CQDM is pleased to launch a call for ideas for the upcoming CQDM Connect-Pharma: Pitch Day, focused on AI-Driven Multi-Omics Integration for Drug Discovery. Selected applicants will present their innovations to experts from CQDM’s global pharmaceutical members on May 28, 2026.
Our objective is to bring ground-breaking, innovative Canadian research to CQDM’s pharmaceutical members and facilitate interactions between our pharma members and the Canadian ecosystem.
Pitch Day: May 28, 2026
Submission Deadline: April 28, 2026
Research Focus Areas include (but are not limited to):
We are seeking innovative AI-enabled approaches that integrate multi-omics data—genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, epigenomics, spatial datasets, and clinical insights—to advance target discovery, biomarker identification, and translational research.
AI-Enabled Target Identification & Prioritization
- Integration of multi-omic datasets to uncover causal disease drivers
- Models bridging preclinical to human biology
- Cross-species translation algorithms
Multi-Omics Biomarker Discovery
- Patient stratification signatures
- Spatial and longitudinal biomarkers
- Predictive disease progression markers
Generative & Predictive Models for Mechanistic Biology
- Foundation or LLM-based biological models
- Perturbation-response prediction (CRISPR, RNA-seq, proteomics)
- Pathway and network inference
Data Integration & Harmonization Technologies
- Fusion of heterogeneous datasets (omics, imaging, phenotypic)
- Normalization and batch-correction algorithms
- Interoperable multimodal data frameworks
Experimental–Computational Hybrid Workflows
- Closed-loop AI-driven screening
- AI-guided CRISPR or functional genomics
- Active learning for experiment prioritization
Translational Applications
- Prediction of clinical outcomes
- Models linking molecular signatures to patient phenotypes
- Multi-omic precision medicine strategies
Therapeutic Areas of Interest
- Oncology
- Immunology & Inflammation
- Rare Diseases
- Neuroscience
- Infectious Diseases
- Cardiometabolic Disorders
- Vaccines & Immunization Science
Process:
All submitted ideas will be evaluated by CQDM’s pharmaceutical members. Top-ranked proposals will be selected to present at CQDM Connect-Pharma: Pitch Day on May 28, 2026.
Who can apply:
- Canadian academic researchers and research hospitals
- Biotech companies and start-ups
- Cross-sector or interdisciplinary collaborations
- Academia–industry partnerships
Submission Deadline: April 28, 2026
Submit to: [email protected]
For more information contact Simon Fournier, [email protected].
About CQDM:
CQDM is a non-profit biopharmaceutical research consortium whose mission is to support and facilitate multi-stakeholder collaborative R&D that accelerates translation of leading-edge discoveries into vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics addressing unmet medical needs while generating significant benefits for the Canadian economy.
