Mikko Taipale receives inaugural David Dime and Elisa Nuyten Catalyst Award in Molecular Genetics

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Assistant Professor Mikko Taipale stands between Elisa Nuyten and David Dime. Leah Cowen

From left: Elisa Nuyten, Mikko Taipale,David Dime and Leah Cowen, chair of the department of molecular genetic(photo by Tim Westwood)

Research & Innovation

Mikko Taipale receives inaugural David Dime and Elisa Nuyten Catalyst Award in Molecular Genetics

Published: July 15, 2019

Mikko Taipale, an assistant professor at the University of Toronto’s Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research and the Faculty of Medicine’s department of molecular genetics, is the inaugural recipient of the David Dime and Elisa Nuyten Catalyst Award in Molecular Genetics.

The award was established by U of T alumnus David Dime and his wife Elisa Nuyten to support exploratory research projects that are not obvious candidates for government funding. The $50,000 award will allow Taipale’s team to further develop a technology called PROTACs, for Proteolysis Targeting Chimeras, to reveal therapeutic targets in cancer cells.

Taipale, the Canada Research Chair in Functional Proteomics and Proteostasis, received the award at a recent symposium celebrating the 50^th anniversary of the department of molecular genetics.