Research chairs

Antonella Badia

Organic Binding Structures for Nanotechnologies. Professor Antonella Badia’s work is focused on tiny particles of matter. Applying her research to organic binding substances, she is able to assemble organic and inorganic materials and produce membranes serving to join different types of materials. The membranes must be configured and shaped to meet assembly requirements. Specific techniques (Langmuir-Blodgett and Langmuir-Schaeffer) will be used to make ultrathin membranes. In practical terms, the leading-edge work of Professor Badia and her research team will find many applications. The scientific advances made through it will generate assemblies facilitating the development of nanotechnologies. Medicine, electronics, biochemistry and a number of other fields will reap the benefits of the chairholder’s research.

André B. Charette

Many naturally occurring molecules, particularly biological molecules, are found in two forms that are mirror images of each other. Such molecules are chiral. Normally, when a chiral molecule is produced in the laboratory, the synthesis produces a mixture containing equal amounts of the two forms. Stereoselective synthesis allows one form to predominate. In many applications, particularly pharmaceuticals, such asymmetric synthesis is critical because, while one form may be beneficial to health, the other may be harmful.

Our research is directed toward the development of new tools to speed up drug synthesis and working on stereoselective synthesis to generate new beneficial chiral molecules. Most drugs are made of chiral molecules and the molecules are critical intermediates leading to many of the new products in pharmaceutical science, agri-chemical science, biology, food science, and materials science. Our research work in the stereoselective synthesis of new and potentially bioactive organic compounds using novel catalytic methods (which speed up the process and make it much more efficient) will bring significant benefits to Canada in many areas, especially in medicine.

Through our program, we are opening the door to innovations that will help Canada's pharmaceutical companies hone their competitive edge in the increasingly competitive global economy.

Keywords : asymmetric catalysis, enantiomers, pharmaceuticals, chirality

Stephen Hanessian

The interaction of various components of RNA-type macromolecules can have important implications in the design of new therapeutic compounds to combat infectious diseases. Research in this area will focus on the chemical modification of existing antibiotics in order to broaden their biological activities as antibacterial agents, especially against bacterial strains that have acquired resistance against the commonly used antibiotics. A combination of targeted and exploratory research offers opportunities to develop new bioactive prototypes while providing excellent coworker training.

Hélène Lebel

Using Organometallic Catalysts to Generate Effective Organic Reactions. Hélène Lebel’s goal as chairholder is to use organometallic catalysts for generating effective organic reactions and thereby produce synthetic molecules more cheaply. By focusing on the methodological aspects and tools of her research work, Professor Lebel plans to develop innovative, economical approaches leading to progress in the production of new molecules. Her research will have an impact on medicinal chemistry and pharmacology. It will eventually lead to the discovery of new therapeutic agents and the development of new drugs. The population as a whole will benefit from the scientific advances made.

Dean MacNeil

Materials for energy storage are an important part of today's technological society. The quest for a power source that will last longer, recharge faster, and provide more power is an ongoing area of intense research that will continue to drive future technological advancements. Improvements in the properties of energy storage materials will open the door to a variety of applications including improved run time of portable electronics. With improved safety characteristics and electrode capacity, the electric vehicle may develop into a viable option for many commuters. Improvements in large capacity energy storage technologies will enable alternative power generation technologies, such as photovoltaics, to excel in the consumer marketplace.

This program seeks to take the initial steps towards the identification of new energy storage materials and will allow for their large-scale production and application. The goal is to develop a detailed understanding of the relationship between the structure of the material and its electrochemical performance and safety. The target materials will be fabricated using traditional as well as new synthetic approaches that will be easy to integrate into currently used methods of battery technology. With the benefit of some close interaction with the scientific staff at Phostech Lithium, the research will illuminate the implications of these new materials on the performance of portable electronic devices. This Industrial Research Chair in energy storage and conversion will facilitate continued Canadian leadership in the development of new materials for energy storage and contribute to the training of highly qualified scientists.

Richard Martel

Prof. Martel studies the physical chemistry of electrically active nanostructures (e.g. nanotubes, molecular assemblies and other nanostructures) and the phenomena of charge transfer at interfaces and nanojunctions. The research is also geared to the development of nanocomponent prototypes for applications in electronics, optoelectronis, sensor technology and energy conversion.

Pierre Thibault

Prof. Thibault research program consists of developing a proteomics platform based on mass spectrometry for applications in cancerology and immunology. This chair is a key chair in the cluster of Canada Research Chairs that forms the University of Montreal's Research Institute of Immunovirology and Cancerology. It is essential for characterizing trace amounts of proteins and for identifying post-traductional modifications of proteins. Thus, the research, which involves the development of biocomputational tools and the establishment of genetic expression profiles and which makes use of high-throughput microfluidic systems and sensitive mass spectrometry methods, is expected to accelerate new protein-related discoveries.

James D. Wuest

Professor Wuest coined the term "molecular tectonics", which is at the heart of his research in supramolecular bioorganic chemistry. He specializes in the chemistry of molecular self-assembly and self-organisation in view of developing programmed and well-defined molecular architectures.

Prof. Wuest also heads the Québec research network in organic synthesis.

Julian X. Zhu

Professeur Zhu's area of research is in polymer chemistry. He develops polymer materials useful for the biomedical and pharmaceutical industries, as well as for industry in general. More specifically, his research interests lie with polymer gels, degradable polymers, dental resins, liquid crystals, far-UV resistant polymers and nanoporous materials.