Leading a new conversation in health and well-being
A
graduate
of
the
Faculty’s
Health
Studies
program
in
1984,
Krista
entered
the
pharmaceuticals
field
in
Ontario
in
1985.
Her
trajectory
took
her
from
a
sales
representative
with
Merrell
Pharmaceutical,
into
the
biotech
area
as
a
Product
Specialist
with
Ortho
Biotech,
a
Johnson
&
Johnson
company,
to
Vice
President,
Global
Franchise
Program
Head,
Oncology
Global
Development
at
Novartis
pharmaceuticals
in
the
United
States.
There,
she
led
three
global
cross-functional
development
teams
across
three
sites
in
the
U.S.
and
Europe.
Her
teams
developed
two
life-saving
“orphan
drugs”
(pharmaceuticals
that
remain
commercially
undeveloped,
often
because
they
are
used
to
treat
rare
medical
conditions),
achieving
approval
for
launch
in
more
than
100
countries.
Career
accomplishments
aside,
Krista
has
literally
aided
health
and
well-being
on
individual,
community
and
population
levels
through
each
facet
of
her
professional,
personal
and
community
achievements.
She
is
everything
from
a
fearless,
outspoken
survivor
of
kidney
cancer
who
understands
the
impact
of
pharmaceutical
innovation
on
patients,
to
a
proven
volunteer,
advisor
and
mentor,
including
to
women
in
healthcare.
She
has
received
recognition
for
this
valuable
service
both
individually
and
as
a
member
of
a
team
collective.
A
true
pioneer,
she
founded
Fig
Advisory,
a
consultancy
that
works
with
the
C.E.O.s
of
small
biopharmaceutical
companies,
a
year
ago.
She
is
a
mentor
with
SpringBoard,
an
incubator
for
high-growth
technology-oriented
companies
led
by
women.
Krista
also
brings
her
unique
skills
to
CRISPR
Therapeutics,
a
company
developing
ground-breaking
gene-editing
technology
that
engineers
blood
stem
cells
and
corrects
mutations
that
cause
disease
in
patients
with
blood
diseases.
She
and
her
team
aspire
to
cure
sickle
cell
disease
and
β
thalassemias.
Throughout
numerous
professional
and
personal
changes,
Krista
has
remained
a
loyal
alumna
and
supporter
of
the
University
of
Waterloo’s
Faculty
of
Applied
Health
Sciences
priorities
and
mission.
Like
the
Faculty’s
bold
founders,
she
is
unafraid
to
champion
previously
untested
ideas
and
break
boundaries
to
do
so.
Krista
is
thereby
leading
new
conversations
and
inspiring
the
next
generation
of
health
innovators
to
reach
for
a
future
of
improved
health
and
well-being,
both
at
home
and
around
the
world.
This
commitment
aligns
with
the
Faculty
of
Applied
Health
Sciences’
focus
today
and
since
its
founding
over
fifty
years
ago:
innovative,
multi-disciplinary
approaches
to
health
and
well-being.