Jul 13, 2025 
Dr. Karolina Valente is the Founder and CEO of VoxCell BioInnovation, a biotechnology company advancing 3D bioprinting to develop human-like cancer tissue models and accelerate drug discovery. With over 12 years of experience in tissue engineering, she holds a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering with a focus on bioprinting and drug delivery systems. Under her leadership, VoxCell has grown from 5 to 20 employees and raised over $10M CAD. Her contributions to biotechnology and cancer research have earned her and VoxCell multiple accolades. In 2023, Douglas Magazine recognized VoxCell as one of its 10 to Watch winners, acknowledging the company’s significant contributions to biotechnology and cancer research. In 2024, Life Sciences BC named VoxCell to its Companies to Watch – Recognition Honour Roll, highlighting its potential and achievements in the life sciences sector. Most recently, The Globe and Mail’s Report on Business 2025 Changemakers Award recognized Karolina as one of 20 emerging leaders reinventing how business is done in Canada. Passionate about scientific innovation, gender equity, and the future of biotechnology, she continues to drive transformative change in oncology research and 3D bioprinting. Karolina will join our upcoming Bioprinting Frontier event as a speaker.
When was the first encounter you had with 3D printing?
Karolina: My first hands-on experience with 3D printing was in 2015, using a basic FDM printer. It was fascinating watching something materialize from nothing, layer by layer, which felt almost magical. But it wasn’t until 2017, when I saw a bioprinter for the first time, specifically the RX1, that I genuinely felt the impact this technology could have. I remember thinking, “This is the future, but it needs to be more accessible, with a smaller learning curve.” That moment shifted my mindset from curiosity to purpose.
What inspired you to start your journey?
Karolina: During my PhD in mechanical engineering, I was working on drug delivery systems and needed access to cancer tissue. What I found was that acquiring real, human-like cancer tissue for research was incredibly difficult, inconsistent, and expensive. At one point, I thought—why not build it myself? That spark led to the foundation of VoxCell BioInnovation in 2020. I aimed to develop more physiologically relevant, vascularized tissue models to enable pharma companies to test drugs more accurately, ultimately leading to faster access to better treatments for patients.
Who inspired you the most along this journey in 3D printing?
Karolina: My biggest inspiration has been my mother. She battled cancer, and witnessing her experience deeply affected me. It made me painfully aware of how much trial and error still exist in cancer treatment. She’s the reason I focus on oncology models. Beyond that, I’ve been inspired by the patients themselves and by the brilliant scientists and engineers who challenge boundaries every day. My PhD supervisor also played a key role, always encouraging me to think beyond the lab bench and build something that could have a real impact.
What motivates you the most for your work?
Karolina: Knowing that the technology we’re developing could directly influence the success of cancer treatments keeps me going. We’re building models that allow drugs to be tested on vascularized human-like tissue, which is far more predictive than animal models. Every day, I’m motivated by the idea that what we do at VoxCell could reduce suffering, save time in drug development, and ultimately save lives.
What is/are the biggest obstacle(s) in your line of work? If you have conquered them, what were your solutions?
Karolina: One of the biggest obstacles has been convincing the pharmaceutical industry to shift from traditional models to our more predictive 3D vascularized tissues. Pharma is slow to change, validation takes time, and regulatory frameworks are built around older methods. But progress like the FDA Modernization Act of 2021, which allows alternatives to animal testing in preclinical studies, is helping open doors. Our solution? We focused on generating strong, reproducible data and building trust through collaboration.
What do you think are the most significant challenges in bioprinting?
Karolina: Vascularization remains one of the biggest technical challenges. Tissues need oxygen and nutrients, so without proper blood vessel networks, printed tissues don’t survive. In addition to that, systemic delivery of drugs cannot be mimicked without the presence of a vasculature. At VoxCell, we address this by bioprinting ultra-detailed vascularized tissue models with very high resolution.
If a higher being grants you three wishes, what would they be?
Karolina:
- That no patient ever receives a treatment that doesn’t work because the testing model was flawed.
- That advanced healthcare innovations, like biofabrication, become accessible globally, not just in wealthy countries.
- That more women and underrepresented groups in STEM feel seen, heard, and empowered to lead.
What advice would you give to a bright, driven college student in the “real world”? What bad advice have you heard that they should ignore?
Karolina:
My advice: Stay curious and interdisciplinary. Learn how to speak the language of people outside your field. That’s where real innovation happens. And don’t wait until you feel “ready”, start where you are, build as you go.
Bad advice to ignore: “Stick to what you know.” That mindset limits innovation. Also, the idea that you need to follow a rigid career path. My journey didn’t follow a straight line, and I’m thankful for that.
What’s your favorite book you read this year and why? Alternatively, what’s your favorite book of all times you read and why?
Karolina: One book that stayed with me is Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek. It resonated on a very personal level, especially as someone leading a growing biotech company. At VoxCell, we’re not just building advanced technologies; we’re building a team, a culture, and a shared sense of purpose. This book puts into words something I’ve felt all along: that good leadership is really about service, about making sure your team feels trusted and empowered to do their best work. That kind of environment doesn’t just make people happier, it makes innovation possible.
Related Links:
FRESH Bioprinting for Type I Diabetes with Mike Graffeo
Expert Corner blogs on bioprinting by Andrew Hudson (four-part series)
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