If you only read one post for 2023, please make it this one. Below are the 10 most popular posts from last year, as determined by views recorded on the website. These are not my favourite posts, although I like all of them; this ranking is completely unbiased and reflects the number of people who have viewed each post. So let’s get started!
Coming in at number 10 is Laine Bodnar’s practical and helpful ideas for post-secondary STEM students seeking summer jobs. Laine shares resources and tips that still apply. Have a read or pass this along to the student(s) in your life. Job postings and resume tips for STEM students
At number 9, veteran Signals blogger Sara Nolte tackles the topic of osteoarthritis and regenerative medicine. You may know her from her many cancer posts, but she now works as a physician assistant in orthopaedics and decided to investigate whether stem cell therapy could help arthritis patients. This post is a result of what she learned. Regenerating a degenerative joint: MSCs as treatment for osteoarthritis
Peace Chukwu joined Signals in 2023. She is a medical student at the University of Nigeria and brings a decidedly medical point of view to her blog posts. This one is number 8 on the list and a topic that doesn’t get much attention on Signals. A quick search says the last “dental” post was a decade ago. Get caught up here. World’s first tooth regrowth medicine: A promising leap forward in regenerative dentistry
Dr. Peter Zandstra has many letters and titles after his name, including being the Chief Scientific Officer of CCRM. We decided a profile of Dr. Zandstra was long overdue. Cal Strode’s post is number 7. Even if you know Dr. Zandstra, there is always something new to learn. Have a read! A new kind of influencer: Dr. Peter Zandstra on engineering cell fate decisions
This is my second post about Joe Rogan, the popular, but also controversial, podcaster. Since I didn’t get a reply from him when I wrote an open letter in 2019 and tagged him on social media, I tried again. I had a lot of fun writing this one. It’s 6 on the list. Right Turn: My “interview” with Joe Rogan
Stephie Leung’s first-ever blog for Signals was very popular. She hit on a topic that resonated with readers and CCRM’s social media followers, and they asked for a follow-up. At number 5, here is her summary of (more) Canadian cell therapy companies to pay attention to. Current state of affairs, part 2: Five more Canadian cell therapy companies to watch
Appearing twice on this list, Kevin Robb is a blogger to follow. In this post, at number 4, Kevin interviews four scientists (in academia and industry) who share tips, advice and anecdotes from their postdoctoral experiences. If you are contemplating whether a postdoc is right for you, this is a must-read. The PhD afterlife: Evaluating the postdoc as a next step
This post that I wrote, at number 3, has all the ingredients for a feel-good read: a family desperate to help their sick child; generous relatives, friends and neighbours who helped raise money to support research for a rare disease; and, universities, hospitals and companies that donated resources and materials to develop a therapy and run a clinical trial. If that’s not enough, father Terry Pirovolakis has also established a company to take more gene therapies to the clinic in the hopes of helping other families. Right Turn: Inspiring Toronto family fundraises treatment for rare disease
Back in the number 2 spot is Kevin Robb, sharing his knowledge on mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs). Kevin completed his PhD in developing immunomodulatory cell-based therapies for osteoarthritis in the lab of Dr. Sowmya Viswanathan, at University Health Network. Dr. Viswanathan was an expert on a panel on MSCs at the International Society for Cell & Gene Therapy’s (ISCT) annual meeting in Paris, last May. Read his post for a current look at MSCs and his thoughts on developing next-generation MSC products to improve clinical outcomes in patients treated with MSCs. Mesenchymal stromal cell snapshot: are new therapies on the horizon?
Impressively, Stephie Leung hit it out of the park with her first post for Signals. This is the only time that a guest blogger has had the number 1 post. (Yes, she wasn’t even a contributor yet.) And, she has appeared twice on this list, also in fifth place. Hopefully Stephie will be back with new blogs in 2024. Congratulations! Read last year’s most viewed post. Current state of affairs: An overview of seven Canadian cell therapy companies
I hope you take some time to read any blogs you’ve missed and let us know in the comments whether your favourite blog made the list. Keep following Signals in 2024 – subscribe so you don’t miss a post – and we’ll keep bringing you an insider’s perspective on the science and the industry, along with thought-provoking posts and ones to help you advance your studies and/or your career. Happy New Year!
Stacey Johnson
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