Jinqiang Hou

Dr. Jinqiang Hou serves as an Associate Professor and LU-TBRHRI Research Chair in the Department of Chemistry at Lakehead University, where he has been faculty since October 2018. His work bridges radiochemistry, medicinal chemistry, and organic synthesis to develop molecular tools for disease imaging and therapy, with laboratory facilities in CB4019, CB2029, and TBRHRI 3115.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Medicinal Chemistry, Sun Yat-sen University (2012)
• Postdoctoral training at University of South Australia, London Health Sciences Centre, and Western University

Research Focus: Dr. Hou pioneers radio-labelled compounds for PET imaging of diseases and computational drug design targeting disease-relevant proteins. His lab integrates molecular modeling, organic synthesis, and biological evaluation to create theranostic agents, with emphasis on oncology applications and the strategic integration of PET imaging into drug discovery pipelines.

Publication Trends: Recent work (2023-2025) demonstrates convergence of AI-driven molecular optimization, G-quadruplex-targeted cancer imaging probes, and precision PET radioligands for cardiac and tumor diagnostics. Key themes include metastasis inhibition via LPA1 antagonists, kinase-targeted therapies, and transformer-based multi-objective drug design.

Laboratory Operations: The Hou Lab maintains active research in radiochemistry and medicinal chemistry, supported by external funding and equipped for synthetic chemistry, molecular imaging, and preclinical evaluation. The team engages in interdisciplinary collaborations and recruits new members through university channels.