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Dr. Stokes is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences at McMaster University. He was a postdoctoral fellow at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, carrying a prestigious Banting Fellowship from 2018-2020. Stokes established his laboratory back at McMaster in the Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences in August 2021. The Stokes lab leverages a balance of experimental and computational approaches to discover the next generation of life-saving antibiotics with novel structures and functions that expand the capabilities of these medicines beyond the current state of the art. One of the lab’s primary interests, quite broadly, is in the application of deep learning approaches to help predict the antibacterial properties of structurally novel small molecules. Stokes also co-founded a non-profit organization, Phare Bio, which aims to de-risk promising antibiotic candidates and position these molecules for more rapid advancement through the clinical trial process.
Jeff has worked in the Canadian Healthcare industry for over 20 years with a focus on Business Development and Partnering. He has experience in all stages of development, from discovery to generics, including preclinical and clinical development companies and several early-stage
biotech start-ups. Most recently, Jeff worked with Valeo Pharma, a commercial-stage Canadian specialty pharmaceutical company, to build a market-leading product portfolio in three therapeutic areas. Prior to Valeo, Jeff worked at SteriMax, a Canadian generic pharmaceutical company, acquiring products and managing the partnerships.
Jeff holds an Honours Bachelor's degree in Genetics and and MBA, both from the University of Western Ontario.
Chris is Co-Founder/Executive Char of Brand Blvd Inc. located in Niagara. Their team of 50 specialize in branded merchandise servicing clients across North America. He is Co-Founder of Orion Supply Company, Founder of Chris Sinclair Consulting and Co-Founder of the Niagara Golf & Cycling Marathons which have raised over $1M for local charities. Chris graduated from Niagara College with a BA Marketing Diploma and is a recipient of the Niagara College Distinguished Alumni Award.
Denise received her Bachelor of Health Sciences (BHSc) in 2022 with summa cum laude honors and is currently pursuing her PhD in in vivo infection dynamics and antimicrobial drug discovery, both from McMaster University. Her research focuses on (1) curating a comprehensive list of “in vivo essential” biological processes that model the crosstalk between bacterial cell and host physiologies during infection; and (2) in vitro and in vivo validation of machine learning-guided antibiotic discovery. She applies multi-omics approaches to understand how pathogen and host cellular responses change throughout the course of an infection. By leveraging this data, she aims to invent functionally novel therapies that modulate the pathogen and/or the host to predictably suppress the severity of infection. Beyond her research, Denise contributes as a teaching assistant and dedicates her time to Let’s Talk Science, where she engages children and youth in STEM activities within educational settings. Her interests outside of academia include camping, hiking, watching Netflix series, and attending spin classes. Her academic excellence has been recognized through the award of the Canada Graduate Scholarships – Master’s program and nomination for the SC24 Women’s History Project.
I am Gary Liu, and have always been highly optimistic about the impact technology can have on healthcare and medicine. I therefore eagerly accepted the opportunity to develop my skills by pursuing a PhD in the Stokes Lab at McMaster University. My research leverages reinforcement learning to efficiently explore billions of chemicals in silico for efficient hit discovery. I like to spend my free time exploring new genres of gaming and music and spending time with my dog.
Jeremie graduated with a bachelor's degree (BSc) in biotechnology from Queen’s University in 2019. He is currently pursuing his MSc at McMaster in machine learning (ML) guided drug discovery. His research is centred around the development of chemical language models for de-novo drug design, focusing specifically on the design of next-generation antibiotics targeting Acinetobacter baumannii and new chemotherapy agents for glioblastoma. Jeremie also holds a keen interest in the commercialization of biological research and the process of transforming innovative ideas into impactful new ventures. Outside of the lab, Jeremie enjoys playing hockey, cycling, and hanging out with friends.
Dr. John Lewis is an experienced scientist and entrepreneur specializing in proteo-lipid vehicles, gene therapy, and nucleic acid delivery. John holds multiple titles, including Professor of Oncology and the Bird Dogs Chair in Translational Oncology at the University of Alberta. His research has focused on developing gene therapies for cancer and age-related diseases. In addition to his academic work, Dr. Lewis is the co-founder of Innovascreen Inc., a successful preclinical CRO in operation since 2005, and is the founder and CEO of Entos Pharmaceuticals Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing genetic medicines, incorporated in 2007. He trained at The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, CA where he developed targeted molecular imaging technologies. John Lewis earned a Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of Victoria.
Jenna is a principal in Bridgespan’s San Francisco office. Since joining the firm in 2018, she has worked with both non-profit and philanthropy clients, as well as with collaborative funding platforms, like TED's The Audacious Project, that connect them. She has supported organizations focused on a range of issue areas−including government and public systems, place-based change, and health−to develop effective and equitable strategies and operating models. Prior to joining Bridgespan, Jenna was a senior consultant at Deloitte Consulting in Washington, DC, where she worked with public, social, and private sector clients, primarily on growth strategy and customer experience. Jenna graduated summa cum laude with an AB from the School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University.
