Grad To Watch: Misaki Kondo’s research and volunteering provided critical skills to land industry role

Collaboration, networking and leadership opportunities prepared Kondo for career after graduation

During Misaki Kondo’s time at the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, she has undertaken cutting-edge cancer research, presented at conferences, collaborated with peers on scientific projects and student initiatives, and led student groups – all of which developed critical skills to land her dream job in the pharmaceutical industry after graduating.

“The opportunities to share my research and engage with the scientific community were such positive experiences, and I enjoyed the opportunities that I had to find ways to improve the graduate student experience and work with students across the Faculty on initiatives,” says Kondo, who is graduating this month with a PhD in pharmaceutical sciences. “These experiences of getting to know people outside of the lab, collaborating on research, organizing events and leading groups of people were really monumental to me, especially in career development and preparing me for the next phase after graduation.”

While completing her undergraduate degree in the pharmaceutical chemistry program at U of T, Kondo knew that she was interested in pursuing cancer research. She learned about Professor Raymond Reilly’s research program in radiopharmaceuticals at the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy and was immediately intrigued, both by the research and the possibilities of translation to patients.

Radiopharmaceuticals are therapies that attach a radioactive isotope to a highly targeted agent, such as an antibody specific to a type of cancer cell. The antibody delivers the isotope directly to the cancer cells to image the tumour (for example, through positron emission tomography [PET] scans) or for treatment.

"Selectively delivering a powerful and effective agent only to cancer cells was really fascinating to me."

“That strategic approach – selectively delivering a powerful and effective agent only to cancer cells – was really fascinating to me,” Kondo says. “I was interested by that mechanism of action from the beginning, and I knew it could keep me motivated throughout my PhD.”

In 2019, Kondo started her PhD in the department of pharmaceutical sciences with Professor Reilly as her supervisor. Her project explored the use of a radioactive isotope called actinium-225 bound to the targeted drug trastuzumab (Herceptin®) for treatment of HER2-positive breast cancer.

Actinium-225 is a potent isotope used to treat cancer. Kondo studied actinium-225 bound to trastuzumab or small fragments of trastuzumab to determine which combination provided the maximum effectiveness against HER-2 positive breast cancer while sparing healthy cells. She then examined whether actinium-225 attached to trastuzumab could be delivered into the brain to treat brain metastases.

Kondo’s preclinical research showed that actinium-225 bound to trastuzumab was effective and safe for treating HER2-positive breast cancer. A first-in-human clinical trial of this new treatment approach based on Kondo’s PhD research is now being planned.

Student leadership, community engagement, and scientific communication provide opportunities for career development

Outside the lab, Kondo was highly involved in various initiatives at the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy. She served on the executive of both the Pharmaceutical Sciences Graduate Student Association and the American Association of Pharmaceutical Sciences (AAPS) U of T Student Chapter, and she chaired the Centre for Pharmaceutical Oncology (CPO) Symposium and Seminar Committee, where she helped to organize speakers for CPO seminars and high-impact research symposiums. She began participating in student-led industry case studies and networking events to explore career options within the pharmaceutical industry.

She also presented her research at symposia within the Faculty and at conferences in her field of research.

Kondo says these opportunities gave her valuable experience in presenting, collaborating and networking with other students and researchers that provided some of the highlights of her time at the Faculty.

“Our Faculty does a good job of giving students many opportunities to present their research, within their own lab group and to a broader community, for example through the CPO symposium or GRIP (Graduate Research in Progress),” she says. “These experiences build important skills as well as foster support among students and even result in new collaborations.”

With her PhD complete, Kondo recently started a role as a medical science liaison at Novartis, helping to support health care professionals who use radiopharmaceuticals to treat patients with prostate cancer. She is looking forward to applying the knowledge and experience gained through her time at the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy to her work.

“The core education and experience I had in radiotherapies and Professor Reilly's lab was incredibly important,” she says. “But also, as graduate students in pharmaceutical sciences, we are well-positioned from our practical experience and exposure inside and outside the lab to different types of research and student groups, which build both research and soft skills that prepare students effectively for industry roles.”