Computer-Aided Drug Design Professors and Supervisors in Canada

Xuesen Dongمشاهده پروفایل

دانشیار

University of British ColumbiaCanada

Dr. Xuesen Dong is an Associate Professor in the Department of Urologic Sciences at the University of British Columbia and a senior scientist at the Vancouver Prostate Centre. His research focuses on prostate cancer therapy resistance mechanisms and developing novel therapeutics. His educational background: Medical training in China MSc in Molecular and Cellular Biology, Laval University PhD in Physiology, University of Toronto Postdoctoral training: Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute (Mount Sinai Hospital, University of Toronto) and Vancouver Prostate Centre Research interests include prostate cancer, therapy resistance, RNA splicing, gene regulation, drug development, hormone-dependent cancers, endocrine regulation, and biomarker discovery. His lab uses RNA sequencing and computer-aided drug design to identify new targets and diagnostics for prostate cancer. Scientific awards and funding: Rising Star Award from Prostate Cancer Canada Continuously funded by Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) grants since 2005 Dr. Dong supervises graduate students in UBC's Cell and Developmental Biology, Experimental Medicine, and Interdisciplinary Oncology programs. His laboratory at the Vancouver Prostate Centre is dedicated to overcoming treatment resistance in prostate cancer.

پروفایل رسمی دانشگاه

Shadi Daliliمشاهده پروفایل

دانشیار

University of TorontoCanada

Biologically Active Isatin Derivatives
Hole Transport Materials (HTMs) for Perovskite Solar Cells
Augmented Reality in Chemistry Education
+۳ مورد دیگر

Shadi Dalili is an Associate Professor, Teaching Stream at the University of Toronto's Scarborough (UTSC) campus. He specializes in Chemistry Education and Organic Chemistry research. His roles include teaching undergraduate courses like Organic Chemistry I and mentoring students in directed research projects. Education: BSc, University of Tehran, Iran (1999) MSc, University of Toronto (2001) PhD, University of Toronto (2005) Research Interests: His work focuses on synthesizing biologically active isatin derivatives, developing hole transport materials (HTMs) for Perovskite solar cells, and advancing chemistry education through technologies like augmented reality (AR). Collaborations with Dr. Kagan Kerman and Dr. Meissam Norouzifar address renewable energy materials, while his work with Dr. Maryam Abdinejad led to the ARchemy app, supported by grants from the Centre for Teaching and Learning and ITIF. Publications: Key contributions span AR-based educational tools, organic synthesis methodologies, and drug discovery. Recent work highlights include studies on student perceptions of AR in chemistry and lab skills seminars. Grants & Collaboration: Received $20,000 in grants for ARchemy development and partnered with UofT’s MADlab. Research emphasizes bridging technology and education, with applications in molecular visualization and renewable energy materials. Labs/Teams: Lead the ARchemy project team and collaborates on Perovskite solar cell research, fostering interdisciplinary innovation.

پروفایل رسمی دانشگاه

Nada Lallousمشاهده پروفایل

استادیار

University of British ColumbiaCanada

Cancer Biology
Biochemistry
Biophysics
+۷ مورد دیگر

Dr. Nada Lallous serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Urologic Sciences at the University of British Columbia's Faculty of Medicine and Senior Research Scientist at the Vancouver Prostate Centre. Her research focuses on cancer drug development, particularly targeting molecular mechanisms of prostate cancer progression, metastasis, and therapeutic resistance through biochemical and biophysical approaches. Her educational background includes a M.Sc and Ph.D in Structural Biochemistry and Biophysics from the University of Strasbourg and the Institute of Genetics and Molecular and Cellular Biology (IGBMC) in France, followed by postdoctoral training at the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO). She joined the Vancouver Prostate Centre in 2012 and was appointed Research Scientist in 2017. Dr. Lallous' research expertise spans cancer biology, protein biochemistry, drug design, and structural biology. She has extensive experience in protein characterization, X-ray crystallography (contributing to 20 Protein Data Bank structures), and preclinical validation of novel inhibitors. Key interests include androgen receptor signaling, transcription factors, biomolecular condensates, and overcoming therapeutic resistance in prostate and breast cancers through targeting molecular drivers like Lin28 and Myc. Analysis of her 2023-2025 publications reveals a dominant focus on androgen receptor (AR) biology in prostate cancer, with significant emphasis on AR variants (AR-V7), phase separation phenomena, and development of novel inhibitors targeting AR domains, Lin28-let-7 interactions, and Myc-Max dimerization. Her work integrates computational drug design, structural biology, and functional validation to address therapeutic resistance. Dr. Lallous has secured competitive funding including an NIH-SPORE grant from the National Cancer Institute to study androgen receptor variants in circulating tumor DNA. She mentors graduate students in UBC's Experimental Medicine program, including PhD candidate Louise Ramos working on bifunctional PARP-HDAC inhibitors. She actively collaborates with pharmaceutical companies on drug development projects. As manager of the protein bioengineering and biophysics group at the Vancouver Prostate Centre, Dr. Lallous is establishing a core facility to support preclinical drug validation and structural studies for cancer researchers, enabling high-throughput inhibitor screening and biophysical characterization.

