Assistant Professor Bowen Li has been awarded a new Canada Research Chair, joining 35 other University of Toronto researchers who received new or renewed chairs this week.
Initiated in 2000, the Canada Research Chairs Program (CRCP) is part of the federal government’s strategy to position Canada as an international leader in research and development. Every year, the CRCP invests $311 million to recruit and retain talent and to strengthen academic research and training excellence in postsecondary institutions across Canada. With this funding, recipients can advance their work and lead breakthroughs in various fields, namely engineering, health sciences, humanities, and social sciences.
Li has received a Tier 2 Chair in RNA vaccines and therapeutics, reflecting on his renowned work in drug delivery, gene editing, and regenerative medicine. The Li Lab specializes in creating RNA-based vaccines and immunotherapies for infectious diseases, cancer, and rare diseases. They employ state-of-the-art technology, such as organ-on-a-chip systems and robotic self-driving labs, to innovate and accelerate their research. Li’s transformative work has earned him the Baxter Young Investigator Award (2019) and the Gairdner Early Career Investigator Award (2022).
Li’s primary appointment is in the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy’s Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences. He is cross-appointed to the Faculty of Arts and Science’s Department of Chemistry and the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering’s Institute of Biomedical Engineering.
Li reflects on receiving this honour and his future research plans on the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy’s website.