J. Rafael Montenegro Burke

Assistant Professor
Room 302, 160 College Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 3E1
(416) 978-4074

Campus

Cross-Appointments

The Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research

Fields of Study

Areas of Interest

Our lab seeks to investigate the biological significance of metabolites – a diverse set of small molecules with varying chemical structures and properties. By characterizing this complex chemical landscape across various cell types and tissues, we will uncover the significant roles of metabolites in human diseases. Despite their importance, metabolites remain less understood compared to genes, transcripts, and proteins. Closing this knowledge gap will enable the development of novel therapeutic strategies, diagnostic tools, and prognostic markers to improve health outcomes.  By integrating chemistry and biology, we leverage state-of-the-art mass spectrometry to comprehensively profile the metabolome and lipidome of diverse systems such as cancer cell lines and patient samples, while innovating new mass spectrometry techniques to enhance metabolomic research.