From advances in nanotechnology to genome editing, our research teams are identifying new therapeutic targets, inventing drug delivery strategies, and developing new drugs and policies that shape the health system of the future. The Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy is deeply engaged in a diverse set of multidisciplinary research activities that will benefit the health of Canadians and people across the globe.

Located in the heart of a rich ecosystem of biomedical science and health system research, our entrepreneurial spirit fuels new start-up companies and patents each year, while our international collaborations continue to thrive. Together, our faculty and graduates are leaders who are continually moving science and health forward while advancing the frontiers of pharmaceutical sciences.

Message from the Associate Dean of Research

Portrait of Associate Dean of Research Stephane Angers

Message from the Associate Dean of Research

Portrait of Associate Dean of Research Stephane Angers

This year’s Dean’s Report is a reflection of our accomplishments over the past year, but more importantly our vision to advancing pharmaceutical sciences. The breadth and impact of our research activities enables the development of new therapeutics, enhancements in policy development, as well as our ability to adapt our research efforts to support the global response to COVID-19. Key accomplishments this year include: attracting more than $10M in new research funding, publishing more than 500 publications in peer-reviewed journals, attaining five faculty career leadership awards, expanding research centres and the launch of new internal funding programs.

In January we introduced the LDFP New Initiative and Innovation Award to fund new and emerging research in strategic areas. We received a number of innovative proposals and awarded four projects that will be leveraged in exciting new research directions. We also expanded our research communities by supporting two additional research centres: the Centre for Research and Applications in Fluidic Technologies (CRAFT), and Toronto Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research Consortium (TC3). The additions of these centres with the Centre for Pharmaceutical Oncology (CPO), the Centre for Practice Excellence (CPE), the WHO Collaborating Centre for Governance, Accountability and Transparency in the Pharmaceutical Sector and PRiME (Next Generation Precision Medicine) promotes collaboration among our faculty with leaders across U of T and TAHSN.

As we navigate through these difficult times, I am confident our researchers will embrace challenges and provide leadership in developing diagnostic technology, personal protective care and policies while assisting our health-care professionals.

Stéphane Angers
Associate Dean of Research
Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy
University of Toronto

This year’s Dean’s Report is a reflection of our accomplishments over the past year, but more importantly our vision to advancing pharmaceutical sciences. The breadth and impact of our research activities enables the development of new therapeutics, enhancements in policy development, as well as our ability to adapt our research efforts to support the global response to COVID-19. Key…
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'The time for PRiME is now': Inaugural symposium looks at innovations in precision medicine

More than 200 University of Toronto scientists and trainees, along with leaders from industry and community partners, attended the inaugural symposium for the Precision Medicine Initiative (PRiME) to share recent research innovations in precision medicine.
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Peivand Sadat Mousavi, Jenise Chen, Shana Kelley and Keith Pardee

Researchers develop first electrochemical platform for cell-free synthetic biology

Researchers at the University of Toronto and Arizona State University have developed the first direct gene-circuit-to-electrode interface by combining cell-free synthetic biology with state-of-the-art nanostructured electrodes.  
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Portraits of five researchers who won CIHR funding

Five Researchers Awarded Funding from Canadian Institutes of Health Research

From fighting glioblastoma to optimizing patient care journeys, our researchers are moving science and health. Congratulations to our faculty members who were successful in gaining funding from the Fall 2019 Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Project Grants Program.
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Professors Sara Guilcher and Kerry Kuluski

U of T researchers launch in-depth evaluation of strategies to curb 'hallway medicine' in Ontario

Researchers from the University of Toronto are launching a multi-pronged research project that aims to help the province of Ontario identify solutions to tackle the problem of “hallway medicine” in hospitals.
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Portrait of Lisa Dolovich, Interim Dean

Dean Lisa Dolovich wins CPJ's Best Paper of 2019 award for "Pharmacy in the 21st century"

Lisa Dolovich’s paper, "Pharmacy in the 21st century: Enhancing the impact of the profession of pharmacy on people’s lives in the context of health care trends, evidence and policies,” was named Canadian Pharmacists Journal’s Best Paper of 2019.
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Dr. Raymond Reilly and Valerie Facca working in lab

