People
Board of Directors
Dr. Gijs Van Rooijen
Dr. van Rooijen holds a BSc/MSc in Molecular Sciences from Wageningen University and a PhD in Plant Molecular Biology from the University of Calgary. With a strong background in biotechnology, he has worked at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, SemBioSys Genetics, Genome Prairie, and currently serves as the Chief Scientific Officer at Genome Alberta. Gijs is an inventor with 24 issued patents and has co-founded two technology companies. He served as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Calgary from 1997 to 2006 and has held various volunteer positions, including President of the Dutch Canadian Business Club of Calgary and a mentor and judge for the University of Calgary's Masters of Biomedical Technology program.


Dr. Gijs van Rooijen
Interim Chair
Dr. Jason Acker
Dr. Jason Acker is a Senior Research Scientist at Canadian Blood Services and a Professor in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at the University of Alberta, where he also serves as the Associate Vice President for Research Integrity Support. His research focuses on understanding cell and tissue responses to ex vivo storage, preservation methods, and their use as therapeutic products. With a Master of Business Administration and experience in working with university startups, Dr. Acker has actively consulted and advised companies and organizations developing biobanking and cell therapy programs. He successfully established Aquila Diagnostics, which operated for over ten years, raised millions in investment, and employed more than twenty people.


Dr. Jason Acker
Dr. Sharon Barker
Dr. Sharon Barker is a health and medical professional with over 20 years of experience in advancing health innovations into marketable products and new care delivery models. She is an independent consultant in health and medical innovation and consults with start-up companies as well as government organizations for the commercialization of new technologies. Her experience spans pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, health IT, medical devices, and diagnostics. In more recent years, her focus has been on digital health tools and lifestyle medicine. She has a strong background in business development, strategy, and coaching. Dr. Barker holds a PhD in Oncology and an MBA in Technology Commercialization from the University of Alberta. With a passion for health and wellness, she has held positions in medical research, technology transfer, corporate and business development, medical affairs for Johnson & Johnson, and as Director of the Health Accelerator for Alberta.


Dr. Sharon Barker
Dr. Dawn Bell
Dr. Dawn Bell is a highly experienced life-science professional with a diverse background in academic spinouts and Top 5 Pharma, most notably at Novartis. Throughout her 20-year career, she has held key leadership roles in buy and sell-side BD&L, portfolio strategy, R&D, and commercialization. As a board director and strategic advisor, Dr. Bell contributes her expertise to life-science companies, research institutes, and innovation accelerators across the US, Canada, and Europe. She has a proven track record in raising venture capital, managing large teams, and delivering groundbreaking medicines, including the first two gene therapies approved in Canada. Dr. Bell holds a PharmD from the University of Florida and was honored as Alumnus of the Year in 2022 for her outstanding career achievements.


Dr. Dawn Bell
Dr. Kathryn Deuchars
Dr. Kathryn Deuchars is a biotechnology professional with over twenty years of experience in innovation, venture financing, and health technology commercialization. Currently, she serves as the Senior Manager of Business Development and Research at Ontario Genomics, where she facilitates genomic innovation in healthcare. She is also the Director of the Ontario Personalized Medicine Network, aiming to improve health through the adoption of personalized medicine technologies. Previously, Dr. Deuchars held executive positions at Light Matter Interaction (formerly Attodyne Inc.), University Medical Discoveries, and Lumira Capital (formerly MDS Capital), and worked as a research scientist at NPS Allelix Inc.


Dr. Kathryn Deuchars
Dr. Fraser Hof
Dr. Fraser Hof is a respected professor and Associate Vice President at the University of Victoria. Specializing in chemical biology, Dr. Hof's research focuses on understanding the molecular basis of diseases, particularly cancer, through the development and application of chemical probes. His work has significantly advanced our understanding of how cancer cells regulate their epigenomes and interact with their environment, paving the way for novel therapeutic approaches. As a dedicated educator and mentor, Dr. Hof has guided numerous students and researchers in their academic and professional pursuits. His passion for research, combined with his commitment to teaching, has made him a valued member of the University of Victoria community and a well-regarded figure in the field of chemical biology.


Dr. Fraser Hof
Dr. Timothy Key
Tim currently leads Business Development at Notch Therapeutics, where he was part of the founding team. He was responsible for creating Notch’s early business strategy, establishing initial business operations, and securing financing/partnerships, including having led Notch’s formative partnership deal with Allogene Therapeutics.
Prior to Notch, Tim completed his PhD in Microbiology and Immunology at Dalhousie University in Halifax, trained in early drug discovery with the Center for Drug Research and Development (CDRD) in Vancouver, then worked in new biotech company formation and early-stage venture investment with MaRS Innovation in Toronto. In addition to TMIC Board of Directors, Tim also currently serves on BIOTECanada’s Emerging Company Advisory Board and the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine’s U.S. Market Access and Value Committee.


Dr. Timothy Key
Dr. Liang Li (Co-Scientific Director)
Dr. Li obtained his BSc in Chemistry from Zhejiang (Hangzhou) University in 1983 and his PhD from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan and joined the University of Alberta in July 1989, where he is Professor of Chemistry and Adjunct Professor of Biochemistry. He is an elected fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (Academy of Science) (2019). Dr. Li was Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Analytical Chemistry from 2005 to 2019. He served as Director, Alberta Cancer Board Proteomics Resource Laboratory, from 2000 to 2005. He was Chair of Analytical Chemistry Division at the University of Alberta from 2007 to 2019. He was a Co-PI of the Human Metabolome Database (HMDB) Project; his laboratory generated the HMDB MS/MS spectral library of the endogenous human metabolites which has been widely used by the metabolomics community. His laboratory is a pioneer in developing the high-performance chemical isotope labeling liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (HP-CIL LC-MS) platform for quantitative and comprehensive metabolome profiling of bio-systems. Dr. Li has received a number of national and international awards and honors. He is an editor of Analytica Chimica Acta, an international journal on analytical chemistry, since 2005. He is also a member of the editorial advisory board in a number of scientific journals.






Dr. Liang Li
Dr. Andrew MacIsaac
Andrew MacIsaac is the CEO at Applied Pharmaceutical Innovation (API), an industry-led not-for-profit organization that serves as a catalyst to support the development of life science products and companies.
Prior to API, Andrew MacIsaac served as the Assistant Dean at the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, and held various roles in the Alberta School of Business and UBC Sauder School of Business.
With a background in economics and public sector management, Andrew has successfully built bridges between academia, industry, philanthropy, and government to further economic growth and societal impact. Andrew has been part of and overseen projects that have led to over $700 million in economic impact. Andrew is also a recipient of the 2022 Edifier Award for his work with API.
Andrew has served on the Canadian Chamber of Commerce Life Science Strategy Council; the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce Policy Committee; the Province of Alberta Research Commercialization Working Group and Edmonton Metro Region Economic Recovery Working Group; the Calgary Life Sciences Innovation Hub Steering Committee; the Edmonton Health City Steering Committee; and several other company boards and advisory groups. International Scientific Advisory Committee


Dr. Andrew MacIssac
Dr. Jennifer Moody
Jennifer Moody is an experienced industry professional with 17 years in industry enabling cell and gene therapies. Her roles have spanned reagent development and raw material sourcing to therapeutic product development. A common theme has been the translation and commercialization of innovation from academic labs. Currently the Head of External Innovation, Genomic Medicine at Danaher Corporation, Jennifer has held roles at Pall Corporation, iPSC-derived cell therapy startups Morphocell Technologies and Bluerock Therapeutics, and R&D at STEMCELL Technologies. She earned her PhD in Genetics from the University of British Columbia and completed a postdoc at Lund Stem Cell Center in Sweden. A graduate of the AdMare Executive Leadership training program, she serves on The Manufacturing, Clinical Translation and Industry Committee of the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) and is an Advisor for the Creative Destruction lab.