پروفایل رسمی دانشگاه

Heather Neyedliمشاهده پروفایل

دانشیار

Dalhousie UniversityCanada

Heather Neyedli, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the School of Health and Human Performance at Dalhousie University. Her research focuses on human-technology interaction in military and sports contexts, motor learning, and decision-making processes. She leads the Cognitive and Motor Performance Lab and coaches the Dalhousie Women’s Rugby Team. Education: Postdoctoral Fellowship: Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford PhD: Kinesiology and Physical Education, University of Toronto M.A.Sc: Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto BSc (Honours): Kinesiology, Dalhousie University Research Interests: Dr. Neyedli explores how humans interact with AI, automated systems, and technology. Key areas include: Trust in automation (e.g., military systems, sports technology) Cognitive and motor performance adaptation Error correction and skill acquisition Human decision-making under uncertainty Recent Publications: Her work spans VR training efficacy, trust calibration in automation, and team performance in complex missions. Recent studies examine navigation performance with haptic feedback and the impact of automated planning aids on situation awareness. Labs/Teams: Directs the Cognitive and Motor Performance Lab, collaborating on projects involving neurorehabilitation, sports biomechanics, and human-technology interfaces.

پروفایل رسمی دانشگاه

Maral Aminpourمشاهده پروفایل

استادیار

University of AlbertaCanada

Computational Biology
Drug Discovery
Machine Learning Applications in Biomedical Engineering
+۷ مورد دیگر

Dr. Maral Aminpour is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Alberta , where she leads a computational lab focused on drug discovery and biological systems modeling. Her research integrates artificial intelligence and physics-based methods to study protein-protein interactions, with particular emphasis on repurposing drugs for COVID-19 and optimizing anti-tubulin cancer therapeutics . Her lab develops hybrid AI-physics software tools to advance rational drug design and has contributed to understanding ivermectin's multi-target effects, Omicron's neurovirulence, and microtubule-targeting cancer drugs. Current projects include computational approaches to PROTACs design and antiparasitic drug discovery . Teaches graduate courses in Rational Drug Design (BME 620) and Machine Learning for Biomedical Applications (BME 677) Lab website: Aminpour Lab Active research areas: Computational drug discovery , AI in biomedical engineering , Protein interaction modeling

پروفایل رسمی دانشگاه

Nicolas Moitessierمشاهده پروفایل

استاد

McGill UniversityCanada

Nicolas Moitessier is a Professor in the Department of Chemistry at McGill University, specializing in computational and experimental approaches to drug discovery. He earned his Maîtrise (1994) and Ph.D. (1998) from the University of Nancy, France, followed by postdoctoral research at the University of Montreal (1998-2000) and a Research Senior position at CNRS Nancy (2001-2003). His research integrates computer-aided drug design with organic synthesis, focusing on developing predictive software platforms (FITTED, IMPACTS, FORECASTER) for drug binding, metabolism prediction, and asymmetric catalyst design. Current projects include covalent inhibitor development for viral proteases and RNA-targeted therapeutics. Professor Moitessier teaches CHEM 222 (Introductory Organic Chemistry 2) and CHEM 552 (Physical Organic Chemistry). His interdisciplinary work bridges chemical biology, catalysis, and computational chemistry to accelerate molecular discovery.

پروفایل رسمی دانشگاه

Francesco Gentileمشاهده پروفایل

استادیار

University of OttawaCanada

Francesco Gentile is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences at the University of Ottawa, Faculty of Science. His research focuses on computational strategies for drug discovery, leveraging AI and deep learning to accelerate virtual screening and target unconventional drug targets such as protein-protein interactions. He leads the Gentile Lab, which investigates cancer drug resistance and develops tools like DockBox and Deep Docking for structure-based drug discovery. Education: PhD in Computational Physics from the University of Alberta (2014-2019), postdoctoral training at the Vancouver Prostate Centre under Art Cherkasov. Awards include Alberta Innovates Scholarship and CIHR Fellowship. Research interests span AI-driven drug discovery, chemical space exploration, and synergistic therapies for cancer. The lab collaborates with the Ottawa Institute of Systems Biology and AI4Science@uOttawa. Key publications include work on SARS-CoV-2 protease inhibitors, LRRK2 domain targeting, and AI in early-stage drug discovery. Over 20 students and postdocs have been advised, with active projects in PROTAC design and computational modeling. Lab members include postdocs, graduate students, and undergraduates from diverse backgrounds. Current tools developed include Pose Ensemble GNNs and PROTACable pipelines.

پروفایل رسمی دانشگاه

Jinqiang Houمشاهده پروفایل

دانشیار

Lakehead UniversityCanada

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.

