Dr. Thomas Durcan, PhD

Associate Professor, Department of Neurology & Neurosurgery, McGill University

Director, The Neuro's Early Drug Discovery Unit (EDDU)

Dr. Thomas Durcan an internationally recognized expert in iPSC-based disease modeling and drug discovery. His research focuses on applying patient-derived stem cells towards the development of phenotypic discovery assays and 3D organoid models for both neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental disorders.

As director of the Early Drug Discovery Unit (EDDU) at The Neuro, he oversees a team of over 40 research staff and students, committed to applying novel stem cell technology, combined with CRISPR genome editing, organoid models, and novel multiOmics approaches towards elucidating the underlying causes of these complex disorders. Dr. Durcan has been at the forefront of integrating iPSC-derived systems into leukodystrophy research, enabling our team to model disease mechanisms and test novel therapies with unprecedented precision.

His leadership has positioned The Neuro as a hub for innovative translational research, fostering extensive collaborations with industry.  Dr. Durcan has successfully bridged the gap between academic research and therapeutic development, and accelerated preclinical drug discovery pipelines, allowing for the rapid translation of research findings into innovative therapies for patients with rare and neurodegenerative diseases.