The Targeted Therapies and Diagnostics Axis aims to transform our understanding of the biological basis of cancer into concrete therapeutic and diagnostic solutions. Researchers in this axis focus on identifying new therapeutic targets, designing innovative molecules, and developing advanced diagnostic platforms. These efforts are based on multidisciplinary approaches, integrating medicinal chemistry, structural biology, proteomics and bioinformatics. By fostering the transition from basic research to clinical applications, the axis aims to accelerate the development of personalized therapies capable of meeting unmet medical needs in various types of cancer.

The Targeted Therapies and Diagnostics Axis is perfectly in line with IRIC’s threefold mission: research, training and commercialization. It benefits from an exceptional synergy with the Drug Discovery Unit, the largest team of medicinal chemists in an academic setting in Canada, comprising 50 chemists and 15 biologists from the industrial sector. This unit, headed by Anne Marinier, plays a key role in accelerating the development of new therapies and precision diagnostics, facilitating the transition to commercialization activities such as company creation and partnerships with industry, as well as to clinical applications. In collaboration with IRICoR, the work of the axis positions IRIC as a national and international leader in drug discovery, attracting top-level funding, talent and strategic collaborations.

It also plays a key role in the development of diagnostic technologies. Devices such as the graphene-based biosensors developed by Delphine Bouilly illustrate the cross-disciplinary impact of the axis, integrating technological innovation for the early detection of cancer and other diseases. These initiatives help to reinforce IRIC’s scientific excellence and maximize its clinical and industrial spin-offs.

Axis leader: Sylvain Meloche

Primary affiliations : Delphine Bouilly, Anne Marinier, Pierre Thibault, Vincent Trinh.

Secondary affiliations : Michel Bouvier, Geneviève Deblois, Sébastien Lemieux, Julie Lessard, Sylvie Mader, Claude Perreault, Philippe Roux, Guy Sauvageau, Marc Therrien, Brian Wilhelm.