PRiME Team

Molly Shoichet is a Michael E Charles University Professor in Chemical Engineering at U of T. She is known internationally for her innovative research in drug delivery, drug discovery and hydrogels, and has invented materials to both promote tissue repair in the brain and spinal cord, and help discover new drugs to treat cancer. 

Akshita Vincent is a highly accomplished business development and research commercialization professional with over a decade of experience in academia, specializing in research translation, commercialization, and strategic partnerships with national and multinational corporations. As a dynamic and creative strategist, she excels at applying innovative approaches to bridge the gap between academic and corporate innovation. In her prior role as a Business Development Officer-Industry Partnerships at UofT, Akshita played a pivotal role in expanding the university's research partnerships with world-renowned pharmaceutical and biotech companies.

Carolyn Cummins is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Pharmacy. Her team studies nuclear receptors and their role in the development of diabetes, obesity and other metabolic diseases, with the goal of identifying potential therapeutic targets in disease pathways and developing drugs to prevent or treat these conditions. Her work has led to the development and preclinical testing of several drugs for the treatment of metabolic diseases.

Meenakshi Venkatesan is an accomplished scientist with expertise in drug discovery, translational research, and cross-sector innovation. As Head of Protein Sciences at Dalriada Drug Discovery, she led programs spanning kinases, GPCRs, transcription factors, and epigenetic targets, building partner-facing capabilities from hit identification through lead optimization. Her recent research has elucidated the molecular basis of antibiotic resistance and yielded a protein production workflow now adopted in cellular agriculture. Beyond the lab, she bridges deep tech and market adoption, having previously led the commercialization strategy for a University of Toronto-incubated EdTech venture.

Natalie Gonsalves is a creative and analytical marketing and communications professional with 8+ years of experience building meaningful community engagement through thoughtful strategy, compelling campaigns, and meticulous project management. She has held progressive marketing roles across the not-for-profit and environmental services sectors, most recently serving as Marketing Officer at YWCA Hamilton and previously at Golder Associates (now WSP). Natalie brings a strong interdisciplinary foundation to her work, holding a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto in English and History, along with a Postgraduate Diploma in Marketing Management. Her work is grounded in clear storytelling, audience-centred strategy, and a deep understanding of how communications can advance organizational impact.