EVENT CANCELLED Chemistry Seminar Series: Adam Shuhendler

Nanoscale Sentinels and Molecular Beacons: Illuminating Disease from the Inside Out

Adam Shuhendler
Professor, Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, Faculty of Science
University of Ottawa Heart Institute

EVENT CANCELLED

Tuesday, February 18, 2025
11:00 a.m.

C2-361 (reading room)

Abstract:

Are you a chemistry enthusiast with a passion for saving lives, but feeling uninspired by the crowded drug development space? Step into the fast-paced, high-stakes world of diagnostic medicine, where signal precision and chemical innovation redefine what’s possible. Novel molecules and materials empower Molecular Imaging—the frontier of bioresponsive injectable agents designed to illuminate the early, hidden onset of disease.

In this seminar, I will describe three imaging agents developed in our lab:

1. Tetrazinanone-Derived Organic Radical Contrast Agent: For the first time, this metal-free contrast agent translates a gold-standard blood biomarker into a tool for mapping kidney disease.
2. [¹⁸F]4-fluor-4-deoxyfructose: A PET radiotracer tracking pathological energy pathways to provide unparalleled mapping of inflammation of the heart and brain.
3. Gold Superclusters: Designed for intravascular Optical Coherence Tomography, this agent detects the subtle biomolecular changes signaling early heart disease.

By targeting early molecular shifts associated with disease, these innovative chemical and nanomaterial-based tools are pushing the boundaries of diagnostic imaging. The ultimate goal? Revolutionizing medical care with earlier, more precise diagnoses.

Join me to explore how cutting-edge chemistry is expanding the possibilities of medicine beyond drugs.

Biography: Shuhendler completed his graduate training in the Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Toronto under Dr. Shirley Wu, where he studied biochemical toxicology and novel nanoformulations of combination chemotherapeutics to overcome multidrug resistance in breast cancer. From Toronto, Shuhendler moved to Stanford University to undertake a Susan G. Komen postdoctoral fellowship under Dr. Jianghong Rao in the Molecualr Imaging Program at Stanford. There, Shuhendler worked to develop novel imaging diagnostics for inflammation and cancer therapy response monitoring by optical photoacoustic, MRI, and PET imaging techniques. Shuhendler was then recruited to uOttawa as a Canada Research Chair (Tier 2) in Chemical Biology in 2015, and a Scientist at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute. Here, his lab has worked to develop a suite of imaging probes useful for cancer, nephrology, and neurology. In addition, Shuhendler is expanding his chemistry to sensing beyond imaging, developing point-of-care devices for home-based diagnostic techniques. Shuhendler’s work has been funded by NSERC, CIHR, and the Canadian Cancer Society, and he is the recipient of the Early Research Award and John Polanyi Award for Chemistry from the Government of Ontario, a Killam Fellowship and the Melanie O’Neill New Investigator Award from the Canadian Society for Chemistry.