Members' Directory

Biography: Darcy Birse completed his Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry at Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada; a Diplôme d?Études Approfondies (D.E.A.) degree in Structural Biology at the Institut de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IBMC) & CNRS-INSERM-Université Louis Pasteur in Strasbourg, France; his doctoral thesis, Ph.D. in Physics (Protein Crystallography) at the EMBL-Grenoble & Université Joseph Fourier, France; an EMBO post-doctoral fellowship at the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics at Stockholm University, Sweden; was awarded an Assistant Professor / Principal Investigator position at Stockholm University in the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics. During that research period he worked on a series of complex and challenging drug discovery and bioprocessing research projects complimented by an interactive pursuit of method development applications performed in collaboration and conjunction with biopharmaceutical and biotechnology industrial partners. Darcy Birse is the inventor of several biotechnology patents, author of more than 30 scientific publications and has been invited to speak at more than 25 international meetings in the biopharmaceutical and bioprocessing sectors. His activites within TGN Biotech have evolved from Director, Process Development to his current role, Vice-President, Biopharmaceutical Development.

Biography: I am a dedicated and passionate researcher with an international scientific carrier in laboratories located in Canada, Germany, and England. During my scientific career at Molecular Medicine Partnership Unit (MMPU), which is a joint venture between the Medical Faculty of the University of Heidelberg and the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), I experienced the advantageous bond between molecular research and medicine. My research pointed toward the understanding of the basis of common human diseases caused by malfunctions in gene regulation with focus on RNA metabolism. I achieved my goals by coordinating cooperation with scientists of wide range of contributing disciplines across the breadth of University and European institutions as well as by seeking feedback from research community while attending and presenting in conferences and meetings.

I consider myself as an interactive person, who enjoys exchanging ideas and with vision of teamwork. The success of my collaborations with external research groups is reflected in the scientific publications of shared projects. Moreover, I have passionately mentored undergraduate students and junior team members and also represented non-profit organization in Canadian High Schools to attract youth on to science.

I have largely enjoyed and benefited from my engagements in research, as they have consented me to pursuit my interests, take responsibility for acquiring new skills or knowledge, look at problems from different angles, and gain a new perspective on how to strengthen teamwork and collaborative foundations.

Biography: PhD, Laval University (Québec, Canada)1993, working on ribosomal gene transcription; Post-Doc at EMBL 1993-1995 working on nuclear receptors; Post-Doc in Laval University (Québec again) 1995-1996, working on Hoxa5 regulation; Invited Fellow at the NIH (1996-2001) working on chromatin and gene expression; Chief Scientific Officer for Geneka Biotechnology, 2001-2002; Group Leader at Sherbrooke University (Canada) from 2002 to 2007 and now teaching genetics and molecular biology at the same institution.