Contact
For general inquiries about NeuroSphere funding, services and initiatives, please contact Adrienne Crampton at adrienne.crampton [at] mcgill.ca.
Associate Director, Business Development
Adrienne Crampton
adrienne.crampton [at] mcgill.ca
Adrienne graduated in 2021 from Ï㽶ÊÓƵ with a PhD in Rehabilitation Science (focusing on mild traumatic brain injury). Prior to this, she completed her Master’s degree in Sports Management from the University of Ottawa (’17) and her BSc in Kinesiology at Ï㽶ÊÓƵ (’15) while competing as a varsity athlete for the latter. Adrienne is a certified Quebec Innovation Consultant (accredited through the Conseil de L’innovation du Quebec) and has worked for both non-profit and for-profit organizations spanning various fields, such as kinesiology, human performance, neuroscience and brain health. Throughout her PhD, she developed a passion for innovation and entrepreneurship, as well as for creating conduits between research and industry. More specifically, Adrienne places a strong focus on leveraging her expertise and network to support impact-driven innovation.
Business Development Advisor
Marc St-Jean
marc.st-jean [at] mcgill.ca
Marc is a seasoned professional with an MBA from Ï㽶ÊÓƵ and over 15 years of expertise in business development. His career spans diverse sectors, including both for-profit and non-profit organizations. Prior to joining the HBHL team, Marc worked in customed executive education at HEC bringing together top academics and business leaders. His extensive experience in Quebec's high technology industry, particularly in photonics and electronics, underscores his commitment to fostering collaboration. Marc's international exposure includes over five years in Europe, including a stint in technology transfer in Luxembourg. Furthermore, a year-long experience at Pfizer Canada and collaborations with MedTech businesses in the photonics industry give Marc a particular understanding of the Canadian medical technology and pharma industry.
Training and Business Development Officer
Karthikeyan Swaminathan
karthikeyan.swaminathan [at] mcgill.ca
Karthikeyan (Karthik) completed his Master's in Neuroscience at Ï㽶ÊÓƵ in 2023, receiving awards from MedTech Talent Accelerator, Mitacs, HBHL and Ï㽶ÊÓƵ, along with certifications from programs like adMare Bioinnovation Scientist and Quebec Scientific Entrepreneurship. Having previously obtained a bachelor's in Biotechnology, his Master's thesis focused on hyperphosphorylated tau in Alzheimer’s disease. Before joining NeuroSphere as the Training and Business Development Officer, Karthik worked for Ï㽶ÊÓƵ and Mitacs while pursuing his Master's, also serving as the HBHL Trainee Committee President and later as the Sponsorship Officer. Currently pursuing an online MBA at Quantic School of Business (USA), Karthik aims to apply his skills in research, mentorship and networking at NeuroSphere for the translation of scientific advancements into commercially viable products.
Program Officer
Ujjwala Naithani
ujjiwala.naithani [at] mcgill.ca
Ujjwala holds a Master of Science in Experimental Surgery from Ï㽶ÊÓƵ, graduating in 2024 with a focus on surgical innovation, clinical trials, healthcare policy, and regulatory affairs. During her studies, she gained valuable experience as an Office Assistant for Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) and as a Communications Assistant for Student Housing and Hospitality Services (SHHS), where she developed strong administrative and communication skills. She earned her Bachelor's in Biotechnology Engineering from Jaypee Institute of Information Technology, India, in 2021, establishing a solid foundation in biotechnological research. As a Policy and Knowledge Transfer Intern with Healthy Brains, Healthy Lives (HBHL), Ujjwala made complex brain health research accessible for evidence-based policymaking. Additionally, her Operations Management Internship at Amazon provided her with hands-on experience in logistics and workflow optimization. Ujjwala’s diverse expertise in biotechnology, regulatory affairs, and policy uniquely positions her to drive impactful, evidence-based solutions in healthcare.
NeuroSphere Entrepreneur-in-Residence
Laurent Balenci
Over the last 15 years, Laurent has held various executive roles in business development, management and operations in the biotechnology industry. He built his own consulting practice advising entrepreneurs, start-ups and mid-size companies in terms of business, product development, asset management and financing strategies. Laurent has been involved in multiple startup creations and has managed successfully over 35 different development programs ranging from ideation to late-phase clinical trials in both drug and medical device sectors. He helped raise $70 million in public and private transactional events for his clients. Laurent has run multiple due diligence assessments on diverse business opportunities for investor groups. He is also a regular commercialization grant reviewer and business mentor for many organizations. In 2019, Laurent received the DL. Patrick Commonwealth Innovation award for his mentoring contributions in the Boston biotech ecosystem. Laurent holds an executive MBA from the University of Washington and a PhD in Neurobiology from University of Grenoble-Alpes (France).
