Keith Pardee

Keith Pardee is the Canada Research Chair in Synthetic Biology and Human Health and is an Associate Professor at the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy.  His training began in the fields of botany (BSc, University of Alberta) and Natural Products Chemistry (MSc, University of British Columbia), and transitioned to protein structure and function during his PhD in Molecular Genetics from the University of Toronto.  His postdoctoral studies at the Wyss Institute (Harvard University), served to translate this fundamental training into his current focus in applied biology.

His lab works in the field of synthetic biology, with a focus on pioneering in vitro devices to improve access to health care and research tools.  Using freeze-dried, cell-free enzyme systems, the lab builds low-cost molecular diagnostics (e.g. Zika, COVID-19) and low-burden platforms for cell-free biomanufacturing of lab reagents and biologic therapeutics.  These efforts have led to the co-founding of three trainee-led ventures(LSK Technologies, Liberum Biotech, En Carta Diagnostics). https://www.pardeelab.org