World Cancer Day: A future without cancer

Imagine a future without cancer. World Cancer Day aims to save millions of preventable deaths each year by raising awareness and education about cancer, and pressing governments and individuals across the world to take action against the disease.
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Jillian Kohler

Working against corruption in the global health sector

The World Health Organization Collaborating Centre (WHO CC) for Governance, Accountability, and Transparency in the Pharmaceutical Sector has recently been given approval by the WHO to continue advancing its work for another four years. 
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Developed by U of T researchers, first-of-its-kind skin patch aims to prevent low blood sugar in diabetes

An innovative skin patch developed by researchers at the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy has the potential to prevent low blood sugar levels (hypoglycemia) in people with diabetes.
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Research Facts & Figures

Faculty of Pharmacy Research Funding

2019-2020 Faculty of Pharmacy Research Funding Distribution

2019-2020
Tri-Agency Funding

Faculty of Pharmacy Number of Active Awards

Faculty of Pharmacy Average Award Budget

Research Funding

$10,673,289

Total research funding awarded to Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy Researchers

  • Tri-Agency $5,198,614 (CIHR, NSERC, SSHRC)
  • Private Sector $1,007,083
  • Non for Profit Sector $1,942,481 (including foundations)
  • Government $2,525,111 (NIH, IDRC, Ontario Genomics, etc.)

86

Number of applications submitted

32 successful
21 unsuccessful
33 pending

100

active grants

18 Government
23 Not for profit
11 Private Sector
48 Tri-Agency

48

Tri-Agency grants

28 CIHR
16 NSERC
2 SSHRC
2 Other

Publications

500+

publications

This includes:
17 books and chapters
25 editorial reviews

Conferences & Symposia

297

conferences attended

143 International Conferences
70 National Conferences
84 Local Conferences

Presentations by appointed Faculty members and trainees

162

abstracts

135

presentations

Entrepreneurship

4

start-ups

1 new (LSK Technologies)
3 ongoing (Cellular Analytics, Nanology Labs, Nocimetics)

8

commercialization projects

7 active
1 closed

2

licenses

1 ongoing
1 exercised /closed

17

patents issued

14 in the USA
2 in the UK
1 in China

67

patent applications

9

invention disclosures

Inventions Disclosures including a Student

  • 7 include a student
  • 2 PI only

Assignment

  • 4 co-owned (U of T + Sponsor)
  • 3 assigned to U of T
  • 1 assigned to sponsor
  • 1 assigned to inventor (PI/student)

Centre for Pharmaceutical Oncology (CPO)

135+

members

18

awards given

16 graduate awards
2 undergraduate awards

6

bi-weekly seminar series featuring leading national and international experts

Centre for Practice Excellence (CPE)

11

monthly speaker series presentations

Collaborations

  • University of Toronto Center for the Study of Pain

  • University of Laval
  • University of Waterloo
  • Northwest Telepharmacy Solutions
  • St Michael’s Hospital
  • Loblaw Companies Pharmacy
  • University of British Columbia; Vancouver Island Health Authority, Royal Jubilee Hospital
  • UHN (University Health Network); Diabetes Action Canada; McMaster University
  • North York General Hospital, Specialized Geriatrics Program
  • Mount Sinai Hospital
  • The Women’s College Hospital Institute for Health System Solutions and Virtual Care
  • Rexall Pharmacy Group
  • Centre for Big Data Research in Health, University of New South Wales Sydney

WHO Collaborating Centre for Governance, Accountability and Transparency in the Pharmaceutical Sector (WHOCC)

14

research fellows

Research Fellows From

  • Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy

  • Dalla Lana School of Public Health
  • Carleton University, School of Public Policy and Administration
  • Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing
  • University of Toronto Faculty of Law
  • University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine
  • University of Toronto Rotman School of Management
  • UC San Diego School of Medicine

4

collaborative seminars featuring leading national and international experts

Precision Medicine Initiative at University of Toronto (PRiME)

50+

members

Members from

  • 7 Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy
  • 12 Faculty of Arts & Science 
  • 13 Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering
  • 24 Faculty of Medicine