Christopher Dumayne
"Growing up in Canada in the ’90s, science felt like adventure: Jurassic Park, Back to the Future, The Magic School Bus. Later, Dr. House showed me how curiosity, biology, and problem‑solving could actually save lives. That mix of imagination and real‑world impact pulled me in.
A more personal turning point came even earlier when, as a child, I had leukemia.
Between the late ’70s and the ’90s, acute lymphoblastic leukemia shifted from nearly hopeless to highly curable. That transformation, fueled by groundbreaking research, saved my life. Experiencing that progress firsthand made one thing unmistakably clear: science isn’t abstract, it’s hope made real. And I wanted to be part of that for someone else.
At university, an inspiring professor introduced me to kidney physiology, and nephrology became the field where science suddenly felt real and accessible. His textbook still sits on my desk, a reminder of where it all began.
Since then, my work has carried me through rare kidney diseases, metabolic disorders tied to renal dysfunction, diabetes, and neurodegeneration.
Today at CSL, I use human cell cultures to recreate patient‑like conditions so that we have realistic research models to test drug candidates. By creating research models that mimic disease more accurately, we’re giving potential therapies the best chance at being effective.
Beyond the core science itself, I lead cross‑functional teams and collaborate with academic and industry partners to advance innovation across nephrology. I need to stay close to breakthroughs, assess new ideas, and spot emerging opportunities. And once a project gains momentum, it becomes a true symphony of collaboration across functions, sites, and countries.
Science is borderless. I’m a Canadian living in Switzerland, surrounded by people with different backgrounds and stories, united by the same curiosity and desire to make a difference. That’s the beauty of science, it brings people together.
One of the accomplishments I’m most proud of is helping shape CSL’s nephrology strategy. What drives me is simple: the hope that one of our ideas becomes a therapy that changes patients’ lives. Science shaped my future and now I’m doing everything I can to pay that forward.’’