Peter’s lab at the University of Toronto (www.roylabutoronto.ca) is focused on developing new drug leads and environmentally-safe pesticide lead molecules. Please visit the PROJECTS section below to learn details about the Roy Lab’s current projects. Briefly, their projects include: PEXIL™ Technology: Peter’s group has recently developed a new, high-throughput, massively paralleled drug/pesticide screening technology that promises to yield species-selective lead molecules.Parasitic Prodrugs: The Roy Lab has discovered a suite of antiparasitic small molecule scaffolds that are bioconverted by targeted organisms into lethal products.Novel Neuromodulatory Nematicides: The Roy Lab has developed a new pipeline that reveals small molecule disruptors of motor behaviour in nematodes. One scaffold that resulted from this pipeline is Nementin™, which induces convulsions, paralysis and death though massive synaptic vesicle release in nematodes.Candidate Drugs to Treat PFIC3 Liver Disease: Peter’s lab has established a new nematode model of PFIC3 disease and have identified candidate drugs that suppress the worm’s defects. Work is on-going to understand how these molecules suppress the PFIC3 model and their utility in treating a mouse model of the disease.Amyloid Disruptors: Over 50 human diseases have amyloid formation as their root cause, including Parkinson’s, ALS, scrapie, and Huntington’s. Peter’s group has developed a nematode-based pipeline that yields molecules capable of disrupting amyloid formation.Current Roy Lab Members:Andrew Burns, PhD, Research Associate (linkedin.com/in/andrew-burns-47489010b)Peter Mastrangel, PhD, Research AssociateSean Harrington, PhD, Post-Doctoral Fellow (linkedin.com/in/sean-harrington-210365b0)Jessica Knox, MSc, PhD CandidateMuntasir Kamal, MSc, PhD Candidate (linkedin.com/in/muntasir-kamal-75a3b969)Levon Tokmakjian, BSc, PhD CandidateSylvia Okafor, BSc, PhD Candidate (co-mentored with Amy Ramsey) (linkedin.com/in/sylvia-okafor-302399167/)Brittany Cooke, BSc, MSc CandidateSavina Cammalleri, Undergraduate Student (linkedin.com/in/savina-cammalleri-52a9b51a6)Jingxiu Ji, Undergraduate StudentZarrin Moon, BSc, Technical Assistance