Dr. Geordie Stewart has an extraordinary background at the nexus of science and business. He is a McMaster alumni with both a PhD (Biochemistry) and an MBA. Dr. Stewart is CGO at Kapoose Creek Bio and a Senior Advisor at the Weston Family Foundation. He also previously served as the Senior Program Director for the Weston Family Microbiome Initiative, which supports Canadian research seeking to leverage the microbiome to combat disease and support healthy aging. Dr. Stewart has co-founded and led several innovative technology firms and served as an advisor to many Canadian companies, entrepreneurs, and investors in the biotechnology and technology sectors.
Dr. Jakob Magolan, originally from Poland and raised in Kitchener, Canada, earned undergraduate degrees in Chemistry and Physical and Health Education from Queen's University. He completed graduate studies at Western University, where he worked with Prof. Michael Kerr on synthetic methodology and natural product synthesis. After earning his Ph.D. in 2007, Dr. Magolan pursued postdoctoral research in anti-pancreatic cancer medicinal chemistry at the Griffith Institute in Brisbane, Australia, under Prof. Mark Coster. In 2010, he began his academic career at the University of Idaho, establishing an NSF-funded research program in synthetic chemistry. In 2017, after receiving tenure and promotion to Associate Professor, he moved to McMaster University as a Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences and became the inaugural Boris Family Endowed Chair of Drug Discovery. At McMaster, Dr. Magolan leads a research team focused on drug discovery and development across various therapeutic areas while advancing organic chemistry through the development of new tools and processes.
Dr. Miller is an Associate Professor in Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences at McMaster University and a member of the Institute for Infectious Diseases Research and the McMaster Immunology Research Centre.
He earned his BMSc with Honors in Microbiology and Immunology from the University of Western Ontario, where he later completed his PhD studying DNA viruses under Dr. Laura Hertel and Dr. Joe Mymryk. His doctoral research earned him prestigious awards, including the CIHR Doctoral Award and multiple departmental honors.
Dr. Miller pursued postdoctoral studies at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai under Dr. Peter Palese, supported by a CIHR Postdoctoral Research Award. His research advanced understanding of broadly-neutralizing antibodies against influenza A and contributed to the development of a “universal” influenza vaccine. He also uncovered a link between the protein Senataxin and the antiviral response, a connection central to his lab’s exploration of infection, inflammation, and neurodegeneration.
Dr. Gerry Wright, a professor in Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences at McMaster University, founded the Institute of Infectious Disease Research and Canada’s Global Nexus for Pandemics and Biological Threats. He holds the Michael G. DeGroote Chair in Infection and Anti-Infective Research and is a McMaster Distinguished University Professor. Dr. Wright earned his BSc and PhD from the University of Waterloo, followed by postdoctoral research at Harvard Medical School. A Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and the American Academy of Microbiology, he has received numerous accolades, including the Killam Prize (2024) for his pioneering work in antimicrobial resistance. Author of over 300 publications, Dr. Wright serves on editorial boards and advises funding agencies and the biotech industry globally.
Dr. Rebecca Shapiro earned her Bachelor’s degree in Biology from McGill University, where she conducted research in cancer genetics and Drosophila developmental biology. She then pursued her PhD in Molecular Genetics at the University of Toronto under Dr. Leah Cowen, focusing on temperature stress and cellular morphogenesis in the fungal pathogen *Candida albicans*.
Following her doctoral studies, Dr. Shapiro joined Dr. Jim Collins' lab at MIT and the Broad Institute as a Banting Postdoctoral Fellow, where she specialized in CRISPR-based technologies, functional genomics, and microbial genomic analysis. Now leading her research group at the University of Guelph, Dr. Shapiro investigates microbial fungal pathogens and develops CRISPR-based genomic tools to advance the understanding of their biology and pathogenesis.
Dr. Sheila Singh, Associate Professor at McMaster University, is Head of Pediatric Neurosurgery and Interim Chief of the Division of Neurosurgery. After earning her BSc in Neurobiology and Molecular Genetics at McGill and her MD at McMaster, she trained in neurosurgery at the University of Toronto, completing a PhD under Dr. Peter Dirks and a fellowship in pediatric neurosurgery at SickKids.
Dr. Singh is a Principal Investigator at the Stem Cell and Cancer Research Institute and holds a Canada Research Chair in Human Cancer Stem Cell Biology. She led a $2.75M Terry Fox Research Institute grant targeting glioblastoma and is the first woman and McMaster scientist to do so. Her lab of 15+ researchers has received extensive funding and produced influential publications.
Active in global and national neuroscience organizations, Dr. Singh has served as a grant reviewer for major agencies, contributed to editorial boards, and given numerous invited talks. Recognized as a McMaster University Scholar and Tier 1 CRC, she also supports patient education and fundraising, reflecting her commitment to advancing care and research.