We support drug discovery efforts broadly and globally, by design. Everything we do is grounded in the belief that we have something to contribute to your development programs. Continuous innovation is also a given: in our science, software, and in our research-as-a-service approach to doing business.
Founded in 2019, MFI was created out of 15 years of research at McGill University and was part of the inaugural Accelerate Quebec Program within the adMare Bioinnovations Center in Montréal.
Josh Pottel, Ph.D.
CEO
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Ph.D. from McGill. Research focus: software development in chemo- and bioinformatics. Post-doc research as an NRSA and CERSI fellow at UCSF. Co-inventor of VIRTUAL CHEMIST platform.
Nicolas Moitessier, Ph.D.
Co-founder and CSO
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Mihai Burai-Patrascu, Ph.D.
Director CADD
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He earned his B.Sc. in Chemistry (JUB, Germany, 2015) and Ph.D. (McGill University, Canada, 2020), specializing in computational tools for organic and medicinal chemistry. With expertise in drug design, cheminformatics, and software development, he holds two invention certificates and has received multiple awards and grants. His work appears in top journals, including Nature Catalysis and JACS.
Sébastien Alazet, Ph.D.
Principal Scientist
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Ph.D. in organic chemistry from Université of Lyon 1 (2015) and Post-doc at EPFL Lausanne and University of Toronto.
Research focus: Medicinal chemistry from hit identification to lead optimization. Expertise in the design and synthesis of small molecules in integrating SAR and ADME properties to drive medicinal chemistry strategy.
Sebastien also worked as a medicinal chemist at Nuchem Science, Evotec SA and adMare Bioinnovation, before joining MFI.
Agathe Fayet, Ph.D.
Principal Scientist
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Ph.D. From Sorbonne Université and Ecole Polytechnique. Research focus: DFT and Organic synthesis. Agathe also worked at the Broad Institute in Cambridge MA and completed an internship at McGill under the supervision of Pr. Nicolas Moitessier.
Ophelie Rostaing, M.Sc.
Senior Scientist
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Senior Scientist
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Ph. D. from the University of Tokyo. Research focus: structure and ligand-based drug design. Matej previously worked at the National Institute of Chemistry in Slovenia.
Anne Labarre, Ph.D.
Senior Scientist
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Ph.D. Chemistry and B.Sc. Pharmacology from McGill University. Anne has worked in the Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics at McGill University. Research focus: Structure-based drug design and organic synthesis.
Antoine Moitessier, B.Sc.
Scientist
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Benjamin Weiser, B.Sc.
Mitacs Fellow
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Mathieu Geoffroy, B.Eng.
Senior Software Developer
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Jonah Zoldan, B.Sc.
Software Developer
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Eva Otell
Junior Developer
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B.Eng. student in Bioengineering at McGill University with a minor in Applied AI. Eva specializes in computational methods in bioengineering and biomedical engineering. She has worked at Bowhead Health and as a research assistant between the Departments of Chemistry and Bioengineering. She is currently contributing to a microfluidic detection device that passively traps airborne particles and measures them electrochemically.
Wasay Saeed, B.Sc.
Junior Developer
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BSC student in Computer Science and Bioinformatics at University of Waterloo. Wasay has previously worked as a full-stack developer at PointClickCare, a backend developer at Toyota, and a Software Developer in Test at Plooto.
Justin Buschman-Dormond, B.A.
Operations Coordinator
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Our Advisors
Rebecca Swett, Ph.D.
Advisor, Research & Technology
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Dr. R.J. Swett is a Computational Chemist with over a decade of pharma experience. She holds a PhD from Wayne State University and completed a Presidential Postdoc at Novartis partnered with Stanford. Dr. Swett has worked on rare disease and oncology targets at Vertex Pharmaceuticals and Relay Therapeutics. She is currently the Director of Computational Chemistry Innovation at X-Chem.
Didier Leconte, MBA.
Advisor, Business Development & Finance
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Didier is a seasoned investor and leader in the Canadian life sciences sector, with experience at Investissement Quebec and Fonds de solidarité FTQ. He has managed seed investment funds, collaborated with entrepreneurs, and advises life sciences clients. Didier holds an MBA in Technology Management and an engineering degree in Material Sciences.
Jill Rosenberg
Advisor, Talent Development
