Faculty profile

Rima Al-awar

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ProfessorDepartment of Pharmacology and ToxicologyUniversity of Toronto

Rima Al-awar

Professor

Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology

Temerty Faculty of Medicine

University of Toronto

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Supervision signals

Professors usually supervise graduate students in their department's programs.
17 publications in the last five years, latest in 2026.
Senior (last) author on 3 recent papers, a sign of leading a research group.
Principal investigator on 1 research grant (1 CIHR), most recently in 2020.

These signals come from public records, including federal and provincial funding decisions. Ask the professor or the graduate program whether they are taking new students.

Academic metrics

Publications

3,120

Citations

Collaborators

Grants

Publications by year

Counts cover the publications linked to this profile. Citations and the h-index appear when the source records them.

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Signals and details

Research

Read how they describe their research on their University of Toronto profile.

Latest papers

Discovery of pyrrolopyrimidinone inhibitors of the BCL6-SMRT corepressor interaction.
Bioorganic & medicinal chemistry · 2026
Self-Dimerization Induced Proximity Targeting Chimeras (SDIPTAC) Lead to DCAF1 Loss of Function and Inhibition of HIV Replication.
Journal of medicinal chemistry · 2026
Discovery and development of potent and selective dual NUAK/MARK inhibitors as Hippo pathway modulators for the treatment of cancer.
European journal of medicinal chemistry · 2026

All 45 publications

Latest funding

Developing allosteric inhibitors of mitochondrial ClpP protease for acute myeloid leukemia
CIHR · 2023 · Co-investigator
$1,143,675
Centre for Protein Target Enabling Packages (ProTEP)
CFI · 2023 · Co-investigator
$1,564,999
The Discovery and Optimization of NUAK Inhibitors: A Novel Approach to Target Hippo Pathway Driven Cancers
CIHR · 2020 · Nominated PI
$520,199

All 10 grants and awards

45 publications.

Discovery of pyrrolopyrimidinone inhibitors of the BCL6-SMRT corepressor interaction.

Watson IDG, Morin JA, Subramanian PR, Chau AM, Prakesch MA, Wilson BJ, Morshed MM, Joseph BB, Uehling DE, Poda G, Abibi A, Chan M, Cheung H, Griffin C, Mao V, Marcellus R, Strathdee C, Subramaniam R, Thériault BL, Winston J, Aman A, Kiyota T, Undzys E, Kuntz DA, Pomroy NC, Mamai A, Privé GG, Al-Awar R, Isaac MB

Bioorganic & medicinal chemistry20261 citations

DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2026.118575 PMID: 41621194

Self-Dimerization Induced Proximity Targeting Chimeras (SDIPTAC) Lead to DCAF1 Loss of Function and Inhibition of HIV Replication.

Mabanglo MF, Srivastava S, Matsui Y, Li Z, Noureldin M, Pogmore JP, Hoffer L, Taherian F, Hajian T, Tucker S, Mamai A, Kiyota T, Aman A, Al-Awar R, Marcellus R, Uehling DE, Ott M, Ramnauth J, Vedadi M

Journal of medicinal chemistry2026Open Access

DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.6c00126 PMID: 42150007

Discovery and development of potent and selective dual NUAK/MARK inhibitors as Hippo pathway modulators for the treatment of cancer.

Smil D, Liu Y, Xin T, Kiyota T, Aman A, Grouleff J, Hoffer L, Joshi DC, Inanlou MR, Song S, Mao DYL, Ogunjimi AA, Pau V, Chini FD, Kurinov I, Zhang Y, Nguyen AT, Wrana JL, Sicheri F, Attisano L, Uehling D, Al-Awar R, Isaac MB

European journal of medicinal chemistry2026Open Access

DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2026.118798 PMID: 41936796

Structure-based discovery of sulfamoyl-ethyl-4-oxo-3,4-dihydro-7H-pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine amides and sulfonamides as potent B-Cell Lymphoma 6 (BCL6)-BTB inhibitors.

Mamai A, Morshed MM, Prakesch M, Poda G, Subramanian P, Chau AM, Watson IDG, Joseph B, Wilson B, Morin JA, Marcellus R, Theriault B, Mohammed M, Abibi A, Chan M, Kiyota T, Aman A, Subramaniam R, Strathdee C, Winston J, O'Meara J, Kuntz D, Pomroy NC, Uehling D, Isaac M, Privé GG, Al-Awar R

Bioorganic & medicinal chemistry letters2026Senior author

DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2025.130471 PMID: 41241078

PRMT1 inhibitor MS023 suppresses RNA splicing to sensitize small cell lung cancer to DNA damaging agents.

