Accelerating the Future of
Precision Medicine and Omics Research.

Brent Richards is a Professor of Medicine at McGill University and an endocrinologist specializing in genetics and epidemiology. His research identifies the genetic basis of common diseases and translates discoveries into improved care. He has led landmark studies published in Nature, JAMA, and The Lancet, and is a member of the Royal Society of Canada.

Vincent Mooser is the Canada Excellence Research Chair in Genomic Medicine and Professor of Human Genetics at McGill. With over 25 years of academic and industry experience, he has led major population studies and biobank initiatives in Switzerland, the UK, and Canada. At McGill, he co-founded BioPortal and advances precision medicine through genomics and AI.

Jonathan Afilalo is a cardiologist and professor at McGill University whose research centers on frailty and cardiovascular aging. He has led international studies and created digital tools such as frailtytool.com to assess frailty and muscle mass. He also founded Canada’s first Geriatric Cardiology fellowship.

Tricia Peters is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at McGill and clinician-scientist at the Lady Davis Institute. Her research focuses on women’s metabolic and reproductive health, especially gestational diabetes and polycystic ovary syndrome. She applies clinical and genetic epidemiology to improve prevention, diagnosis, and patient care.

Guillaume Butler-Laporte is an infectious diseases clinician-scientist and Assistant Professor at McGill, based at the Lady Davis Institute. He uses genetic epidemiology and large biobanks like BioPortal to uncover causal disease pathways. He also played a key role in the COVID-19 Host Genetics Initiative.

Satoshi Yoshiji is an Assistant Professor of Human Genetics at McGill and a board-certified endocrinologist. His research develops BioPortal as a multi-ancestry biobank and applies multi-omics to diabetes, obesity, and cardiometabolic disease. He also holds research appointments at the Broad Institute and Mass General Brigham.

Tobias Erlanger is a statistician and holds a PhD in Epidemiology. Within BioPortal, he is in charge of data production and clinical research, including the design of Trials within Cohorts (TwiCs).

David Morrison is the Manager of BioPortal at the Lady Davis Institute, where he oversees integration of genomic, clinical, and biospecimen data. He ensures the platform remains a high-quality, accessible resource for researchers worldwide. His expertise supports collaborations that advance precision medicine in diabetes and related disorders.

Serving as a Research Associate since 2026, Jesse builds the digital infrastructure for BioPortal. His role bridges software development and data science, specializing in full-stack web development, workflow automation, and the integration of complex multi-omic and natural language processing (NLP) pipelines. https://jesseislam.com/

Mariana Pico holds a B.Sc. in Biology with a concentration in Health Science from Bishop’s University. At BioPortal, she supports participant recruitment, pre-screening, data management, and outreach for major projects like the COVID-19 Biobank. Passionante about accessible science, she combines rigor and empathy to advance clinical research.

Issam El Kbaiche joined the Richards Lab in 2021 as a Data Engineer after working as a Business Intelligence Consultant for major organizations. He supports research teams with data preparation, cleaning, and analytics. He is passionate about extracting insights from complex datasets to advance medical research.

Darin Adra joined the Richards Lab in 2018 and has been instrumental in building the BQC19 Biobank and BioPortal. She manages data workflows while continuing her work in clinical research coordination and access management. Her background includes a B.Eng. in Food Science and eight years as an assistant professor.

Mariana Jaime is pursuing a B.Sc. in Neuroscience at Concordia University while working as a Clinical Research Coordinator with BioPortal. She contributes to the diabetes biobank through participant recruitment, informed consent, biospecimen handling, and clinical assessments. Dedicated to patient wellbeing, she bridges academic training with hands-on research.

Corinne Pirici is a Health Science student at Marianopolis College and Clinical Research Coordinator at BioPortal. She supports patient recruitment and clinical data collection, gaining valuable hands-on experience in research. She aspires to a career in medicine.

Mina Nikkhah holds an M.Sc. in Genetics and works as a Laboratory Manager at BioPortal. She specializes in Quality Control and Assurance in biospecimen handling and molecular biology workflows. Her meticulous lab practices ensure reliable results for translational research.

Zaman Afrasiabi is a physician and clinical researcher with an M.Sc. in Medical Science from the University of Toronto and a mini-MBA in Healthcare Management. At the Lady Davis Institute, she contributes to biobank initiatives in endocrinology, cardiology, and chronic disease. Her multidisciplinary expertise bridges patient care, research, and strategy.

César Peralta is a certified medical technologist with experience in immunology research and clinical laboratories. At BioPortal, he coordinates research at the Lady Davis Institute, drawing on his background as a lead scientist at CellCarta. He is fluent in English, French, and Spanish, and is currently studying AI applications in healthcare.

Jonafe Daguplo is a registered nurse with experience in oncology and rare disease clinical trials. At BioPortal, she manages patient recruitment, informed consent, and biospecimen collection while ensuring accurate documentation. She is committed to patient-centered care and advancing medical research.

Hind Lerhcha is a physician and clinical researcher with a Doctorate in Medicine from Abulcasis International University of Health Sciences and a Master’s degree in Biomedical Engineering from Polytechnique Montréal. At the Lady Davis Institute, she supports clinical research operations and interdisciplinary collaborations, bringing together scientific rigor, innovation, and patient care.

Shirlyn Cabilin is a Nurse with over 20 years of healthcare experience and currently serves as a Research Coordinator at BioPortal. Her responsibilities include patient recruitment, obtaining informed consent, biospecimen collection, and maintaining accurate research documentation. She is dedicated to providing compassionate, safe, and patient-centred care and is committed to professionalism, teamwork, patient safety, and continuous learning.