Rachel Tyndale elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science

Rachel Tyndale, a professor in the department of pharmacology and toxicology and the department of psychiatry in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, has been named a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

In a statement, the AAAS praised Tyndale’s “outstanding contributions to understanding the role of drug metabolism in addiction and in particular, how genetic polymorphisms alter behaviours relevant to nicotine addiction.”

Tyndale is a Canada Research Chair in Pharmacogenomics and senior scientist and head of the Pharmacogenetics Lab at the Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, CAMH. Over the past decade, she has studied the predictive relationship between genetic variation in drug metabolism and the likelihood of addiction, as well as how metabolism within the brain alters the effects of drugs and toxins. This research will help identify novel mechanisms that can lead to new therapeutic targets and personalized treatment for smoking cessation and other addictions.

“The University of Toronto community is proud of Rachel Tyndale and the impact of her work on society,” said University Professor Ted Sargent, vice-president, research and innovation, and strategic initiatives. “Her research is actively reducing health-care costs while improving the quality of life for millions around the world who struggle with addiction.”