Cal Strode
Cal Strode is a communications consultant specializing in health, science, and innovation, with experience in these sectors across the UK, Canada, and U.S. Previously, he was the Manager, Communications at CCRM. Before that, he worked with the UK’s National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Applied Research Collaboration North West Coast (ARC NWC) and UK Research & Innovation’s (UKRI) 3DBioNet network. He also has five years of public health communications experience, delivering national campaigns with measurable impact in the fields of mental and sexual health. With an interest in how effective communications can catalyze change, his undergraduate thesis on the topic won the European Public Relations Education and Research Association (EUPRERA) award, which led to him presenting his findings at EUPRERA’s congress in Brussels. Outside of work, he enjoys surfing and open-water swimming. Follow him on X @CalStrode.
Posts by: Cal
Meet Mitch: The CEO leading Canada’s largest CDMO dedicated to manufacturing for CGTs
OmniaBio Inc., a subsidiary of CCRM, is building the largest facility of its kind in Canada, providing specialized manufacturing to the flourishing cell and gene therapy (CGT) industry. The new contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) will focus on producing gene-modified cell therapies and viral vectors compliant with Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), tapping into a […]
Catching up with ExCellThera and co-founder Guy Sauvageau
Launched in June of 2015, ExCellThera is a clinical-stage biotechnology company making strides in developing robust and cost-effective processes for growing blood stem cells for therapeutic use, backed by award-winning proprietary technology. The company was founded based on a key molecule discovered by Drs. Guy Sauvageau and Anne Marinier at Université de Montréal’s Institute for […]
Understanding regenerative medicine’s “bloody secret” could reverse aging
When I heard that the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) was hosting a public symposium to ask if regenerative medicine can turn back the clock on aging, my interest was piqued. The enthusiasm for putting the brakes on aging has been documented as early as the second millennium BC, when mention of an […]
Cells we see: Art’s history of helping us see the small picture
Since Robert Hooke first laid eyes on a micro-organism using his custom-built microscope in the 1660s, artists have deployed their skills in service of helping us to see the small picture. Coining the word “cell” to describe what he saw through the lens, Hooke published Micrographia in 1665, complete with 38 incredibly detailed illustrations that […]
2022 UK cell and gene therapy ecosystem highlights
In 2022, the UK’s Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult (aka CGT Catapult) celebrated its tenth anniversary (congratulations!) marking 10 years of accelerating innovation in cell and gene therapies (CGTs) in the UK. Much like CCRM, CGT Catapult was established as an ecosystem-building organization. CGT Catapult was founded with the mission to grow a viable and […]