Bowen Li

McGill University and the University of Manitoba Awarded $6.4M Grant from Genome Canada and Genome Quebec! This award is to Advance Absolute Quantitative Proteomics Innovation in developing the SysQuan technology and turn it into commercially available proteomic kits. We’re grateful to Genome Canada and Genome Quebec for recognizing the value of our research, and to our partners— MRM Proteomics, Agilent, Bruker, and Evosep— for their participation and support. https://lnkd.in/eDA4JGcz https://lnkd.in/etqE5fN3 #SysQuan #GenomeCanadaGrant #GenomeQuebecGrant #MRMP #Agilent #Bruker #Evosep #MRMPE #Grants

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Welcoming the Guelph Engineering Society to Medical Innovation Xchange. This week, Medical Innovation Xchange (MIX) was pleased to host students from the Guelph Engineering Society for an insightful panel on navigating the transition from university to industry, followed by demos from MIX member companies.  The Guelph Engineering Society plays an important role in connecting students, faculty, researchers, and industry. Many ENG SOC students actively pursue co‑op and full‑time roles within MIX companies, and we’re proud to help strengthen that pipeline. Students heard from a panel of Guelph alumni who shared their experiences. The discussion explored: Standing Out Early, Skills Gaps, Career Pathways, Industry–Academia Collaboration, Work–Life Balance, and Advice for Future Grads. Following the panel, students toured MIX and experienced hands‑on demos from several member companies, including: Vessl Prosthetics, Enhanced Medical Nutrition, Hyivy Health, FluidAI Medical, Cobionix Corporation. We’re grateful to the Guelph Engineering Society for spending the day with us and to our alumni panelists and member companies for sharing their time and expertise. #MIX #MedicalInnovationXchange #UniversityofGuelph #UofG #GuelphEngineeringSociety #EngSoc #Vessl #VesslProsthetics #Cobionix #CobionixCorporation #FluidAI #FluidAi #Kitchener #Waterloo #Guelph #Hyivy #HyivyHealth

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🎉  CRBS researchers enjoyed notable success in the latest round of Canadian Institutes of Health Research | Instituts de recherche en santé du Canada funding, with 9 five-year Project Grants won. Professors Bastien Castagner, Codruta Ignea, Gergely Lukacs, Bhushan Nagar, Joaquin Ortega, Martin Schmeing, Nahum Sonenberg, Jackie Vogel and Natalie Zeytuni each lead successful Project Grant applications, which were together awarded over $9.1M. The CRBS-led grants account for 40% of all successful McGill University 5-year Project Grants this competition. It will be a great boon during an exciting time at the CRBS for research, graduate training and infrastructure renewal. 🎉 Congratulations to all!! 👏 The Project Grants are: Bastien Castagner: Inositol Phosphates Analogs to Disarm the Intestinal Pathogen Clostridioides difficile Codruta Ignea: An integrated approach for the discovery and production of novel bioactive agents for neurological and mental health disorders Gergely Lukacs: Advancing Therapeutic Strategies to Enhance Anion Secretion in Cystic Fibrosis with CFTR Mutations that are Ineligible or Poorly Responsive to Modulators Bhushan Nagar: Understanding the role of innate immune proteins in viral infection Joaquin Ortega, with co-applicant Wayne Sossin: Molecular Mechanism of Translational Stalling in Specialized Neuronal Ribosomes Martin Schmeing: Biosynthesis by hybrid megaenzyme systems Nahum Sonenberg: mRNA Translational Repression by GIGYF Proteins and Their Partners Jackie Vogel: Investigation of the +TIP body, a microtubule-associated fluid droplet that positions the spindle in polarized cells Natalie Zeytuni: Orchestrating Biofilms: Molecular Insights into P. gingivalis Fimbriae and Periodontal Pathogenesis McGill Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences; McGill School of Biomedical Sciences

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At #BIO2025, we spoke with BioTalent Canada's Student Work Placement Program participant Danyaal Abbas from Aspect Biosystems, who won a travel grant from Amgen and the The University of British Columbia School of Biomedical Engineering for presenting an innovative medical device. He speaks about the benefits of SWPP and the impact it has had on his career.

