Brad Sorenson
Founder & CEO
Providence Therapeutics
Brad Sorenson is the founder and CEO of Providence Therapeutics, Canada’s leading messenger RNA company. He is considered a leader in the field, and has co-founded multiple mRNA companies, including Arcturus Therapeutics (ARCT:NASDAQ) in 2013, and Providence Therapeutics in 2015.
In 2013, Brad’s thirteen-year-old son, Adam, was diagnosed with stage four glioblastoma multiforme, an aggressive form of brain cancer. Brad worked with Adam to develop novel approaches to the standard of care, and Adam’s cancer went into prolonged remission. Knowing that one day Adam’s cancer would return, Brad sought to develop a therapeutic treatment that could save his son’s life. In 2024, Adam faced another challenge when his cancer returned as Leptomeningeal Disease, a terminal complication of cancer that involves metastasis to the spine and brain stem. This time, Brad was ready, with the ability to make a personalized cancer vaccine for Adam, using mRNA technology developed at Providence Therapeutics.
Brad is a patient advocate and spends his time speaking with patients and parents of children diagnosed with brain cancer, advocating for patient empowerment. Prior to Brad’s involvement in biotech, he was an active entrepreneur in the real estate and energy sectors. He holds BEd and BSc degrees from the University of Calgary and an MBA from Simon Business School in Rochester, NY.
Schedule
15 mins
St. Lawrence Centre — Bluma Appel Theatre
Rogue Medicine to Clinical Impact
When a stage four cancer diagnosis came for his son, Brad Sorenson developed a novel treatment protocol based on mRNA technology. Facing complex drug approval barriers, Sorenson administered his experimental vaccine to his son at home. This inspiring keynote will take you through the intimate journey of researching and developing mRNA technologies for the future of oncology related therapies when faced with life’s hardest trials.