Meet Michael May

Michael founded CCRM more than 15 years ago to help create a clearer translational path for regenerative medicine, cell therapy, and gene therapy. Since then, he has built the organization into one of the field’s most influential commercialization hubs, with more than 200 employees, over 700 alumni, and a public-private partnership model that has expanded well beyond Canada.

Under Michael’s leadership, CCRM has become a destination for therapy developers seeking to create sustainable manufacturing processes and move advanced therapies closer to patients. Its work has helped establish Canada as a center of excellence for cell and gene therapy manufacturing, while the CCRM model has expanded through initiatives in Australia and Sweden. More recently, Michael has overseen the creation of OmniaBio and the launch of the Deep Tech Bio Lab with IonQ, exploring how AI, machine learning, quantum computing, sensing, automation, and digital twins could support the next phase of advanced therapy industrialization.

“Cell and gene therapies are arguably the most complex medicines ever developed, and their complexity will continue to grow. Consequently, their mass adoption will likely require the greatest amount of human collaboration ever seen in therapeutic development.”

“Since I was very young, I have been a daydreamer. I believe that dreaming about your future helps to realize it. What has surprised me is the extent to which our world is driven by networks, including the network of collaborators and teammates required to advance great science to patients.”