for innovation and creates a positive atmosphere where ideas and knowledge are freely shared, which often leads to the development of innovative solutions to complex problems.”

“I feel very proud of the translational work that I’ve done, whether it’s the technologies in my own lab or the drugs I’ve helped formulate and move closer to translation and commercialization.”

Allen has recently been recognized for her leadership in the life sciences community and commercialization of her research with two high-profile awards: the Community Service Award from Life Sciences Ontario and the Julia Levy Award from the Society of Chemical Industry, which recognizes successful commercialization of innovation in Canada.

“I feel very proud of the translational work that I’ve done, whether it’s the technologies in my own lab or the drugs I’ve helped formulate and move closer to translation and commercialization,” says Allen.

“When you put a lot of energy and effort into something and people notice, it means a lot. I have been well supported at U of T and in this broad community of biotech, pharma and innovation organizations. Being recognized by people that you really care about means so much.”