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We are proud to share that 9 research projects led by investigators from the UBC School of Biomedical Engineering (SBME) have been awarded funding from the Stem Cell Network to advance cutting-edge research in stem cell and regenerative medicine. This funding will support research into a wide range of diseases, including type 1 diabetes and cancer, developing therapies designed to manage symptoms and stop or reverse the course of disease. https://lnkd.in/gMhwBeGw

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On #WorldAIDSDay, learn about a new UBC Medicine research project that aims to bring B.C. closer to ending #HIV transmission. https://bit.ly/4ru4WOH Funded by Genome British Columbia, the project will use advanced genomic and AI-enabled tools to better understand how transmission patterns are changing. The data will help public health teams take focused action to help prevent further spread. “By providing clearer insight into how and where HIV continues to spread, the work will support more equitable care by helping ensure vulnerable communities are identified earlier and connected to treatment that improves health outcomes and reduces onward transmission,” said Dr. Jeffrey Joy.

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For a century, #BMSCanada has been committed to pioneering research in oncology, hematology, immunology, and cardiovascular diseases 💫.    Our 100-year journey has been deeply rooted in the life sciences ecosystem, embracing the spirit of collaboration. Our environment fosters partnerships between academics, industry, and clinical research, driving approximately 140 clinical trials across Canada.     We are dedicated to working towards a modern, patient-focused framework that ensures these breakthroughs reach the people who need them quickly.    Mary Tzortzis, Head, Regional Clinical Operations Canada and Danika Laberge, President and CEO of CATALIS Québec share more about the importance of Quebec’s life science industry: https://lnkd.in/gGKmpQEk  #LifeSciences #HealthcareInnovation #ClinicalTrials #Canada #Quebec 

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The Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, in partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS), has launched the Cloud Research Lab — a game-changing initiative that's transforming how #TemertyMed researchers approach important biomedical science. The impact? Data analysis that previously required months is now accomplished in weeks or even days. Leading this innovation is Artem Babaian, assistant professor in the Department of Molecular Genetics - University of Toronto, whose Serratus platform discovered over 130,000 RNA viruses by analyzing 5.7 million biological samples in just 11 days. His team's latest breakthrough identified more than 29,000 new obelisk species by re-analyzing 7.2 million datasets in three weeks—work that would have taken years using traditional methods. This collaboration positions Canada as a global leader in computational research while maximizing the cost efficiency of grants. As Stephane Angers 🇨🇦, director of the Donnelly Centre notes, "Cloud computing is transforming research worldwide, and this investment ensures our students and faculty have the most advanced technology at their fingertips." 🔗 See comments below for link to full story

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CGEn is proud to support LIGAND-AI, one of the largest global open-science drug discovery efforts. CGEn-Toronto (The Centre for Applied Genomics at The Hospital for Sick Children) will sequence DNA-encoded libraries to help create open protein-ligand datasets for AI-driven medicine. This initiative is among the first under Canada’s new association with Horizon Europe, enabling full participation in EU-funded research. Learn more 👇

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A new publication presents an open-source framework for virtual bioequivalence (vBE) to inform clinical trial design, and is co-authored by Moriah Pellowe, University of Waterloo School of Pharmacy and Pharmetheus. The tutorial introduces the vBE Toolbox R package, a key component within the Open Systems Pharmacology framework. This toolbox is specifically designed to streamline and standardize computational vBE workflows, with a primary function of training pharmacokinetic models. It achieves this through the integration of in vitro and in vivo data, the inference of inter-individual variability from clinical data, and the establishment of in vitro-to-in vivo extrapolations. The use of the vBE tool is illustrated through two case studies that highlight essential considerations for model development, training, and extrapolation toward vBE assessment applications. The vBE assessment between a reference and a test product is a computational evaluation that plays a crucial role in addressing feasibility challenges. It assesses the probability of bioequivalence (BE) between the two products given a particular study design. vBE assessments can be used to replace or decrease the number of sampling times or study subjects of an in vivo BE study in cases where completing in vivo BE studies would be challenging due to data sparsity, as in the case of rare diseases and specific populations, where it may be difficult or unethical to recruit subjects. In cases of drugs with long half-lives, a virtual BE assessment may enable shorter in vivo BE studies, which helps reduce the risks of increased dropout rates and the ethical concerns associated with extended washout periods. In such cases, a vBE assessment can support regulatory decision-making throughout the life cycle of a drug product. 🔗 Link to publication: https://lnkd.in/dTbprANt   #PBPK #VirtualBioequivalence #OpenSource #ClinicalTrialDesign #OpenSystemsPharmacology All co-authors: Abdullah Hamadeh, Moriah Pellowe, Pierre Chelle, Cindy H. T. Yeung, Julian Otalvaro, Walter "Mas" Yamada , Jay Bartroff, Alona Kryshchenko, André Dallmann, Juri Solodenko, Joerg Lippert, Eleftheria Tsakalozou, Michael Neely, Andrea Edginton 👏

