Jill Lau, Etobicoke site director for Apotex pharmaceutical company, discusses its history and work culture with Master of Medical Biotechnology students.Jill Lau, Etobicoke site director for Apotex pharmaceutical company, discusses its history and work culture with Master of Medical Biotechnology students.

Biotech students enjoy visit to pharmaceutical manufacturer

A field trip to tour the facilities of Canada’s largest generic drug producer proved educational for students in the Master of Medical Biotechnology program.

Chemistry professor Tranum Kaur organized the Aug. 26 field trip to the Etobicoke manufacturing site of Apotex Inc. The group toured quality control and high-performance liquid chromatography labs as well as production operations.

Seeing chemistry in action helps to promote student engagement with the curriculum, says Dr. Kaur.

“These real-world experiences tend to evoke interest in the life science sector and equip our students with a better understanding of biotechnology and pharmaceutical industrial workplace environment,” she says.

Student Li Zhao calls the tour a valuable learning experience.

“It helped build a potential pathway for us to find jobs in the future,” says Zhao. “I really appreciated the experience.”

—Darko Milenkovic