Steven Pelech

Dr. Steven Pelech is a full Professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of British Columbia (UBC) since 1997. He is affiliated with the Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health and serves as President and Chief Scientific Officer of Kinexus Bioinformatics Corporation, which he founded in 1999. Previously, he co-founded Kinetek Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in 1992.

• Education: B.Sc. (1979, Honours) and Ph.D. (1982) in Biochemistry from UBC; postdoctoral training with Sir Philip Cohen at the University of Dundee and Nobel laureate Edwin Krebs at the Howard Hughes Medical Center.

Dr. Pelech’s research focuses on mapping protein kinase-based cell signaling systems to identify diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets for drug development in neurological disorders, cancer, and diabetes. His lab utilizes advanced proteomics strategies, including antibody microarrays capable of 5200 separate measurements, to study diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Friedreich’s Ataxia, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

He has authored over 230 peer-reviewed publications, 250 blog commentaries on GenomeWeb, and created the SigNET KnowledgeBank with 9 open-access websites containing 3 million webpages on genes, proteins, and drugs. Since 1988, he has supervised over 12 graduate students and 150 undergraduate co-op trainees, and teaches graduate courses such as MEDI-501, MED-502, and MEDI-590.

Dr. Pelech also engages in translational research through his industrial roles, bridging academic discovery with biotechnology innovation. His work spans experimental model systems in neurology, oncology, and metabolic regulation, including insulin signaling and cell cycle progression.