Dr. Jennifer Moody
Dr. Karin Rodland
Dr. Karin Rodland is an accomplished proteomics and cancer biology science leader with a joint appointment as an Affiliate Professor of Cell, Developmental, and Cancer Biology at OHSU and a Laboratory Fellow at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. She is the PNNL co-Director of the OHSU-PNNL Precision Medicine Innovation CoLaboratory, focused on improving patient outcomes through integrated omics, imaging, and data analysis. Dr. Rodland has an extensive background in translational research, applying mass spectrometry-based proteomics to solve biomedical research problems, and has built a collaborative research network and mentoring program. She has served on multiple peer review committees and panels for organizations like the NIH, NCI, and California Breast Cancer Research Program. Dr. Rodland was named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2011, has served on the US HUPO Board of Directors and the FASEB Science Policy Committee, and is a current member of the US HUPO Scientific Advisory Committee.


Dr. Karin Rodland
Dr. Oliver Fiehn
Prof. Oliver Fiehn has pioneered developments and applications in metabolomics with over 400 publications to date, starting in 1998 as postdoctoral scholar and from 2000 onwards as group leader at the Max-Planck Institute for Molecular Plant Physiology in Potsdam, Germany. Since 2004 he is Professor at the UC Davis Genome Center, overseeing his research laboratory and the satellite core service laboratory in metabolomics research. Since 2012, he is Director of the UC Davis West Coast Metabolomics Center, supervising 40 staff operating 19 mass spectrometers. To focus on large cohort studies and translational metabolomics, he has added the ThermoFisher Center of Excellence in Clinical Metabolomics at the UC Davis clinical campus in Sacramento, CA.


Dr. Oliver Fiehn
Non-voting Member
Michael Lowings
Operations Manager - Core, University of Alberta
Michael was educated in Neuroscience and Molecular Biology at the University of Lethbridge, before transitioning into technology commercialization, working as a bioinformatician, software developer, project manager and operations manager in cattle genomics, cannabis genetics, direct-to-consumer genetic testing, hydrocarbon bioremediation and on-land aquaculture. His specialties include science communication, data science, and management of cross-disciplinary teams. Outside of work, and as a way to pass time during the pandemic, Michael also developed a very consuming passion for e-bikes and alternate transportation technologies.
Location: Edmonton, AB




Michael Lowings
Non-voting Member
Co-Directors
Dr. Liang Li (Co-Scientific Director)
Dr. Li obtained his BSc in Chemistry from Zhejiang (Hangzhou) University in 1983 and his PhD from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan and joined the University of Alberta in July 1989, where he is Professor of Chemistry and Adjunct Professor of Biochemistry. He is an elected fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (Academy of Science) (2019). Dr. Li was Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Analytical Chemistry from 2005 to 2019. He served as Director, Alberta Cancer Board Proteomics Resource Laboratory, from 2000 to 2005. He was Chair of Analytical Chemistry Division at the University of Alberta from 2007 to 2019. He was a Co-PI of the Human Metabolome Database (HMDB) Project; his laboratory generated the HMDB MS/MS spectral library of the endogenous human metabolites which has been widely used by the metabolomics community. His laboratory is a pioneer in developing the high-performance chemical isotope labeling liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (HP-CIL LC-MS) platform for quantitative and comprehensive metabolome profiling of bio-systems. Dr. Li has received a number of national and international awards and honors. He is an editor of Analytica Chimica Acta, an international journal on analytical chemistry, since 2005. He is also a member of the editorial advisory board in a number of scientific journals.






Dr. Liang Li
Node Leader
Dr. David Wishart (Founder)
Dr. David Wishart (PhD Yale, 1991) is a Professor in the Departments of Biological Sciences and Computing Science at the University of Alberta. He is also a co-director of the Nanobiology program at the NRC's National Institute for Nanotechnology (NINT). He has been with the University of Alberta since 1995 and has published more than 300 articles in various peer reviewed journals. His research interests span many areas including structural biology, bioinformatics, prion biology, nanobiology and metabolomics. From 2006-2009, Dr. Wishart led the "Human Metabolome Project" (HMP), a multi-university, multi-investigator project that catalogued all of the known metabolites in human tissues and biofluids. Using advanced methods in NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, multi-dimensional chromatography and machine learning Dr. Wishart and his colleagues identified or found evidence for more than 8500 endogenous metabolites. This information has been archived on a freely accessible web-resource called the Human Metabolome Database (HMDB). The methods and ideas developed for the HMP have helped lay the foundation for a number of clinical metabolomics projects currently being pursued in his lab. These include studies of several cancer biomarkers, identifying organ transplant biomarkers, exploring wound healing mechanisms, identifying early biomarkers of prion and prion-like diseases, and investigating biomarkers of common diseases in cows.





Dr. David Wishart
Node Leader
Dr. David R. Goodlett (Co-Scientific Director)
Dr. David R. Goodlett has spent his career using mass spectrometry to solve biomedical problems via novel technology and software developments. His Ph.D. training with Prof. Richard B. van Breemen on protein adducts concluded in 1991 and his postdoctoral work with Dr.Richard D. Smith on Native MS and ESI fundamentals in 1993. He has been active in a variety of fields including medicine, oceanography, pharmacy, microbiology, proteomics (including clinical applications), lipidomics, and protein and glycolipid structure-function relationships. Dr. Goodlett has published over 250 papers generating an H-index of 80. He is currently a Professor at the University of Victoria and Director of their Genome BC Proteome Centre. Prior to this he was Professor at the Universities of Washington (2004-2012) and Maryland-Baltimore (2013-2020) as well as first Director of Proteomics at the Institute for Systems Biology (2000-2003). From 2012-2016 he was a Finland Distinguished Professor studying pediatric type 1 diabetes. For the last dozen years he has been an Editor at Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry for Wiley-Blackwell publishing. Dr. Goodlett has founded two companies based on his patents: Deurion of Seattle, WA which is developing mass spectrometry ion sources and Pataigin of Baltimore, MD which is focused on microbial diagnostics. Since 2007 he has been a co-organizer of the Mass Spectrometry in Biotechnology and Medicine summer school held annually in Dubrovnik. Recently, Dr. Goodlett was appointed Visiting Professor at the International Centre for Cancer Vaccine Science (ICCVS) at the University of Gdansk.





Dr. David R. Goodlett
Node Leader
Management Committee
Dr. Liang Li (Co-Scientific Director)
Dr. Li obtained his BSc in Chemistry from Zhejiang (Hangzhou) University in 1983 and his PhD from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan and joined the University of Alberta in July 1989, where he is Professor of Chemistry and Adjunct Professor of Biochemistry. He is an elected fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (Academy of Science) (2019). Dr. Li was Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Analytical Chemistry from 2005 to 2019. He served as Director, Alberta Cancer Board Proteomics Resource Laboratory, from 2000 to 2005. He was Chair of Analytical Chemistry Division at the University of Alberta from 2007 to 2019. He was a Co-PI of the Human Metabolome Database (HMDB) Project; his laboratory generated the HMDB MS/MS spectral library of the endogenous human metabolites which has been widely used by the metabolomics community. His laboratory is a pioneer in developing the high-performance chemical isotope labeling liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (HP-CIL LC-MS) platform for quantitative and comprehensive metabolome profiling of bio-systems. Dr. Li has received a number of national and international awards and honors. He is an editor of Analytica Chimica Acta, an international journal on analytical chemistry, since 2005. He is also a member of the editorial advisory board in a number of scientific journals.