پروفایل رسمی دانشگاه

Francis Buiمشاهده پروفایل

دانشیار

University of SaskatchewanCanada

Francis Bui is an Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Graduate Chair of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Saskatchewan's College of Engineering. His expertise spans Machine Learning, Biomedical Engineering, Signal Processing, Medical Imaging, Information Security, and Wireless Communications. He leads research initiatives in computational biology, medical device innovation, and AI-driven diagnostics. Education: Holds BSc, MSc, and PhD degrees (institutions unspecified). Research interests include biosensor design, federated learning for healthcare, and predictive modeling for disease management. His work integrates machine learning with biomedical applications, focusing on early disease detection and precision medicine. Recent research highlights include developing AI tools for RNA modification analysis, tumor-homing peptides, and SARS-CoV-2 detection biosensors. He also explores cybersecurity in medical systems and federated learning frameworks for privacy-preserving genomics. Notable contributions include optical fiber innovations for biomedical sensing and ensemble learning models for drug target identification. His lab focuses on translating computational methods into clinical applications, emphasizing interdisciplinary collaboration.

پروفایل رسمی دانشگاه

Mohammad Kohandelمشاهده پروفایل

استاد

University of WaterlooCanada

Dr. Mohammad Kohandel is a Professor in the Department of Applied Mathematics at the University of Waterloo, cross-appointed in the School of Computer Science and Chemical Engineering. He holds a PhD from the Institute for Advanced Studies in Basic Sciences (Iran). His research focuses on applying mathematical, computational, and machine learning techniques to biomedical challenges, including cancer treatment optimization, drug delivery systems, and quantum sensor technology. He is affiliated with the Centre for Mathematical Medicine at the Fields Institute, Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, and the Waterloo Data & Artificial Intelligence Institute. His work spans mathematical oncology, scientific machine learning, and computational modeling of cancer stem cells and tumor microenvironments. Recent publications highlight advancements in deep learning for tumor classification, physics-informed neural networks, and synergistic therapies targeting tumor heterogeneity. Dr. Kohandel leads the Kohandel Lab, which actively seeks graduate students and researchers to advance interdisciplinary projects in computational biomedicine.

پروفایل رسمی دانشگاه

Ahmed Ashrafمشاهده پروفایل

استادیار

University of ManitobaCanada

Dr. Ahmed Ashraf is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Manitoba's Price Faculty of Engineering. His research focuses on artificial intelligence, deep learning, and biomedical imaging applications in healthcare, epigenomics, transportation engineering, and power systems. He holds a B.Sc. from UET Lahore (2000), M.Sc. and Ph.D. from Carnegie Mellon University (2006/2010), and postdoctoral training at UPenn (2013) and Toronto Rehab Institute (2018). Education: B.Sc. (2000), M.Sc. (2006), Ph.D. (2010) – Carnegie Mellon; Postdocs at UPenn (2013), Toronto Rehab (2018) His research interests include neural network architectures for biomedical image analysis, AI-driven epigenomic studies, and interdisciplinary AI applications. Key projects include developing interpretable CNN models for partial discharge classification in electrical systems, enhancing multimodal microwave imaging for breast cancer detection, and addressing algorithmic bias in facial analysis for dementia patients. Publications span applications in medical imaging, material analysis, and AI ethics, with a focus on translating machine learning innovations into clinical and engineering solutions. He actively mentors graduate students seeking interdisciplinary research opportunities.

پروفایل رسمی دانشگاه

Renaud Duvalمشاهده پروفایل

دانشیار بالینی

University of MontrealCanada

Renaud Duval is a Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Montreal's Faculty of Medicine. He directs the Ophthalmology Fellowship Program and leads retinal services at the Centre universitaire d’ophtalmologie (Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont). His clinical practice integrates surgical innovation, medical education, and research supervision for medical students, residents, and fellows. Education: MD CM, McGill University (2006) Residency in Ophthalmology, Université de Montréal (2011) Fellowship in Vitreoretinal Surgery, Rush University/Illinois Retina Associates (2013) His research bridges clinical ophthalmology and technology development. Primary interests include: retinal pathophysiology (age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy), surgical innovation (new instrument design, vitrectomy techniques), AI integration for automated analysis of OCT/fundus images, and tele-ophthalmology frameworks for remote diagnostics. He co-authored Canadian tele-retina screening guidelines and develops deep learning models for lesion segmentation in retinal imaging. Publications emphasize translational applications: 65% focus on surgical outcomes (vitrectomy mechanics, intraocular pressure dynamics), 25% on AI/imaging diagnostics, and 10% on infectious/inflammatory retinopathies. Recent work demonstrates strong convergence of biomechanical modeling (ocular rigidity) and AI-driven image analysis. Awards & Honors: 6× Rhett Buckler Awards (ASRS Film Festival, 2012-2019) for innovative surgical videos ASRS Junior Achievement Award (2015) Dean’s Honour List (McGill 2006, UdeM 2011) Robert Forsyth/Francis Williams Prizes (McGill, 2006) He leads or co-investigates clinical trials (6+ as PI/co-I) and secured CIHR funding for a 5-year project (2022-2026) developing an OCT-controlled subretinal drug injection system for preclinical research. As director of fellowships, he oversees advanced ophthalmology training programs. Affiliations include the Vision Health Research Network (RRSV), emphasizing collaborative retinal research.

پروفایل رسمی دانشگاه