Tonya Coulthard

The Highlights

After completing my MSc. at University of British Columbia, I knew that although I truly loved science staying in academia and continuing along the path to my PhD and beyond would ultimately not make me happy in the long run.

So I turned to industry, where I began my career in the preclinical imaging space, this was over 18 years ago. I joined a small team at Visual Sonics in 2006 as an applications specialist and ultimately leading that team for some time. I caught the imaging bug, along with a strong desire to learn more about both business and product development. 

​

Next stop for me was Aspect Imaging where I again joined a small team built to help promote this truly unique and highly innovative MRI system. Here I continued to learn from one of my life long mentors in the industry, and truly began to appreciate the business development side of our industry.

​

Finally, and most recently, I worked for Scintica Instrumentation. Starting there prior to the actual formation of Scintica allowed me to dive even deeper into business development, all while having the opportunity to also learn about many more preclinical imaging modalities, and research tools, which are critical to today's scientists continuing to do the fantastic work they do.

​

I'm driven by my desire to help researchers to explore the various disease mechanisms and pathologies that effect us or our loved ones in so many aspects of our lives. I have had the pleasure of working with researchers from around the world, from them I have built a knowledge base that spans not only cardiovascular research, but also cancer research, developmental biology, neurology, as well as a host of other organ system and diseases. 

​

Along the way I have developed a deep understanding, and ability to perform ultrasound imaging on almost every accessible organ system in a variety of preclinical imaging models including mice, rats, and zebrafish, but have also imaged a host of other species that are too numerous to mention. I have also developed the ability to image at a high level using the Aspect Imaging MRI system, which is quite unique in it's design and operation. Finally, during my time at Scintica, I have also become proficient at optical imaging as well as dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) imaging and analysis.

​

Throughout my career in industry, I have remained a science nerd at heart, as well as a life-long learner. Driven by a reflective assessment of my future goals alongside my husband, I decided to establish Tonya Coulthard Consulting. This new venture allows me to choose projects that not only excite me but also have a meaningful impact, benefiting from my extensive industry experience. Under our company F-Cubed, Tonya Coulthard Consulting serves as a testament to our commitment to Family, Friends, and Financial independence, allowing me to balance my professional aspirations within my personal life.