Dr. Liang Li
Node Leader
Dr. David Wishart (Founder)
Dr. David Wishart (PhD Yale, 1991) is a Professor in the Departments of Biological Sciences and Computing Science at the University of Alberta. He is also a co-director of the Nanobiology program at the NRC's National Institute for Nanotechnology (NINT). He has been with the University of Alberta since 1995 and has published more than 300 articles in various peer reviewed journals. His research interests span many areas including structural biology, bioinformatics, prion biology, nanobiology and metabolomics. From 2006-2009, Dr. Wishart led the "Human Metabolome Project" (HMP), a multi-university, multi-investigator project that catalogued all of the known metabolites in human tissues and biofluids. Using advanced methods in NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, multi-dimensional chromatography and machine learning Dr. Wishart and his colleagues identified or found evidence for more than 8500 endogenous metabolites. This information has been archived on a freely accessible web-resource called the Human Metabolome Database (HMDB). The methods and ideas developed for the HMP have helped lay the foundation for a number of clinical metabolomics projects currently being pursued in his lab. These include studies of several cancer biomarkers, identifying organ transplant biomarkers, exploring wound healing mechanisms, identifying early biomarkers of prion and prion-like diseases, and investigating biomarkers of common diseases in cows.





Dr. David Wishart
Node Leader
Dr. David R. Goodlett (Co-Scientific Director)
Dr. David R. Goodlett has spent his career using mass spectrometry to solve biomedical problems via novel technology and software developments. His Ph.D. training with Prof. Richard B. van Breemen on protein adducts concluded in 1991 and his postdoctoral work with Dr.Richard D. Smith on Native MS and ESI fundamentals in 1993. He has been active in a variety of fields including medicine, oceanography, pharmacy, microbiology, proteomics (including clinical applications), lipidomics, and protein and glycolipid structure-function relationships. Dr. Goodlett has published over 250 papers generating an H-index of 80. He is currently a Professor at the University of Victoria and Director of their Genome BC Proteome Centre. Prior to this he was Professor at the Universities of Washington (2004-2012) and Maryland-Baltimore (2013-2020) as well as first Director of Proteomics at the Institute for Systems Biology (2000-2003). From 2012-2016 he was a Finland Distinguished Professor studying pediatric type 1 diabetes. For the last dozen years he has been an Editor at Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry for Wiley-Blackwell publishing. Dr. Goodlett has founded two companies based on his patents: Deurion of Seattle, WA which is developing mass spectrometry ion sources and Pataigin of Baltimore, MD which is focused on microbial diagnostics. Since 2007 he has been a co-organizer of the Mass Spectrometry in Biotechnology and Medicine summer school held annually in Dubrovnik. Recently, Dr. Goodlett was appointed Visiting Professor at the International Centre for Cancer Vaccine Science (ICCVS) at the University of Gdansk.





Dr. David R. Goodletts
Node Leader
Michael Lowings
Operations Manager - Core, University of Alberta
Michael was educated in Neuroscience and Molecular Biology at the University of Lethbridge, before transitioning into technology commercialization, working as a bioinformatician, software developer, project manager and operations manager in cattle genomics, cannabis genetics, direct-to-consumer genetic testing, hydrocarbon bioremediation and on-land aquaculture. His specialties include science communication, data science, and management of cross-disciplinary teams. Outside of work, and as a way to pass time during the pandemic, Michael also developed a very consuming passion for e-bikes and alternate transportation technologies.
Location: Edmonton, AB




Michael Lowings
Operations Manager
Core Team
Michael Lowings
Operations Manager - Core, University of Alberta
Michael was educated in Neuroscience and Molecular Biology at the University of Lethbridge, before transitioning into technology commercialization, working as a bioinformatician, software developer, project manager and operations manager in cattle genomics, cannabis genetics, direct-to-consumer genetic testing, hydrocarbon bioremediation and on-land aquaculture. His specialties include science communication, data science, and management of cross-disciplinary teams. Outside of work, and as a way to pass time during the pandemic, Michael also developed a very consuming passion for e-bikes and alternate transportation technologies.
Location: Edmonton, AB




Michael Lowings
Operations Manager
Nargiza Chorieva
Finance and Admin Coordinator - Core, University of Alberta
Education:
- M.Sc. in Resource and Agricultural Economics, University of Alberta
- Master of Public Policy, Nazarbayev University
- B.Sc. in Economics with Finance, Westminster University
Location: Edmonton, AB


Nargiza Chorieva
Grant Program Analyst
Juan Darius
Business Development Analyst
Education:
- M.Sc. Chemical Engineering, University of Alberta
- B. Eng. Chemical Engineering, The National University of Malaysia
Location: Edmonton, AB


Juan Darius
Business Development Analyst
Node Leaders
Dr. Christoph Borchers (Co-Scientific Director)
Dr. Christoph Borchers received his B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Konstanz, Germany. After his post-doctoral training and employment as a staff scientist at NIEHS/NIH/RTP, in North Carolina, he became the director of the Duke - UNC Proteomics Facility and held a faculty position at the UNC Medical School in Chapel Hill, NC (2001-2006). Since then, Dr. Borchers holds a joint appointment at the University of Victoria (UVic), Canada and holds the current positions of Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology and the Don and Eleanor Rix BC Leadership Chair in Biomedical and Environmental Proteomics. He is also the Director of the UVic - Genome BC Proteomics Centre, which is one out of six Genome Canada funded Science & Technology Innovation Centres and the only one solely devoted to proteomics.
His research is centred around the improvement, development and application of proteomics technologies with a major focus on techniques for quantitative targeted proteomics for clinical diagnostics. For his research, multiplexed LC-MRM-MS approaches and the immuno-MALDI (iMALDI) technique are of particular interest. Another focus of Dr. Borchers' research is centred on technology development and application of the combined approach of protein chemistry and mass spectrometry for structural proteomics. Dr. Borchers has published over 100 peer-reviewed papers in scientific journals and is the founder and CSO of two companies, Creative Molecules. Inc. and MRM Proteomics Inc. He is also involved in promoting proteomic research and education through his function as HUPO International Council Member, co-leader and Scientific Director of the British Columbia Proteomics Network and President of the Canadian National Proteomics Network.



Dr. Christoph Borchers
Node Leader
Dr. Philip Britz-McKibbin
Dr. Britz-McKibbin received his PhD from the University of British Columbia prior to joining the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at McMaster University in 2003, where is now a Professor and currently a Cystic Fibrosis Canada Researcher. Dr. Britz-McKibbin has contributed to innovations in capillary electrophoresis and mass spectrometry for metabolomics as applied to preventative health. His research program includes the development of higher throughput methods for identifying and quantifying metabolites of clinical significance in human biological samples, including the introduction of multiplexed separations and accelerated data workflows for biomarker discovery. His research has been funded by NSERC, CFI, CIHR, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation of Canada, the Ontario Genomics Institute, and the Ontario Ministry of Labour. He has presented over 100 invited talks and published more than 70 peer-reviewed articles, including 6 invited reviews, 5 book chapters, 2 technical reports and 3 filed patents. Dr. Britz-McKibbin is the recipient of several prestigious awards for his important contributions to separation science, MS and metabolomics, including the American Chemical Society – Young Investigator Award in Separation Science (2010), Japan Society for Promotion of Science (2009), Petro-Canada Young Investigator Award (2007) and Premier’s Research Excellence Award (2004-2010). He is currently co-chair in analytical/physical chemistry in the NSERC Discovery Grant Evaluation Committee, a founding member of the North American Chapter of the Metabolomics Society, and a Section Editor in Chemical Biology for the journal Scientific Reports (Nature). He has also served as a scientific advisory board member on several metabolomics initiatives across North America. Dr. Britz-McKibbin’s research program strives to bridges the major gap existing between basic scientific research and large-scale epidemiological studies for population health, including expanding newborn screening programs.



