Dr. Christine Allen is a full professor at the University of Toronto and internationally recognized leader in drug formulation and development with more than 160 publications. She has received numerous career awards and is a fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, Canadian Academy of Health Sciences, Controlled Release Society (CRS), and the Canadian Society for Pharmaceutical Sciences (CSPS). She is co-founder and a board member at Nanovista Inc., and co-founder and CEO of a VC-backed, JLABS resident, stealth company that is accelerating pharmaceutical drug development through integration of AI, automation and advanced computing. Dr. Allen is committed to promoting and actioning equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility in research and innovation.

Dr. Andreazza is a leading expert in molecular pharmacology and mitochondrial research. With over 150 research articles, she focuses on redox modulations and mitochondrial dysfunction in mood disorders, employing innovative methods like 3D brain organoids. As the visionary founder of MITO2i, she spearheads collaborative efforts to advance understanding of mitochondrial function and genetics in human diseases, aiming to enhance mitochondrial health. MITO2i is a collaborative hub that engages all stakeholders in advancing science in the field of mitochondrial medicine & research. Our goal is to transform the understanding of mitochondrial health and disease, leading to better diagnoses and treatments that enhance quality of human life; ultimately transforming healthcare by integrating mitochondrial health into routine care.

Thisha Ravindran is an Undergraduate student in the Department of Cell Biology and Statistics. She was awarded the Acceleration Consortium for EDI Initiate grant to raise awareness in the application of EDI in Self-Driving Labs.

Dr. Gill is dedicated to advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in research and innovation at the University of Toronto. She has led initiatives such as the Canada Research Chairs Program EDI Action Plan and developed internal policies to promote inclusive practices. Additionally, she provides guidance to researchers on incorporating EDI principles into their teams and funding applications.

Dr. Labouta’s research is focused on the design and evaluation of nanoparticles for drug delivery, and her goal is to bridge the gap between fundamental research and clinical applications. She is dedicated to EDI initiatives, developing frameworks to promote the inclusion of underrepresented students and enabling the development of a safe interdisciplinary environment.

Dr. Bodenstien studied mitochondrial biogenesis in bipolar disorder and mitochondrial disease using post-mortem brain tissue and cellular models. He’s identified compensatory pathways that help maintain mitochondrial DNA integrity in bipolar disorder.

Nafia is dedicated to equity, diversity and inclusivity measures, as she was a member of the St. Michael’s Research Student Association. Moreover, she served as the equity director, and played a key role in expanding the equity program, promoting EDI to students by advocating student needs to the research EDI committee at St. Michael’s Hospital.

Bojana Stefanovic is a senior scientist, director of physical sciences at Sunnybrook Research Institute, and professor at the Department of Medical Biophysics at UofT. Her research focuses on the development of new methods for quantitative in vivo imaging of brain function. As the Chair of the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee in the Department of Medical Biophysics, she is committed to maintaining an environment of equity and fairness and ensuring that programs as well as curricula prepare graduates to meet the needs of the diverse communities they will serve in.  

Carla Brown, is a staff scientist at the Acceleration Consortium, with a focus on small molecule drug discovery and medicinal chemistry. She holds a PhD in chemical biology from McMaster University and is passionate about using chemical tools to explore and advance biological understanding. Previously, she worked at the Centre for Medicinal Chemistry and Drug Discovery at University Health Network, specializing in hit-finding and chemical probe development for novel drug targets. 

Dr. Santhakumar was a project manager at the University of Toronto’s Structural Genomics Consortium, where he led chemical probe projects with industry and academic partners. Holding a PhD in synthetic organic chemistry from the University of Leeds, he brings extensive experience in drug discovery and medicinal chemistry from his roles at AstraZeneca, where he developed drug leads and chemical tools through AI and automation.

Her program of research investigates the development, implementation and evaluation of transitional care interventions for individuals with neurological conditions. She is a strong advocate for equity, diversity and inclusivity initiatives, as she is a part of the Rehabilitation Sciences Institute EDI Committee. 

She is a research associate in IDEA’s Hub1, Workplace Systems and Partnerships, working under the direction of Emile Tompa and Emma Irvin.