The scientific leadership leads the D2R Initiative and is composed of:

• Philippe Gros, Chief Scientific Officer
• Mark Lathrop, Scientific Director
• Am茅lie Quesnel-Vall茅e, Associate Scientific Director
• Nathan Luedtke, Associate Scientific Director

This leadership team, representing various research areas, ensures comprehensive interdisciplinary expertise within the D2R Initiative.

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Chief Scientific Officer
Dr. Philippe Gros

A biochemist and geneticist by training, Dr. Gros is a pioneer in the field of molecular genetics for the identification of risk factors for various pathologies, including cancers, infectious and inflammatory diseases. His work in identifying the genes, pathways and proteins involved in the evolution of these complex conditions has earned him worldwide recognition.

Dr. Gros has authored more than 400 scientific publications and holds six patents. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including the McLaughlin Medal for Scientific Excellence from the Royal Society of Canada (2014), the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal from the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (2013), the Killam Prize in Health Sciences from the Canada Council for the Arts (2009), and the Prix Wilder-Penfield from the Government of Quebec (2008). He became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada in 2003, an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2016, and a Chevalier of the Ordre national du Qu茅bec in 2019.

Since 1985, Dr Gros has had various academic appointments at 海角社区, including Professor in the Department of Biochemistry, Associate Member in the Department of Human Genetics, Founder and Director of 海角社区鈥檚 Center for Complex Traits, Vice-Dean of Life Sciences in 海角社区鈥檚 Faculty of Medicine and Deputy Vice-President (Research and Innovation).

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Scientific Director
Dr. Mark Lathrop

Dr. Lathrop鈥檚 research focuses on the application of genomics and statistical/mathematical methods to understand the molecular basis of human disease. His work focuses on large-scale, multi-centric investigations that combine molecular approaches with statistical genetics to unravel the genetic basis of multifactorial disease, and how these can be applied to individualize approaches to disease prevention and treatment (personalised medicine).

Dr. Lathrop was a founding member of the CEPH (Centre d鈥櫭﹖ude du polymorphisme humain), the organization which pioneered the international scientific collaboration on the human genome. Prior to joining 海角社区, Dr. Lathrop co-founded and was the first scientific director of the Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics at the University of Oxford, an institute created to apply genomic approaches to understanding the molecular basis of human disease. Dr. Lathrop later founded the Centre national de g茅notypage, which he developed into the principal national infrastructure for human genetic studies in France. After joining 海角社区, he helped create the Canadian Genomics Enterprise (CGEn) which is the country's major national genomic sciences initiative. He is also the scientific director of the Victor Phillip Dahdaleh Institute of Genomic Medicine.

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Associate Scientific Director
Dr. Am茅lie Quesnel-Vall茅e

Dr. Quesnel-Vall茅e鈥檚 research examines the contribution of policies to social inequalities in health over the life course. It has appeared in journals such as The Lancet, the International Journal of Epidemiology, and Social Science & Medicine and was recognized through several international professional associations鈥� awards, including from the American Sociological Association, the Population Association of America, and the American Public Health Association, as well as from the Fulbright Canada Foundation. A skilled communicator and teacher, she was awarded the 2021 Fieldhouse Teaching Award from the Faculty of Arts.

Dr. Quesnel-Vall茅e is committed to furthering public understanding of science, and she is frequently sought by the media such as National Public Radio, the New York Times, and Business Week. She is a Past-President of the International Sociological Association Research Committee on the Sociology of Health and President of the Canadian Population Society.

She has also served on several scientific advisory councils, including as co-Chair of Statistics Canada鈥檚 Expert Advisory Committee on Population Health Statistics, and she currently serves on the Governing Council (Board of Directors) of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research as Chair of the Standing Committee on Science and as a member of the Executive Committee.

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Associate Scientific Director
Dr. Nathan Luedtke

Nathan Luedtke鈥檚 group pioneered the development of non-toxic, catalyst-free bioorthogonal 鈥渃lick鈥� reactions on cellular DNA and RNA. In cooperation with Sigma Aldrich, the 鈥渃lickable鈥� nucleosides produced in the Luedtke Lab have been commercialized and distributed world-wide. This has facilitated broad use of Luedtke鈥檚 molecules and methods in highly diverse research fields including biomaterials, chromosomal architecture, RNA therapeutics, stem cell biology, virology, and precision medicine.

Luedtke鈥檚 leadership and service in the field of nucleic acids chemistry is reflected by his activities on various editorial boards of journals, including Molecules, Chimia, and Nature Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy. A commitment to service is further reflected by his organization of numerous international symposia, including the Albert Hofmann Symposium, Light and Medicine, Methods and Applications in Fluorescence, as well as his tenure on the D2R Partner and Community Engagement Committee and as the president of the Hans E. Schmid Foundation for supporting and promoting young scientists who are pursuing original research in organic chemistry. He is currently a James 海角社区 Professor and hold appointments in the Department of Chemistry, and the Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics at 海角社区.

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