U of T Pharmacy welcomes leading structural biologist focused on advancing Huntington’s Disease Research

The Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy is pleased to welcome Assistant Professor Rachel Harding to the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, starting August 1, 2024. With a research focus that delves into the structure and function of the huntingtin protein, both in its normal and disease states, Professor Harding aims to unravel the complexities of Huntington’s disease to forge new paths for therapeutic development and intervention.

“Huntington’s disease is a devastating genetic illness that currently has no disease-modifying treatments available, only medicines to help treat and ease some symptoms of the illness,” said Harding, who is also a Principal Investigator with the Structural Genomics Consortium at U of T. “We’re interested in understanding the root cause of Huntington’s disease and exploring new areas of therapeutic development to help catalyze potential new treatments.”

Specializing in the molecular pathology of Huntington’s disease (HD), Assistant Professor Harding is an expert structural biologist, protein biochemist, and chemical biologist who brings an innovative, collaborative approach to studying this rare genetic neurodegenerative disorder. An advocate for open science, her lab is recognized for its leading work in producing the huntingtin protein molecule—one of the largest in the human body—in large quantities and in forms that mirror the development and pathology of Huntington’s disease. Her lab has made the process and materials used to make the protein freely available on Addgene, a global, nonprofit repository, sharing crucial resources with hundreds of labs and investigators worldwide and accelerating new research. 

“Embracing an open science philosophy is crucial for us to collectively advance the discovery of new therapies for Huntington’s Disease.”

“Embracing an open science philosophy is crucial for us to collectively advance the discovery of new therapies for Huntington’s Disease,” she said. “We’ve known for 30-plus years now the genetic cause of Huntington’s, but we are still trying to fully understand the intricate molecular pathology to help advance new treatments.”

Her dedication to collaboration to advance science and potential therapeutic options for Huntington’s disease was recognized in 2024 with the Hereditary Disease Foundation’s Nancy S. Wexler Young Investigator Prize, an award given to an early-career researcher who demonstrates exceptional quality, innovation, and commitment in the field of hereditary disease research.

“The expertise and experiences that Assistant Professor Harding brings to the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy community are fantastic additions to our existing group of scientists and educators,” said Dean Lisa Dolovich, Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy.  “I look forward to seeing how Dr. Harding’s scientific innovation will continue to have important impacts.”  

A leading researcher in the rare disease space, she is also deeply committed to patient engagement and devotes significant effort to patient-facing science communication. She is Co-Editor in Chief of HDBuzz, the first online portal for rapidly disseminating high-quality, plain-language Huntington’s disease research news to the global community. Written and edited by clinicians and scientists, the site is a trusted source of information for patients and families worldwide and receives nearly 100,000 visitors per month.

“Often, people who are coping with a rare disease struggle to get the most recent information from a general practitioner, or they might not have access to a specialized neurologist. I’m very passionate about communicating and building connections with impacted stakeholder communities and I’ve also made this a focus of my work with graduate trainees, helping them to build these skills as well,” she said.

Harding was drawn to the high-calibre translational research happening at the Leslie Dan Faculty Pharmacy, and innovative University-wide initiatives underway, including the launch of the Discovery Pharmacy, U of T’s dedicated campus pharmacy.  “It’s exciting to join and add my expertise to the esteemed Faculty of Pharmacy. As a scientist working in early phase drug discovery, I look forward to collaborating with colleagues in the Faculty in the later and translational stages of this pipeline, to help get ideas from the lab bench into the clinic.”