Dr. Philip Britz-McKibbin
Node Leader
Dr. David R. Goodlett (Co-Scientific Director)
Dr. David R. Goodlett has spent his career using mass spectrometry to solve biomedical problems via novel technology and software developments. His Ph.D. training with Prof. Richard B. van Breemen on protein adducts concluded in 1991 and his postdoctoral work with Dr.Richard D. Smith on Native MS and ESI fundamentals in 1993. He has been active in a variety of fields including medicine, oceanography, pharmacy, microbiology, proteomics (including clinical applications), lipidomics, and protein and glycolipid structure-function relationships. Dr. Goodlett has published over 250 papers generating an H-index of 80. He is currently a Professor at the University of Victoria and Director of their Genome BC Proteome Centre. Prior to this he was Professor at the Universities of Washington (2004-2012) and Maryland-Baltimore (2013-2020) as well as first Director of Proteomics at the Institute for Systems Biology (2000-2003). From 2012-2016 he was a Finland Distinguished Professor studying pediatric type 1 diabetes. For the last dozen years he has been an Editor at Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry for Wiley-Blackwell publishing. Dr. Goodlett has founded two companies based on his patents: Deurion of Seattle, WA which is developing mass spectrometry ion sources and Pataigin of Baltimore, MD which is focused on microbial diagnostics. Since 2007 he has been a co-organizer of the Mass Spectrometry in Biotechnology and Medicine summer school held annually in Dubrovnik. Recently, Dr. Goodlett was appointed Visiting Professor at the International Centre for Cancer Vaccine Science (ICCVS) at the University of Gdansk.





Dr. David R. Goodlett
Node Leader
Dr. James Harynuk
Dr. James Harynuk received his PhD from the University of Waterloo in 2004 where he conducted pioneering work in the emerging field of comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography and won the WB Pearson Medal for creative research in a doctoral thesis. He then moved to Melbourne, Australia to continue the study of multidimensional separations with Dr. Philip Marriott at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. In 2007 he started his own research group at the University of Alberta where he continues to advance our understanding of multidimensional separations science. Current research interests include the development of tools to identify molecules based on their thermodynamic behavior in a gas phase separation and tools for the rapid interpretation of GCxGC and GC-MS data. The tools that Dr. Harynuk is developing have been applied in a diversity of fields with a variety of collaborators including petroleum (Syncrude, Imperial Oil), forensics (RCMP), foods (University of Jaen, Spain), anti-doping (UFRJ, Brazil), and textile science (UofA).
He has a special interest in using metabolomics to advance drug discovery and drug screening. He has developed several large libraries of biologically significant small molecules, including nucleotides, amino acid derivatives, ions, and lipids, as well as stabilizers such as osmolytes and short-chain polymers. This diverse library has been used to screen and identify novel ligands, profile binding specificities, and map interaction sites for a number of protein signaling and enzymatic domains (GTPases, kinases, phosphatases, and proteases). He also co-created an open access drug fragment library optimized by multiple drug discovery campaigns for high-throughput screening by NMR. The Membrane Optimal Docking Area (MODA) software he co-developed is freely available at Molsoft, providing a basis for further studies on specificities and cellular localization of the thousands of novel membrane binders (i.e., metabolites) that can now be easily predicted by any researcher.



Dr. James Harynuk
Node Leader
Dr. Tao Huan
Dr. Huan is an Assistant Professor in Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry in the Department of Chemistry at the University of British Columbia. He received his Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry from the University of Alberta under the supervision of Dr. Liang Li on developing chemical isotope labelling liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry-based metabolomics. After graduation, Dr. Huan did postdoctoral work with Dr. Gary Siuzdak at the Scripps Research (La Jolla, CA) to create metabolomics-guided systems biology for an in-depth understanding of disease mechanisms. In July 2018, Dr. Huan was hired as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University of British Columbia. His research focuses on the synergistic development of analytical chemistry and bioinformatics for mass spectrometry-based metabolomics and exposomics and their applications in biological and environmental research. His lab has developed a suite of analytical and bioinformatic tools to reshape the process of large-scale metabolomics data interpretation for disease biomarker discovery and mechanistic understanding. Dr. Huan is currently a steering committee and faculty member of UBC Social Exposome Cluster. In addition, Dr. Huan is affiliated faculty members in the Graduate Program in Bioinformatics, Genome Science and Technology (GSAT) program, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, and Cluster for Microplastics, Health and the Environment.



Dr. Tao Huan
Node Leader
Dr. Liang Li (Co-Scientific Director)
Dr. Li obtained his BSc in Chemistry from Zhejiang (Hangzhou) University in 1983 and his PhD from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan and joined the University of Alberta in July 1989, where he is Professor of Chemistry and Adjunct Professor of Biochemistry. He is an elected fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (Academy of Science) (2019). Dr. Li was Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Analytical Chemistry from 2005 to 2019. He served as Director, Alberta Cancer Board Proteomics Resource Laboratory, from 2000 to 2005. He was Chair of Analytical Chemistry Division at the University of Alberta from 2007 to 2019. He was a Co-PI of the Human Metabolome Database (HMDB) Project; his laboratory generated the HMDB MS/MS spectral library of the endogenous human metabolites which has been widely used by the metabolomics community. His laboratory is a pioneer in developing the high-performance chemical isotope labeling liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (HP-CIL LC-MS) platform for quantitative and comprehensive metabolome profiling of bio-systems. Dr. Li has received a number of national and international awards and honors. He is an editor of Analytica Chimica Acta, an international journal on analytical chemistry, since 2005. He is also a member of the editorial advisory board in a number of scientific journals.






Dr. Liang Li
Node Leader
Dr. David Wishart (Founder)
Dr. David Wishart (PhD Yale, 1991) is a Professor in the Departments of Biological Sciences and Computing Science at the University of Alberta. He is also a co-director of the Nanobiology program at the NRC's National Institute for Nanotechnology (NINT). He has been with the University of Alberta since 1995 and has published more than 300 articles in various peer reviewed journals. His research interests span many areas including structural biology, bioinformatics, prion biology, nanobiology and metabolomics. From 2006-2009, Dr. Wishart led the "Human Metabolome Project" (HMP), a multi-university, multi-investigator project that catalogued all of the known metabolites in human tissues and biofluids. Using advanced methods in NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, multi-dimensional chromatography and machine learning Dr. Wishart and his colleagues identified or found evidence for more than 8500 endogenous metabolites. This information has been archived on a freely accessible web-resource called the Human Metabolome Database (HMDB). The methods and ideas developed for the HMP have helped lay the foundation for a number of clinical metabolomics projects currently being pursued in his lab. These include studies of several cancer biomarkers, identifying organ transplant biomarkers, exploring wound healing mechanisms, identifying early biomarkers of prion and prion-like diseases, and investigating biomarkers of common diseases in cows.





