Invited speakers
Dr Joelle Pelletier
Following a B.Sc. Biochemistry in her native Ottawa U. (1989), a Ph.D. Biochemistry from McGill U. (1995) and postdoctoral fellowships at U. de Montréal and at the U. of Zürich, Joelle Pelletier became a Professor of Chemistry and Adjunct Professor of Biochemistry at U. de Montréal in 1999. Since 2021, she holds the Canada Research Chair in Engineering of Applied Proteins. Professor Pelletier has established advanced methods for automated and high-throughput protein engineering, applied biodetection and biocatalysis, and computational modelling. Evolution of antibiotic resistance, biodetection of diverse biological targets, generation of ‘smart’ protein libraries and protein dynamics are prominent among her research topics.
Throughout her career, she has served in numerous executive positions and selection committees in Canada, the United States and Europe, and is currently Associate Editor at ACS Catalysis. In 2015 she launched the start-up company Affinité Instruments where she serves as VP-Research. She was awarded the 2021 Clara Benson award of the Canadian Society for Chemistry, recognizing her distinguished contribution to chemistry. Pelletier is passionate about mentoring and promoting the young scientists who now lead the new generation of researchers.
Title of the conference:
Engineering enzymes in all their dimensions
Dr. Michel Bouvier
Michel Bouvier is a professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine and principal investigator at the Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC) of the Université de Montréal (UdeM) and has been CEO of IRIC from June 2014 to May 2024. He obtained his B.Sc. (1979) in biochemistry and his Ph.D (1985) in Neurological Sciences. Following a post-doctoral fellowship in the laboratory of Robert J. Lefkowitz at Duke University (1985-1988), he returned to Montréal as a professor of biochemistry at UdeM and became the Chairman of the Department (1997-2005). Dr. Bouvier is a world-renowned expert in molecular pharmacology. His work on G protein-coupled receptors led to the development of new tools and paradigm shifts that have significant impact on drug discovery. His work on the functional selectivity of GPCRs contributed to establishing the concept of ligand-biased signalling that is now integrated in many drug discovery programs. He also pioneered the development and use of bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET)-based methods for the study of protein-protein interactions and signalling activity in living cells. He is the author of 376 publications and delivered more than 500 invited conferences. His papers attracted 44,481 citations (h factor of 117). He supervised the studies of 37 undergraduate students, 78 M.Sc. and Ph.D. students and 46 post-doctoral fellows. His laboratory also welcomed 36 visiting students and 7 visiting professors/scientists. His contributions were recognized by many awards including: the Julius Axelrod Award from the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (2017), the Quebec Government Wilder Penfield award (2017) and the 2021 Killam Award from the Canada Council for the Arts. He is a fellow the Royal Society of Canada and a knight of the National Order of Quebec.
Title of the conference:
G protein coupled receptor (GPCR) Signaling and Location Biases; Two Aspects of functional Selectivity in Drug Action
Dr. James Piret
Dr. Piret is a Professor in the Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering and the Michael Smith Laboratories at the University of British Columbia. He has a Bachelor’s from Harvard in Applied Mathematics to Biochemistry and a Chemical Engineering doctorate from MIT. At UBC since 1989 his research focus has been on innovative process and device technology for therapeutics biomanufacturing. His multi-disciplinary research ranges from bioreactor engineering to molecular biology, often including collaborative work with scientists and industry. His recognitions include the Canadian Chemical Engineering RS Jane research award, the Cell Culture Engineering Award from the Engineering Conferences International and student Teaching Excellence awards. http://www.msl.ubc.ca/faculty/piret
Title of the conference:
Process Analytical Utility of Raman Microscopy for Cell Therapy Manufacturing