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Research Congress 2026 Whole Medical Systems Research from a TCIM (Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine) Perspective Nadine Ijaz, PhD 🗓️February 27, 2:05 PM 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gjyGxs9P Nadine Ijaz is Associate Professor at Carleton University and founding Director of the TCIM Lab. Drawing on a major WHO-commissioned scoping review, this talk explores research methodologies aligned with whole, complex TCIM systems, focusing on paradigmatic alignment, evidential pluralism, and epistemic justice in evidence-informed decision making.

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SickKids is proud to be part of a Canadian‑led alliance that is advancing the future of drug discovery. Through the new LIGAND-AI initiative, SickKids is working with University Health Network and the The Structural Genomics Consortium (SGC) and partners across nine countries to generate open, high-quality protein-ligand datasets that will help train #AI models to predict drug-like molecules. Supported by a $26‑million Horizon Europe investment, LIGAND-AI will also help build the next generation of scientific talent, offering hands-on training in AI, data science, and translational research. Read more #SKResearch ➡️ https://lnkd.in/dpd2n3-u

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The University of Ottawa is launching a new center for research, education and innovation in medical Artificial Intelligence (AI) to facilitate cross-cutting collaborations while sharpening the university’s competitive edge in the this rapidly changing landscape. Led by Canada Research Chair in Medical Artificial Intelligence Dr. Khaled El Emam, the Ottawa Medical Artificial Intelligence Research Institute (OMARI) will serve as a resource hub for harnessing and scaling medical AI to expedite new research discoveries, enhance education, and help achieve better health equity with data-driven tools. Housed within the Faculty of Medicine, OMARI aims to showcase the power of AI implementation in partnership with the university’s world-class affiliated hospitals and research institutes, while helping to strengthen collaborative teams, prepare medical students to continually innovate and establish Ottawa’s flourishing research ecosystem as a recognized leader in this ultra-competitive field. Empowering ‘communities of practice’ to co-create medical AI solutions “We want to motivate clinicians, researchers, and students to bring their innovations from the lab into the real world. Innovation and commercialization can—and should—happen together,” says Dr. El Emam, Full Professor in the School of Epidemiology and Public Health and Senior Scientist at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) Research Institute. OMARI will help researchers spin off companies from their labs, allowing them to bring their best ideas to market. The institute will highlight non-traditional funding sources that are currently underused, including foundations that support medical AI and company funding through philanthropic groups. OMARI should create a common hub to identify investigators’ needs and to address gaps, steering researchers to access resources such as computing power, software, talent, and funding. “We want to build communities of practice so that investigators and students working on similar problems or using similar tools can share ideas and benefit from each other’s experience,” Dr. El Emam says. “Our goal is to move as quickly as possible to stay competitive.” Clearing hurdles & maintaining excellence in medical AI OMARI’s initial focus centers on advancing medical research and ethically deploying AI tools, but upcoming phases will move deeply into education.  “We teach students the basics, but we also want them to learn how to use AI to code faster and produce analysis results more quickly. This idea applies to all areas: we want students to use AI effectively in their subjects, and we also want to use AI to improve education overall,” says Dr. El Emam, who teaches a machine learning course. Learn more about the Ottawa Medical Artificial Intelligence Research Institute (OMARI). https://lnkd.in/g_-7AQy5

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To boost Ottawa’s #LifeSciences sector, the University of Ottawa is launching the Advanced Medical Research Centre, uniting academia, industry & government to drive health innovation & #biotech commercialization. https://lnkd.in/gZzBKXge #ONpoli #ONpse Sylvia Jones