Dr. David Wishart
Node Leader
Dr. Jianguo (Jeff) Xia
Dr. Xia obtained his Medical Degree (5-year program) from Peking University Health Science Center, China. He then moved to Canada and obtained his MSc and PhD degree, both from the University of Alberta, Canada. He joined McGill University in 2015 and has become an Associate Professor with tenure since 2020. Dr. Xia is a Canada Research Chair (Bioinformatics and Big Data Analytics). His research explores innovative and practical ways to address the big data challenges from biomedical research, focusing on metabolomics and multi-omics integration. His team has developed many highly accessed platforms such as MetaboAnalyst, MicrobiomeAnalyst, etc. Dr. Xia is the recipient of 2019 McGill Principal’s Prize for Outstanding Emerging Researchers. Since 2019, he has been ranked among the Global Highly Cited Researchers with > 100 peer-reviewed publications (citations: >32,000, H-index: 50).



Dr. Jianguo (Jeff) Xia
Node Leader
Alberta Nodes
Li Node, University of Alberta
Dr. Liang Li (Co-Scientific Director)
Dr. Li obtained his BSc in Chemistry from Zhejiang (Hangzhou) University in 1983 and his PhD from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan and joined the University of Alberta in July 1989, where he is Professor of Chemistry and Adjunct Professor of Biochemistry. He is an elected fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (Academy of Science) (2019). Dr. Li was Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Analytical Chemistry from 2005 to 2019. He served as Director, Alberta Cancer Board Proteomics Resource Laboratory, from 2000 to 2005. He was Chair of Analytical Chemistry Division at the University of Alberta from 2007 to 2019. He was a Co-PI of the Human Metabolome Database (HMDB) Project; his laboratory generated the HMDB MS/MS spectral library of the endogenous human metabolites which has been widely used by the metabolomics community. His laboratory is a pioneer in developing the high-performance chemical isotope labeling liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (HP-CIL LC-MS) platform for quantitative and comprehensive metabolome profiling of bio-systems. Dr. Li has received a number of national and international awards and honors. He is an editor of Analytica Chimica Acta, an international journal on analytical chemistry, since 2005. He is also a member of the editorial advisory board in a number of scientific journals.






Dr. Liang Li
Node Leader
Monica X. Li
- M.Sc. Chemistry, University of Rochester
- Ph.D. Chemistry, University of Michigan
Location: Edmonton, AB


Dr. Monica X. Li
Node Manager
Shuang Zhao
Laboratory Coordinator - Li Node, University of Alberta
Education:
- B.Sc. Chemical Biology, Tsinghua University
- M.Sc. Biology, Tsinghua University
- Ph.D. Chemistry, University of Alberta
Location: Edmonton, AB


Dr. Shuang Zhao
Laboratory Coordinator
Adriana Zardini Buzatto
Research Scientist - Li Node, University of Alberta
Education:
- Computer Technician, Divino Salvador College
- B.Sc. Chemistry and Technological Chemistry, University of Campinas (UNICAMP)
- M.Sc. Analytical Chemistry, University of Campinas (UNICAMP)
- Ph.D. Chemistry, University of Alberta
Location: Edmonton, AB


Dr. Adriana Zardini Buzatto
Research Scientist
Carlos Canez Quijada
Graduate Research Assistant - Li Node, University of Alberta
Education:
- B.Sc. Carleton University
- M.Sc. Carleton University
Location: Edmonton, AB


Carlos Canez Quijada
Graduate Research Assistant
Caley Campkin
Research Assistant - Li Node, University of Alberta
Education:
- B.Sc. Chemistry and Biological Sciences, University of Alberta
Location: Edmonton, AB


Caley Campkin
Research Assistant
Chu-Fan Wang
Graduate Research Assistant - Li Node, University of Alberta
TMIC start date: May 2020
Education:
- B.Sc., China University of Mining and Technology
- M.Sc., China University of Mining and Technology
Location: Edmonton, AB


Chu-Fan Wang
Graduate Research Assistant
Cyrene Jonah Catenza
Graduate Research Assistant- Li Node, University of Alberta
Location: Edmonton, AB


Cyrene Jonah Catenza
Graduate Research Assistant
Daniel Patience
Research Assistant - Li Node, University of Alberta
Education:
- B.Sc. Biology (Cell/Molecular), Concordia University of Edmonton
Location: Edmonton, AB


Daniel Patience Research Assistant
Elvis Lo
Research Assistant - Li Node, University of Alberta
Education:
- B.S. Computing Science with Specialization in Bioinformatics, University of Alberta
Location: Edmonton, AB


Elvis Lo
Research Assistant
Fernando Monteiro Queiroz
Graduate Research Assistant - Li Node, University of Alberta
Location: Edmonton, AB


Fernando Monteiro Queiroz
Graduate Research Assistant
Janet Li
Research Assistant - Li Node, University of Alberta
Education:
- B.Sc. Chemistry with Biological Sciences minor, University of Alberta
Location: Edmonton, AB


Janet Li
Research Assistant
Kaitlyn Melo
Research Assistant - Li Node, University of Alberta
Education:
- B.Sc. Chemistry, University of Alberta
Location: Edmonton, AB


Kaitlyn Melo
Research Assistant
Ke Shen
Research Scientist - Li Node, University of Alberta
TMIC start date: July 2021
Education:
- B.Sc. Chemistry, Sichuan University
- Ph.D. Organic Chemistry, Sichuan University
- Project Management, NAIT
Location: Edmonton, AB


Dr. Ke Shen
Research Scientist
Michal Lazarek
Graduate Research Assistant - Li Node, University of Alberta
Location: Edmonton, AB


Michal Lazarek
Graduate Research Assistant
Ryan Duruisseau-Kuntz
Research Scientist - Li Node, University of Alberta
Education:
- BSc. Honours in Chemistry, University of Alberta
Location: Edmonton, AB


Ryan Duruisseau-Kuntz
Research Scientist
Sicheng (Kevin) Quan
Graduate Research Assistant - Li Node, University of Alberta
Education:
- B.Sc. with Specialization in Biochemistry, University of Alberta
- PhD in Analytical Chemistry (in progress), University of Alberta
Location: Edmonton, AB


Sicheng (Kevin) Quan Graduate Research Assistant
Vi Tran
Research Assistant- Li Node, University of Alberta


Vi Tran
Graduate Research Assistant
Wayne Cheng
Laboratory Assistant- Li Node, University of Alberta
Education:
- B.Sc Chemistry, University of Alberta
Location: Edmonton, AB


Wayne Cheng
Laboratory Assistant
William Xu
Research Assistant- Li Node, University of Alberta
Education:
- B.Sc. Computing Science + Psychology, University of Alberta
Location: Edmonton, AB


William Xu
Research Assistant
Xian Luo
Research Scientist - Li Node, University of Alberta
Education:
- B.Sc. Applied Chemistry, Beijing Institute of Technology
- Ph.D. Chemistry, University of Alberta
Location: Edmonton, AB


Dr. Xian Luo
Research Scientist
Xiaohang Wang
Research Scientist - Li Node, University of Alberta
Education:
- B.Sc Materials Chemistry, Shandong University (China)
- M.Sc Chemistry, University of Alberta
Location: Edmonton, AB


