We are thrilled to share the news that Dr. Rachel Harding, Principal Investigator at the SGC-Toronto, has taken on the role of Assistant Professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto.

Dr. Harding's research focuses on the huntingtin protein, which plays a central role in Huntington's disease, a genetic neurodegenerative disorder. Her laboratory aims to understand the structure and function of this protein in both normal and disease conditions in order to uncover the underlying mechanisms of the disease and identify potential therapeutic targets. Earlier this year, Dr. Harding was honored with the Nancy S. Wexler Young Investigator Prize from the Hereditary Disease Foundation for her outstanding contributions to hereditary disease research.

Dr. Harding states, “Huntington’s disease is a devastating genetic illness for which there are currently no disease-modifying treatments. Our goal is to comprehend its fundamental causes and explore new therapeutic possibilities.”

As an expert in structural biology and protein biochemistry, Dr. Harding advocates for open science. Her lab produces the huntingtin protein in large quantities and shares these resources globally through Addgene to promote collaborative research. Additionally, Dr. Harding is committed to community outreach, regularly hosting visits for organizations such as the Toronto chapter of the Huntington Society of Canada to observe the progress in HD research. Furthermore, she serves as Co-Editor in Chief of  HDBuzz, a trusted online platform for disseminating high-quality, easy-to-understand Huntington’s disease research news to patients and families worldwide.

Dr. Harding looks forward to contributing to the Faculty of Pharmacy’s translational research and collaborating on innovative projects, saying, “It’s exciting to join and add my expertise to the esteemed Faculty of Pharmacy. As a scientist working in early phase drug discovery, I look forward to collaborating with colleagues in the Faculty in the later and translational stages of this pipeline, to help get ideas from the lab bench into the clinic.”

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Harding on this remarkable achievement!

You can read the announcement from the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy here.