Leadership | Staff | Steering Committee | Advisors | Trainees |
CMC Leadership
Professor Amanda Hargrove is the Director of the Centre for Medicinal Chemistry and a Professor of Chemistry and Canada Research Chair at UTM. Prof. Hargrove's research focuses on the novel drug target RNA, which is opening therapeutic avenues into myriad incurable diseases and leading to a paradigm shift in drug discovery. Using a combination of organic, biological, and computational chemistry, the interdisciplinary Hargrove lab is establishing AI-driven experimental platforms from which new RNA-targeting drugs can be rapidly developed for a range of human and infectious diseases. Hargrove has filed multiple patents based on this work and is in the process of commercialization. She is on the Scientific Advisory Board of Arrakis Therapeutics.
Dr. Elvin De Araujo, Research Manager
Elvin D. de Araujo obtained his PhD from the University of Toronto and completed a postdoctoral fellowship focussed on exploring and targeting oncogenic proteins in the context of structural biology and medicinal chemistry. He currently oversees the Centre for Medicinal Chemistry staff and trainees and facilities their entrepreneurial growth in building spin-off companies to their value inflection point. He has co-authored >45 publications in the fields of medicinal chemistry and biochemistry and has received over 20 academic awards/honors.
Staff
Dr. Balmiki Kumar, Research Associate
Balmiki earned his PhD from the National Institute of Technology (India), where he studied enzyme-triggered drug delivery and near-infrared activated theranostic platforms. He then joined Prof. Ulrich J. Krull’s Chemical Sensor Group as a postdoctoral researcher, investigating how surface chemistry affects colloidal stability and nano–bio interactions in lanthanide-doped nanoparticles. With Prof. Patrick Gunning, Balmiki worked on chemoproteomics-focused projects to map proteome-wide lysine and identify novel therapeutic targets.
Dr. Thien Nguyen, Lab Technician
Dr. Quoc Thien Nguyen serves as the Lab Manager at Gunning Group, CMC, where he oversees day-to-day operations to ensure the smooth execution of experiments and research activities. With a background in Plant Biochemistry, Thien brings years of expertise in equipment maintenance and innovative workflow automation solutions. His meticulous attention to detail, resourcefulness, and unconventional problem-solving skills are pivotal in fostering a productive and efficient work environment for the team. Beyond the lab, Thien finds solace in the great outdoors, often hiking scenic trails, capturing moments through his lens, and embarking on adventures with his family.
Chantal James, Administrative Assistant
With over 18 years of admin experience — and a past life in event planning, weddings, and even pastry school — Chantal’s the one who keeps things organized so the science can shine. From juggling schedules to handling the little details, she makes sure the lab runs like clockwork.
Outside of work, life is full with her three kids, who keep her on her toes more than any meeting schedule ever could. She’s traveled to 19 countries (and counting), loves baking when she can sneak it in, and proudly keeps up with all things Bravo when it’s time to relax.
Steering Committee
Iva Zovkic is an Associate Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences and a Canada Research Chair in Behavioral Epigenetics at the University of Toronto Mississauga. Her lab studies how epigenetic mechanisms, particularly histone variants, contribute to the onset and progression of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s. Since epigenetic factors integrate diverse molecular signals to coordinate gene expression programs, they offer attractive opportunities for therapeutic targeting in diseases with complex and evolving pathology. The Zovkic Lab defines how specific epigenetic factors become disrupted in dementia, how these changes track with disease progression, and how they may serve as biomarkers or targets for novel therapeutic strategies. Prof. Zovkic also serves on the Scientific Advisory Board of Re: Pair Genomics.
Professor Scott Prosser is an AstraZeneca Chair of Biophysical Chemistry and Professor in the Chemistry and Biochemistry departments. Prof. Prosser’s research focuses on G protein Coupled Receptors (GPCRs) and a variety of enzymes. Together with Professor Hargrove, Scott is working on the development of a new evolvable fragment library for use by MS and 19F NMR. Other interests include the design of new 13C-methyl amino acid analogues for protein NMR, allosteric mechanisms in protein complexes, and the design and implementation of allosteric nanobodies as pharmacological adjuvants for GPCRs. Prosser current has two active industry partnerships intended to derive new translational applications related to drug and nanobody discovery and design. Scott is also the director of the professional Master of Biotechnology program at UTM.
Dr. Andrew Beharry is an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemical and Physical Sciences at the University of Toronto Mississauga. His research program lies at the interface of synthetic organic chemistry, biochemistry, biophysics, and cell biology. His lab develops small molecule fluorescent chemosensors for enzymes involved in anticancer drug resistance and for fluorescence-guided surgery of tumours, as well as novel photoactive therapeutic agents (e.g., photosensitizers) against cancers.
Mark Currie is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology at UTM. His group seeks to understand mechanisms that govern genome organization, epigenetic gene regulation, and genome stability in health and disease.
Michelle Arkin is a Professor of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Executive Director of the Small Molecule Discovery Center, and Vice Dean of Research Technology and Entrepreneurship in the School of Pharmacy at University of California, San Francisco. Her chemical biology lab focuses on developing methods and molecules that target currently ‘undruggable’ proteins, including protein-protein interactions, molecular machines, and transcription factors. Active in drug discovery for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, Dr. Arkin’s research has been funded by the NIH and multiple disease foundations. Prior to UCSF, she was a scientist at Sunesis Pharmaceuticals, where she helped discover drug leads for inflammatory diseases and led nonclinical teams for clinical stage programs in oncology. She serves on the advisory boards for several pharmaceutical companies and scientific journals and is a co-founder of four therapeutics startups.
Advisors
Professor Patrick Gunning is the founder and former director of the CMC and a Professor of Chemistry at UTM and the University of Glasgow. He is the co-founder and CSO of Dalriada Drug Discovery and has founded three other biotech companies: Janpix Inc, now a Centessa Pharmaceuticals’ company, Dunad Therapeutics, and Dalriada Therapeutics.
Trainees
Trainees are the soul of the CMC. Bios coming soon...