Xiaohang Wang
Research Scientist
Zhan Cheng
Graduate Research Assistant - Li Node, University of Alberta
Education:
- B.Sc. Beijing Forestry University
- M.Sc. China Agricultural University
Location: Edmonton, AB


Zhan Cheng
Graduate Research Assistant
Harynuk Node, University of Alberta
Dr. James Harynuk
Dr. James Harynuk received his PhD from the University of Waterloo in 2004 where he conducted pioneering work in the emerging field of comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography and won the WB Pearson Medal for creative research in a doctoral thesis. He then moved to Melbourne, Australia to continue the study of multidimensional separations with Dr. Philip Marriott at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. In 2007 he started his own research group at the University of Alberta where he continues to advance our understanding of multidimensional separations science. Current research interests include the development of tools to identify molecules based on their thermodynamic behavior in a gas phase separation and tools for the rapid interpretation of GCxGC and GC-MS data. The tools that Dr. Harynuk is developing have been applied in a diversity of fields with a variety of collaborators including petroleum (Syncrude, Imperial Oil), forensics (RCMP), foods (University of Jaen, Spain), anti-doping (UFRJ, Brazil), and textile science (UofA).
He has a special interest in using metabolomics to advance drug discovery and drug screening. He has developed several large libraries of biologically significant small molecules, including nucleotides, amino acid derivatives, ions, and lipids, as well as stabilizers such as osmolytes and short-chain polymers. This diverse library has been used to screen and identify novel ligands, profile binding specificities, and map interaction sites for a number of protein signaling and enzymatic domains (GTPases, kinases, phosphatases, and proteases). He also co-created an open access drug fragment library optimized by multiple drug discovery campaigns for high-throughput screening by NMR. The Membrane Optimal Docking Area (MODA) software he co-developed is freely available at Molsoft, providing a basis for further studies on specificities and cellular localization of the thousands of novel membrane binders (i.e., metabolites) that can now be easily predicted by any researcher.



Dr. James Harynuk
Node Leader
Paulina de la Mata
Node Manager - Harynuk Node, University of Alberta
Education:
- Ph.D. Analytical Chemistry, University of Granada
- M.Sc. Analytical Chemistry, University of Granada
- MBA, Universidad de las Americas
Location: Edmonton, AB


Dr. Paulina de la Mata
Node Manager
Brandon Weber
Administrative Coordinator - Harynuk Node, University of Alberta
Education:
- B.Sc., University of Alberta
- Ph.D., Analytical Chemistry, University of Alberta
Location: Edmonton, AB


Dr. Brandon Weber
Administrative Coordinator
Seo Lin Nam
Postdoc - Harynuk Node, University of Alberta
Education:
- B.Sc., University of Alberta
- Ph.D. University of Alberta
Location: Edmonton, AB


Dr. Seo Lin Nam
Postdoc
Kavitha Elisha
Laboratory Technican - Harynuk Node, University of Alberta
Education:
- B.Sc. currently in progress at the University of Alberta
Location: Edmonton, AB


Kavitha Elisha
Laboratory Technician
Nathaniel McCallum
Laboratory Technican - Harynuk Node, University of Alberta
Education:
- B.Sc. currently in progress at the University of Alberta
Location: Edmonton, AB


Nathaniel McCallum
Laboratory Technican
Ryan Dias
Ph.D. candidate - Harynuk Node, University of Alberta
Education:
- B.Sc., Towson University
- Ph.D. currently in progress at the University of Alberta
Location: Edmonton, AB


Ryan Dias
Ph.D. Candidate
Trevor Johnson
Ph.D. candidate - Harynuk Node, University of Alberta
Education:
- B.Sc., Thompson Rivers University
- Ph.D. currently in progress at the University of Alberta
Location: Edmonton, AB


Trevor Johnson
Ph.D. Candidate
Kieran Tarazona Carrillo
Ph.D. student, aspiring Ph.D. candidate- Harynuk Node, University of Alberta
Education:
- B.Sc. in Biochemistry (co-op) University of Waterloo
- Ph.D. currently in progress, University of Alberta
Location: Edmonton, AB


Kieran Tarazona Carrillo
Ph.D. Student
Ryland Giebelhaus
Ph.D. student - Harynuk Node, University of Alberta
Education:
- B.Sc. (hons) in Chemistry, University of British Columbia - Okanagan Campus
- Ph.D. student, University of Alberta
Location: Edmonton, AB


Ryland Giebelhaus
Ph.D. Student
Sheri Schmidt
PhD student - Harynuk Node, University of Alberta
Education:
- B.Sc., University of Alberta
- Ph.D. currently in progress at the University of Alberta
Location: Edmonton, AB


Sheri Schmidt
Ph.D. Student
Andrea
M.Sc. student - Harynuk Node, University of Alberta
Education:
- B.Sc. in Biotechnology Engineering, National Polytechnic Institute of Mexico
- M.Sc. currently in progress, University of Alberta
Location: Edmonton, AB


Andrea Velasco Suarez
M.Sc. Student
Ewenet Mesfin
Undergraduate research assistant- Harynuk Node, University of Alberta
Education:
- B.Sc. currently in progress at the University of Granada
Location: Edmonton, AB


Ewenet Mesfin
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Wishart Node, University of Alberta
Dr. David Wishart (Founder)
Dr. David Wishart (PhD Yale, 1991) is a Professor in the Departments of Biological Sciences and Computing Science at the University of Alberta. He is also a co-director of the Nanobiology program at the NRC's National Institute for Nanotechnology (NINT). He has been with the University of Alberta since 1995 and has published more than 300 articles in various peer reviewed journals. His research interests span many areas including structural biology, bioinformatics, prion biology, nanobiology and metabolomics. From 2006-2009, Dr. Wishart led the "Human Metabolome Project" (HMP), a multi-university, multi-investigator project that catalogued all of the known metabolites in human tissues and biofluids. Using advanced methods in NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, multi-dimensional chromatography and machine learning Dr. Wishart and his colleagues identified or found evidence for more than 8500 endogenous metabolites. This information has been archived on a freely accessible web-resource called the Human Metabolome Database (HMDB). The methods and ideas developed for the HMP have helped lay the foundation for a number of clinical metabolomics projects currently being pursued in his lab. These include studies of several cancer biomarkers, identifying organ transplant biomarkers, exploring wound healing mechanisms, identifying early biomarkers of prion and prion-like diseases, and investigating biomarkers of common diseases in cows.





