Building a career through curiosity, opportunity and discovery

Ratheesh Subramaniam (BSc/01) did not set out with a carefully mapped career plan. Instead, his path from Carleton to cancer drug discovery has been shaped by a willingness to pursue opportunities, learn from each experience and maintain the relationships he built along the way. 

Over the course of his career, Subramaniam has navigated job changes, a company closure and a startup affected by the 2008 recession. Today, he is a Principal Research Associate in cancer drug discovery at the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (OICR), where he works to advance potential new treatments. 

Finding a foundation at Carleton 

In 1996, 26-year-old Subramaniam arrived at Carleton with a passion for chemistry, but without a precise vision for where it would lead.  

After relocating from Sri Lanka to Ontario to join his family, he decided to join the Carleton community, where his older brother was already a student. He enrolled in the combined honours biochemistry and biotechnology program, laying the foundation for a career he could not yet imagine. 
 
Coming to campus at 26 meant he was older than many of his first-year classmates, but he quickly found a community at Carleton. 

“Sometimes you feel pressure as a newcomer,” he says. “But I felt buffered by friends and my brother, of course.” 

Carleton became a place where he could build both an academic foundation and a network of relationships that would stay with him long after graduation. Outside of the classroom, he was involved with Carleton’s drama club, played cricket and spent time with friends at Mike’s Place, Rooster’s and around campus. Those friendships, many of which have lasted for decades, are part of what made Carleton memorable for Subramaniam. 

After graduating in 2001, Subramaniam began actively looking for work in research. He attended job fairs, contacted researchers and sent dozens of emails to companies. The hands-on experience he gained at Carleton — including radioisotope work and other relevant research techniques — is what caught the eye of his first hiring manager and helped him land a research position.  

From there, he transitioned into the pharmaceuticals sector, joining NPS Pharmaceuticals on a one-year contract. Within six months, he became a permanent employee and was promoted to Senior Research Associate two years later. 

Looking back, he says that early on in his career, enthusiasm mattered just as much as experience. 

“When I graduated, I had 75% enthusiasm and 25% experience,” Subramaniam shares. “For a new graduate, being willing to learn can be just as important as having years of experience.” 

In 2007, NPS closed its Canadian operations, leaving him to figure out his next step. He joined a former colleague at a small startup, but was forced to once again move on when the company faced financial challenges in the wake of the 2008 recession. 

It was in 2009 that Subramaniam joined OICR’s drug discovery group, thanks in part to a connection with another former colleague.  

“I want to say that it was serendipitous,” he says. 

Subramaniam was eager to begin his work with OICR. Although he didn’t set out to work in cancer drug discovery, he quickly discovered that it was a field that combined his love for scientific curiosity with an undeniable impact and personal significance. After losing a close family member to cancer, Subramaniam was especially motivated by the potential of creating treatments that could directly benefit patients and transform lives. 

“I enjoy the drug discovery aspect,” he says. “It gives you the freedom to think, propose new ideas and test different approaches.” 

Subramaniam’s team is relatively small — approximately 20 to 25 people — but its ambitions are much larger. The team collaborates with researchers at universities and hospitals and considers factors such as unmet medical need, available expertise and resources when deciding which projects to pursue. 

For Subramaniam, impact is not always measured by whether a potential drug ultimately reaches the market. Advancing a project and building the knowledge that informs future research are important parts of the process.  

Advice for the next generation

When Subramaniam talks about what students can do to help build meaningful career paths, his advice comes back to the approach that has guided his own: be proactive.  

“Don’t wait until something shows up,” he says. “Go after what you want and once you get the opportunity, make the most of it. Put your mind and heart into the work, stay open to learning and look for ways to contribute.” 

When Subramaniam arrived in Canada, he was a newcomer trying to find his footing. He left Carleton with a degree, lifelong friendships and a foundation that would take him in unexpected directions. Guided by curiosity, perseverance and a willingness to embrace the unexpected, he built a career one opportunity at a time. His journey serves as a reminder that success does not always come from following a carefully mapped plan. Sometimes it comes from staying open to possibilities, investing in connections and being ready to seize opportunities when they appear.