“It is with great enthusiasm that we introduce the new members of our scientific team, whose dynamism and complementary skills will propel our growth as our commercialization initiatives accelerate,” emphasizes Aplantex CEO Patrick Charest, B. Sc., P. Eng.

We are very proud of the depth of talent in our enriched scientific team.

Varusha Pillay Veerapen, Ph. D.
Research Associate

Varusha Pillay Veerapen holds a Ph. D. from the Université de Sherbrooke, where she studied novel plant-virus interactions and the molecular mechanisms underlying these networks. She previously obtained a master’s degree from the University of Cape Town, focusing on the development of foot-and-mouth disease virus pseudoviral particles in tobacco plants. She also holds a bachelor’s degree and an honours degree from the same university, consolidating her expertise in plant virology and molecular biology. At Aplantex, Varusha works on optimizing growth conditions and plant genetics.

Hana Azizi Khoshsirat, M. Sc.
Research Associate

With over two years’ experience in the biotechnology industry and a passion for green biotechnology processes, Hana has worked on various extraction techniques, LC/MS and analytical chemistry, enabling her to acquire solid knowledge in these fields. She holds two master’s degrees, one in genetics from the University of Tabriz and the other in biotechnology from McGill University. At Aplantex, Hana contributes to the development of biomass extraction techniques, fractionation and compound purification.

François-Xavier Lussier, Ph. D.
Director QA/QC

François-Xavier Lussier is an experienced professional in the field of quality assurance and compliance. He holds a Ph. D. in biology from INRS-Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie and conducted post-doctoral research in metabolic engineering at Concordia University’s Centre for Applied Synthetic Biology. He has held management positions in various industries, where he developed, implemented and managed quality systems in compliance with various regulatory requirements and quality standards. At Aplantex, François-Xavier uses his innovative and continuous improvement approach to quality assurance to ensure that Aplantex products and processes are not only innovative, but also meet the highest standards.

“We are very proud of the depth of talent in our enriched scientific team. We are convinced that together we will be able to successfully meet the challenges of large-scale production of high-value-added molecules sought after by many industries, while respecting our commitment to the circular economy and sustainable development,” concluded Mourad Sabri, CSO, and André LeBlanc, CTO.

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