Dr. David Wishart
Node Leader
Rupasri Mandal
Node Manager - Wishart Node, University of Alberta
Education:
- Ph.D. Analytical Chemistry, Carleton University
Location: Edmonton, AB


Dr. Rupasri Mandal
Node Manager
David Arndt
Bioinformatician - Wishart Node, University of Alberta
Education:
- B.Sc. Honors in Molecular Genetics, University of Alberta
- B.Sc. Computing Science (Bioinformatics Specialization), University of Alberta
- M.A. Theological Studies, Regent College
Location: Edmonton, AB


David Arndt
Bioinformatician
Mark Berjanskii
Bioinformatician - Wishart Node, University of Alberta
Education:
- Ph.D. Biochemistry, University of Missouri-Columbia
Location: Edmonton, AB


Dr. Mark Berjanskii
Bioinformatician
Dipanjan Bhattacharyya
Research Associate - Wishart Node, University of Alberta
Education:
- Ph.D. Synthetic Organic Chemistry, University of Alberta
Location: Edmonton, AB


Dr. Dipanjan Bhattacharyya
Research Associate
Dr. Marcia Levatte
Scientific writer/editor – Wishart Node, University of Alberta
Education:
- Ph.D. in Microbiology, Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary
Location: Edmonton, AB


Dr. Marcia Levatte
Scientific writer/editor
Galina Durant
Administrative Assistant - Wishart Node, University of Alberta
Education:
- B.Sc. Food Science, Moscow University of Cooperation
- Diploma in Local Government Management, University of Victoria
Location: Edmonton, AB


Galina Durant
Administrative Assistant
Vasuk Gautam
Sr. Bioinformatician/Computing Group Manager - Wishart Node, University of Alberta
Education:
- Ph.D. Computational Biology, Seconda Universita degli Studi di Napoli. Italy
- CAPM – Project Management Institute
Location: Edmonton, AB


Dr. Vasuk Gautam
Sr. Bioinformatician / Computing Group Manager
Oxana Tarassova
Administrative HR support - Wishart Node, University of Alberta
Education:
- M.Sc. Microbiology and Biotechnology, University of Alberta
Location: Edmonton, AB


Oxana Tarassova
Administrative HR Support
Mathew Johnson
Lab Technician - Wishart Node, University of Alberta
Education:
- B.Sc. Specialization in Biochemistry, University of Alberta
Location: Edmonton, AB


Mathew Johnson
Lab Technician
Siyang Tian
Programmer - Wishart Node, University of Alberta
Education:
- M.Sc. in Computing Science, University of Alberta
Location: Edmonton, AB


Siyang Tian
Programmer
Prashanthi Kovur
Research Coordinator - Wishart Node, University of Alberta
Education:
- Ph.D. Electrical Engineering (Specialization: Micro/Nanofabrication)
- Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT-Bombay)
Location: Edmonton, AB


Dr. Prashanthi Kovur
Research Coordinator
Brian Lee
Research Associate - Wishart Node, University of Alberta
Education:
- Ph.D. Biochemistry, University of Alberta
Location: Edmonton, AB


Dr. Brian Lee
Research Associate
Sindhu Nair
Lab and Quality Management Manager - Wishart Node, University of Alberta
Education:
- Ph.D. Chemistry, University of Alberta
- Quality Management Course, University of Manitoba Extended Studies
Location: Edmonton, AB


Dr. Sindhu Nair
Lab and Quality Management Manager
Eponine Oler
Junior Bioinformatician - Wishart Node, University of Alberta
Education:
- B.Sc. Biology and Bioinformatics
Location: Edmonton, AB


Eponine Oler
Junior Bioinformatician
Dr. Alyaa Selim
Research Assistant - Wishart Node, University of Alberta
Education:
-
Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences (Pharmacognosy), Faculty of Pharmacy, Minia University, Egypt.
Location: Edmonton, AB


Dr. Alyaa Selim
Research Assistant
Louisa Normington
Bioinformatician – Wishart Node, University of Alberta
Education:
- M.Sc.
Location: Edmonton, AB


Louisa Normington
Bioinformatician
Lun Zhang
Research Associate, Wishart node – University of Alberta
Education:
- B.A Pharmacy, Chinese Pharmaceutical University
- Ph.D. Pharmacology, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Location: Edmonton, AB


Dr. Lun Zhang
Research Associate
Jiamin Zheng
Senior Metabolomics Technologist - Wishart Node, University of Alberta
Education:
- M.Sc. in Chemistry, University of Alberta
Location: Edmonton, AB


Jiamin Zheng
Senior Metabolomics Technologist
Dr. Juan Jovel
Bioinformatician - Wishart Node, University of Alberta
Education:
- Ph.D.
Location: Edmonton, AB


Dr. Juan Jovel
Bioinformatician
Quebec Nodes
Borchers Node, McGill University
Dr. Christoph Borchers (Co-Scientific Director)
Dr. Christoph Borchers received his B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Konstanz, Germany. After his post-doctoral training and employment as a staff scientist at NIEHS/NIH/RTP, in North Carolina, he became the director of the Duke - UNC Proteomics Facility and held a faculty position at the UNC Medical School in Chapel Hill, NC (2001-2006). Since then, Dr. Borchers holds a joint appointment at the University of Victoria (UVic), Canada and holds the current positions of Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology and the Don and Eleanor Rix BC Leadership Chair in Biomedical and Environmental Proteomics. He is also the Director of the UVic - Genome BC Proteomics Centre, which is one out of six Genome Canada funded Science & Technology Innovation Centres and the only one solely devoted to proteomics.
His research is centred around the improvement, development and application of proteomics technologies with a major focus on techniques for quantitative targeted proteomics for clinical diagnostics. For his research, multiplexed LC-MRM-MS approaches and the immuno-MALDI (iMALDI) technique are of particular interest. Another focus of Dr. Borchers' research is centred on technology development and application of the combined approach of protein chemistry and mass spectrometry for structural proteomics. Dr. Borchers has published over 100 peer-reviewed papers in scientific journals and is the founder and CSO of two companies, Creative Molecules. Inc. and MRM Proteomics Inc. He is also involved in promoting proteomic research and education through his function as HUPO International Council Member, co-leader and Scientific Director of the British Columbia Proteomics Network and President of the Canadian National Proteomics Network.



Dr. Christoph Borchers
Node Leader
Evgeniy Petrotchenko
Node Manager - McGill Node
Education:
- M.D. 2nd Moscow Medical Institute
- Ph.D. Bioorganic Chemistry, National Academy of Sciences Belarus
Location: Montreal, QC


Dr. Evgeniy Petrotchenko
Node Manager
Deema Qasrawi
Research Technician, Borchers - McGill University
Education:
- M.Sc. Medical Science, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary
- B.Sc. Pharmacy, Jordan University of Science and Technology (JUST)
Location: Montreal, QC


Deema Qasrawi
Research Technician
Vincent Richard
Research Associate, Borchers - McGill University
Education:
- Ph.D. Cell & Molecular Biology, Concordia University
Location: Montreal, QC


Dr. Vincent Richard
Research Associate
Xia Node, McGill University
Dr. Jianguo (Jeff) Xia
Dr. Xia obtained his Medical Degree (5-year program) from Peking University Health Science Center, China. He then moved to Canada and obtained his MSc and PhD degree, both from the University of Alberta, Canada. He joined McGill University in 2015 and has become an Associate Professor with tenure since 2020. Dr. Xia is a Canada Research Chair (Bioinformatics and Big Data Analytics). His research explores innovative and practical ways to address the big data challenges from biomedical research, focusing on metabolomics and multi-omics integration. His team has developed many highly accessed platforms such as MetaboAnalyst, MicrobiomeAnalyst, etc. Dr. Xia is the recipient of 2019 McGill Principal’s Prize for Outstanding Emerging Researchers. Since 2019, he has been ranked among the Global Highly Cited Researchers with > 100 peer-reviewed publications (citations: >32,000, H-index: 50).



