Nicolas Moitessier
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1994

Maitrise - Université Nancy I, France

1995-1998

Ph.D. - Université Nancy I, France

1998-2000

Postdoctoral Fellow - Université de Montréal, Canada

2001-2003

Chargé de Recherche - CNRS, Nancy, France

2003-2009

Assistant Professor - McGill University, Canada

2009-2019

Associate Professor - McGill University, Canada

2019-present

Full Professor - McGill University, Canada

2009-present

Co-Founder and CSO - Molecular Forecaster

2016-present

Associate Editor - Eur. J. Med. Chem.

Biography

He received his undergraduate training and his Ph.D (1998) from Université Henri Poincaré-Nancy I (France) under the guidance of Dr. Yves Chapleur (carbohydrate chemistry) working in close collaboration with a theoretical chemistry group (Dr. Maigret). His PhD was followed by post-doctoral studies with Prof. Shephen Hanessian (1998-2000, medicinal chemistry, asymmetric synthesis).

In 2001, he moved back to Nancy to start an academic career (Chargé de Recherche, CNRS) then back to Montréal in 2003 (Assistant Professor, McGill University). In 2009, he was promoted to Associate Professor and in 2019 he was promoted to Full Professor.

Research Interests

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Design, synthesis and evaluation of potential drugs with a focus on Alzheimer's disease and cancer.

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Development of novel methodologies for the synthesis of chiral cyclic and bicyclic scaffolds.

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Design, synthesis and evaluation of asymmetric catalysts.

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Development of a fully integrated computer-aided drug design platform Forecaster and computational catalyst/biocatalyst platform Virtual Chemist.

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Development of a novel molecular mechanics method - H-TEQ.

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Development of computational tools for reactive metabolite predictions Impacts, for drug-drug interactions and covalent drug binding.

Prizes and Publications

  • 2008, Moitessier received the first Reginald Fessenden Professorship in innovation for the development of the Forecaster platform in drug discovery.
  • 2009, Awarded the AstraZeneca Award in Chemistry.
  • 2010, co-founded Molecular Forecaster, a company distributing the developed software and providing service and consulting to local and international pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.
  • 2020, Received the Fessenden Prize in Innovation in 2016 and the Fessenden Professorship Award in 2020 for the development of the Virtual Chemist platform.
  • 2016, Appointed as Associate Editor of the European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry (IF 6.7).
  • 2023, Received the 2023 CIC Biological and Medicinal Chemistry Lectureship Award.
  • 2024, Received the Fessenden Prize in Innovation for the development of POP inhibitors as potential Parkinson’s disease therapeutics.
  • Author or co-author of over 120 publications, 2 registered copyrights, and co-inventor of 2 patents and 14 reports of invention.