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Canada is betting big on talent as infrastructure. Applied Pharmaceutical Innovation, in partnership with Mitacs, has launched the Life Sciences Placement Program, aiming to fund 1,000 paid internships across the country. Spanning AI and modeling, engineering, biology, regulatory affairs, and commercial strategy, the initiative targets the entire innovation chain—from discovery through manufacturing. Announced at Life Sciences Week 2025 in Alberta, it’s being framed as one of Canada’s largest coordinated workforce-building efforts in the sector. This isn’t just about internships. It’s an attempt to ease the sector’s most critical choke points: clinical operations capacity, GxP-ready manufacturing talent, and evidence-generation expertise needed for market access. For biotechs and pharma affiliates navigating leaner financing and higher evidence thresholds, co-funded, structured placements could accelerate timelines and build durable operational muscle without bloating headcount. But scaling comes with execution risk. Intern-driven workstreams that touch regulated data or GMP settings will need rigorous data governance and documentation to maintain auditability. The companies that embed placements into validated processes, rather than isolating them in pilots, will extract the most lasting value—especially in RWE, HTA analytics, and regulatory functions. Regionally, Alberta’s role signals a decentralization play—building a manufacturing and translational node to complement Ontario and Quebec. Strategically, it aligns with a global pattern: using non-dilutive mechanisms to extend operational runway and de-risk scale-up, as talent arbitrage becomes a competitive lever alongside capital and IP. The key question: can 1,000 placements be targeted sharply enough to ease systemic capacity constraints—or will this become the prototype for a national, outcomes-tied talent platform that scales across Canada’s most acute capability gaps? 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐞: https://lnkd.in/dvDbtdEP #LifeSciences #Biotech #WorkforceDevelopment #ClinicalResearch #HealthInnovation

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From student research to global biotech innovation, University of Waterloo alumnus Ryan Denomme (BASc ’10, MASc ’12) is leading the charge.   As CEO and founder of Nicoya Lifesciences, Denomme launched the company through Velocity to solve a major research barrier: traditional tools for analyzing drug interactions were too expensive and slow.   Today, the Kitchener-based company is making a global impact: - Operating in 40+ countries - Creating AI-powered tools for faster drug discovery - Employing co-op students and alumni, including 50% of its executive team Nicoya is helping researchers make faster breakthroughs in health science with its SPR systems, including Alto™, the world’s first digital microfluidics-based model. Behind that innovation is a growing team powered by University of Waterloo talent, like engineering grad Terese Dimeck (BASc ’23), who now works full-time on the company’s flagship product.   More: https://lnkd.in/g2QS2n-c #UWaterloo #VelocityStartups #Engineering #WaterlooAlumni

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Noxopharm has announced the release of new data showing the potential of its Sofra™ technology platform in samples from patients with autoimmune disease. Professor Michael Gantier of Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Noxopharm’s exclusive strategic partner in this technology, has posted a bioRxiv preprint as a follow-up to his recent groundbreaking Nature Immunology paper. In the new manuscript, Professor Gantier and a team of international collaborators, including three Noxopharm employees plus collaborators from Tezcat Biosciences and InhaTarget Therapeutics, provide further insights and data demonstrating how the findings of the paper are being translated into the creation of new therapeutics. It also represents the first time that SOF-16, the active ingredient in the company’s SOF-SKN™ cutaneous lupus drug candidate, has been tested on samples taken from patients with autoimmune diseases. Read the announcement here: https://lnkd.in/gJrZ5u5H

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💻 Your faculty news Jean-François Bussières co-authored an article in the Canadian Journal of Hospital Pharmacy on the use of generative artificial intelligence in scientific publishing. With Juliette MUTIN, he analyzed 22 pharmaceutical journals to assess how these tools are addressed in author guidelines. The findings highlight the need to strengthen and standardize recommendations across pharmaceutical journals. 👉 To view the article: https://bit.ly/3N7QNYg

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Real-world evidence is evolving. UBC's whitepaper highlights innovations that are shaping modern RWE study designs—from direct-to-patient approaches to AI-driven patient support program linkage. These novel designs enable robust data integration, broader patient representation, and compelling value stories that support regulatory approval and beyond. Read it here: https://lnkd.in/eNgDPGJe #PatientsFirst #RealWorldEvidence

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