Dr. Jianguo (Jeff) Xia
Node Leader
Vuckovic Node, Concordia University
Ontario Nodes
Britz-McKibbin Node, McMaster University
Dr. Philip Britz-McKibbin
Dr. Britz-McKibbin received his PhD from the University of British Columbia prior to joining the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at McMaster University in 2003, where is now a Professor and currently a Cystic Fibrosis Canada Researcher. Dr. Britz-McKibbin has contributed to innovations in capillary electrophoresis and mass spectrometry for metabolomics as applied to preventative health. His research program includes the development of higher throughput methods for identifying and quantifying metabolites of clinical significance in human biological samples, including the introduction of multiplexed separations and accelerated data workflows for biomarker discovery. His research has been funded by NSERC, CFI, CIHR, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation of Canada, the Ontario Genomics Institute, and the Ontario Ministry of Labour. He has presented over 100 invited talks and published more than 70 peer-reviewed articles, including 6 invited reviews, 5 book chapters, 2 technical reports and 3 filed patents. Dr. Britz-McKibbin is the recipient of several prestigious awards for his important contributions to separation science, MS and metabolomics, including the American Chemical Society – Young Investigator Award in Separation Science (2010), Japan Society for Promotion of Science (2009), Petro-Canada Young Investigator Award (2007) and Premier’s Research Excellence Award (2004-2010). He is currently co-chair in analytical/physical chemistry in the NSERC Discovery Grant Evaluation Committee, a founding member of the North American Chapter of the Metabolomics Society, and a Section Editor in Chemical Biology for the journal Scientific Reports (Nature). He has also served as a scientific advisory board member on several metabolomics initiatives across North America. Dr. Britz-McKibbin’s research program strives to bridges the major gap existing between basic scientific research and large-scale epidemiological studies for population health, including expanding newborn screening programs.



Dr. Philip Britz-McKibbin
Node Leader
Meera Shanmuganathan Node Manager
Research Scientist - McMaster Node
Education:
- NSERC Postdoctoral Fellowship, Environment Canada
- Ph.D. McMaster University
- B.Sc. Co-op, Simon Fraser University
Location: McMaster University, ON


Dr. Meera Shanmuganathan
Node Manager
Erick Helmeczi
PhD Candidate - McMaster Node
Education:
- Ph.D. ongoing McMaster University
- B.Sc. Honors, Co-op, Brock University
Location: McMaster University, ON


Erick Helmeczi
PhD Candidate
Zachary Kroezen
Research Assistant - McMaster Node
Education:
- Honours B.Sc. in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at McMaster University
Location: McMaster University, ON


Zachary Kroezen
Research Assistant
BC Nodes
Goodlett Node, University of Victoria
Dr. David R. Goodlett
Dr. David R. Goodlett has spent his career using mass spectrometry to solve biomedical problems via novel technology and software developments. His Ph.D. training with Prof. Richard B. van Breemen on protein adducts concluded in 1991 and his postdoctoral work with Dr.Richard D. Smith on Native MS and ESI fundamentals in 1993. He has been active in a variety of fields including medicine, oceanography, pharmacy, microbiology, proteomics (including clinical applications), lipidomics, and protein and glycolipid structure-function relationships. Dr. Goodlett has published over 250 papers generating an H-index of 80. He is currently a Professor at the University of Victoria and Director of their Genome BC Proteome Centre. Prior to this he was Professor at the Universities of Washington (2004-2012) and Maryland-Baltimore (2013-2020) as well as first Director of Proteomics at the Institute for Systems Biology (2000-2003). From 2012-2016 he was a Finland Distinguished Professor studying pediatric type 1 diabetes. For the last dozen years he has been an Editor at Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry for Wiley-Blackwell publishing. Dr. Goodlett has founded two companies based on his patents: Deurion of Seattle, WA which is developing mass spectrometry ion sources and Pataigin of Baltimore, MD which is focused on microbial diagnostics. Since 2007 he has been a co-organizer of the Mass Spectrometry in Biotechnology and Medicine summer school held annually in Dubrovnik. Recently, Dr. Goodlett was appointed Visiting Professor at the International Centre for Cancer Vaccine Science (ICCVS) at the University of Gdansk.





Dr. David R. Goodlett
Node Leader
David Schibli
Associate Director, UVic-Genome BC Proteomics Centre - University of Victoria Node
Education:
- B.Sc. Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Victoria
- Ph.D. Biochemistry, University of Calgary
- MBA, Richard Ivey School of Business, University of Western Ontario
Location: Victoria, BC


Dr. David Schibli
Node Manager
Melissa DaSilva
Research Administrator, UVic-Genome BC Proteomics Centre - University of Victoria Node
Education:
- B.Sc. Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Victoria
- Ph.D. Biochemistry, University of Victoria
Location: Victoria, BC


Dr. Melissa DaSilva
Research Administrator
Evan Dyson-Loewen
Technician, UVic-Genome BC Proteomics Centre - University of Victoria Node
Education:
- B.Sc. Chemistry, Carleton University
Location: Victoria, BC


Evan Dyson-Loewen
Technician
Jun Han
Metabolomics Group Leader, UVic-Genome BC Proteomics Centre - University of Victoria Node
Education:
- Diploma in Experimental Chemistry, Soochow University
- M.Sc. Pharmaceutical Analysis (Chromatography), China Pharmaceutical University
- Ph.D. Pharmaceutical Analysis (Mass Spectrometry), China Pharmaceutical University
Location: Victoria, BC


Dr. Jun Han
Metabolomics Group Leader
Darryl Hardie
Technician, UVic-Genome BC Proteomics Centre - University of Victoria Node
Education:
- B.Sc. Chemistry, University of Victoria
Location: Victoria, BC


Darryl Hardie
Technician
Jamie McGuire
Technician, UVic-Genome BC Proteomics Centre - University of Victoria Node
Education:
- B.Sc. Chemistry, University of Victoria
Location: Victoria, BC


Jamie McGuire
Technician
Derek Smith
Facility Manager, UVic-Genome BC Proteomics Centre - University of Victoria Node
Education:
- B.Sc. Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Victoria
Location: Victoria, BC


Derek Smith
Facility Manager
Juncong Yang
Technician, UVic-Genome BC Proteomics Centre - University of Victoria Node
Education:
- B.Sc. Guangzhou University
Location: Victoria, BC


Juncong Yang
Technician
Huan Node, University of British Columbia
Dr. Tao Huan
Dr. Huan is an Assistant Professor in Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry in the Department of Chemistry at the University of British Columbia. He received his Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry from the University of Alberta under the supervision of Dr. Liang Li on developing chemical isotope labelling liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry-based metabolomics. After graduation, Dr. Huan did postdoctoral work with Dr. Gary Siuzdak at the Scripps Research (La Jolla, CA) to create metabolomics-guided systems biology for an in-depth understanding of disease mechanisms. In July 2018, Dr. Huan was hired as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University of British Columbia. His research focuses on the synergistic development of analytical chemistry and bioinformatics for mass spectrometry-based metabolomics and exposomics and their applications in biological and environmental research. His lab has developed a suite of analytical and bioinformatic tools to reshape the process of large-scale metabolomics data interpretation for disease biomarker discovery and mechanistic understanding. Dr. Huan is currently a steering committee and faculty member of UBC Social Exposome Cluster. In addition, Dr. Huan is affiliated faculty members in the Graduate Program in Bioinformatics, Genome Science and Technology (GSAT) program, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, and Cluster for Microplastics, Health and the Environment.



Dr. Tao Huan
Node Leader
Alyssa Hui
Node Manager - University of British Columbia Node
Education:
- B.Sc. Chemistry and Physics, University of British Columbia
Location: Vancouver, BC


Alyssa Hui
Node Manager
Brian Low
Graduate Student - University of British Columbia Node
Education:
- B.Sc.
Location: Vancouver, BC


Brian Low
Graduate Student
Tingting Zhao
Graduate Student - University of British Columbia Node
Education:
- B.Sc.
Location: Vancouver, BC

