An Audio Interview with Kathryn Hayashi, CEO, TRIUMF Innovations

It was an honour to interview Kathryn Hayashi, CEO, TRIUMF Innovations on October 11, 2024.  Kathryn’s communication skills are impressive and captivating. It was a real pleasure to hear her thoughts about bringing ideas from the TRIUMF laboratory through to commercialization for the benefit of society.

The interview can be heard below:

The interview features six questions, as follows.

Question 1 (00:00): Please describe your job and title, and what is your mandate at TRIUMF Innovations?

Kathryn answers this question and elaborates on TRIUMF Innovations’ role as the commercialization arm of TRIUMF, Canada’s national particle accelerator centre.

Question 2 (01:00): What are a couple of TRIUMF Innovations achievements that you are proud of, or were significant, or you found interesting?

Insight and background regarding the ARTMS Inc., a TRIUMF spin-off, acquisition by leading biopharma company Telix Pharmaceuticals is described as the first example.

An innovative collaboration with General Fusion Inc. is given as a second example.

Question 3 (06:20): Please describe your involvement in the Canadian Medical Isotope Ecosystem (CMIE)?

Canada’s importance in the global medical isotope supply chain is highlighted. Noteworthy developments in medical radioisotope supply are cited, such as Bruce Power’s usage of its nuclear power stations for the production of Lutetium-177 (an important medical radioisotope used in targeted radionuclide therapy to treat neuroendocrine tumours and prostate cancer).

Question 4 (09:40): What was your path to your present CEO role at TRIUMF Innovations in terms of your university education and career path?

Kathryn shares aspects of her career path including her key role initiating the Centre for Drug Research and Development.  She also shares a major focus for her to this day, which is getting ideas from laboratories through to commercialization for society’s benefit as quickly and effectively as possible.

Question 5 (12:57): Please comment on the importance or relevance of the Selkirk Ion-source Research Centre (SIRC) to TRIUMF and TRIUMF Innovations.

The necessity of scientists, labs, institutes, and industry collaborating and working together to bring ideas from the lab to society is re-enforced, and SIRC embodies this, and Selkirk College is recognized for “stepping up to the plate” to play an important role in R&D and commercialization of the resultant intellectual property developed.

Question 6 (15:39): Are there any characteristics from your childhood that show through into the present?

Kathryn shares insightful personal anecdotes from her childhood that link into her present desire to foster involvement in physics and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) for girls.

MD Note: In my opinion, Kathryn is a brilliant role model for girls in this manner, and also for everyone …..

https://www.triumfinnovations.ca/