Aparnathi MK, Ul Haq S, St-Germain J, Nixon KCJ, Walton J, Song L, Majeed S, Patel PS, Subramaniam R, Philip V, Marcellus R, Barsyte-Lovejoy D, Al-Awar R, Hakem R, Arrowsmith CH, Ailles L, Raught B, Lok BH

Neoplasia (New York, N.Y.)20258 citationsOpen Access

DOI: 10.1016/j.neo.2025.101176 PMID: 40413955

CDC40 suppression induces CDCA5 splicing defects and anti-proliferative effects in lung cancer cells

Die Hu, Brigitte L. Thériault, Vida Talebian, Laurent Hoffer, Julie Owen, Justin K. Lim, Benjamin J. Blencowe, Evelyne Lima‐Fernandes, Punit Saraon, Richard Marcellus, Rima Al‐awar

Scientific Reports20254 citationsSenior authorOpen Access

DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-83337-z PMID: 39747150

OICR-41103 as a chemical probe for the DCAF1 WD40 domain.

Kimani SW, Noureldin M, Wilson B, Hoffer L, Green SR, Szewczyk MM, González-Álvarez H, Mohammed M, Chan M, Krausser C, Li ASM, Hajian T, Tucker S, Joshi D, Saraon P, Thériault B, Kim JS, Santhakumar V, Loppnau P, Li Y, Seitova A, Dong A, Kiyota T, Hammann T, Gehrtz P, Patel B, Rathod V, Vala A, Rout B, Jagodra P, Brown PJ, Aman A, Ramnauth J, Poda G, Uehling D, Arrowsmith CH, Barsyte-Lovejoy D, Marcellus R, Ackloo S, Mamai A, Al-Awar R, Halabelian L

Communications biology20254 citationsOpen Access

DOI: 10.1038/s42003-025-08491-0 PMID: 40683980

Crystal structures of DCAF1-PROTAC-WDR5 ternary complexes provide insight into DCAF1 substrate specificity.

Mabanglo MF, Wilson B, Noureldin M, Kimani SW, Mamai A, Krausser C, González-Álvarez H, Srivastava S, Mohammed M, Hoffer L, Chan M, Avrumutsoae J, Li ASM, Hajian T, Tucker S, Green S, Szewczyk M, Barsyte-Lovejoy D, Santhakumar V, Ackloo S, Loppnau P, Li Y, Seitova A, Kiyota T, Wang JG, Privé GG, Kuntz DA, Patel B, Rathod V, Vala A, Rout B, Aman A, Poda G, Uehling D, Ramnauth J, Halabelian L, Marcellus R, Al-Awar R, Vedadi M

Nature communications202439 citationsOpen Access

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-54500-x PMID: 39580491

The Imipridone ONC213 Targets α-Ketoglutarate Dehydrogenase to Induce Mitochondrial Stress and Suppress Oxidative Phosphorylation in Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Yongwei Su, Jenna L. Carter, Xinyu Li, Yu Fukuda, Ashley Gray, John Patrick Lynch, Holly J. Edwards, Jun Ma, Patrick A. Schreiner, Lisa Polin, Juiwanna Kushner, Sijana H. Dzinic, Steven A. Buck, Shondra M. Pruett‐Miller, Katie Hege-Hurrish, Camenzind G. Robinson, Xinan Qiao, Shuang Liu, Shuangshuang Wu, Guan Wang, Jing Li, Joshua E. Allen, Varun V. Prabhu, Aaron David Schimmer, Dhananjay Joshi, Shiva Kalhor‐Monfared, Iain D. G. Watson, Richard Marcellus, Methvin B. Isaac, Rima Al‐awar, et al. (34 authors)

Cancer Research202422 citationsOpen Access

DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-23-2659 PMID: 38266099

High-throughput sensitive screening of small molecule modulators of microexon alternative splicing using dual Nano and Firefly luciferase reporters

Best AJ, Braunschweig U, Wu M, Farhangmehr S, Pasculescu A, Lim JJ, Comsa LC, Jen M, Wang J, Datti A

Nature Communications202416 citationsOpen Access

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50399-6

Developing allosteric inhibitors of mitochondrial ClpP protease for acute myeloid leukemia

Co-investigatorCIHR2023Project Grant

Principal investigators: Vahidi, Siavash; Schimmer, Aaron D; Zeytuni, Natalie

Keywords: Acute Myeloid Leukemia; Drug Discovery; In Vivo/In Vitro Biological Assays; Medicinal Chemistry; Mitochondrial Matrix Proteases; Structural Biology

$1,143,675

Centre for Protein Target Enabling Packages (ProTEP)

Co-investigatorCFI2023Innovation Fund: Innovation Fund 2023

Principal investigators: Arrowsmith, Cheryl

Keywords: protein biochemistry, open science, biophysics, cell assays, target enabling packages, omics, drug discovery, AI-assisted drug discovery, chemical probes high content microscope, isothermal titration calorimetry, HPLC-MS, servers

$1,564,999

The Discovery and Optimization of NUAK Inhibitors: A Novel Approach to Target Hippo Pathway Driven Cancers

Nominated PICIHR2020Project Grant

Principal investigators: Al-Awar, Rima S

Keywords: Drug Discovery; Hippo Pathway; Kinase Inhibitors

$520,199

Molecular Targeting of Human Acute Myeloid Leukemia and Bone Marrow Regeneration

Co-investigatorCIHR2017Foundation Grant

Principal investigators: Bhatia, Mickie

Keywords: Acute Leukemia; Bone Marrow; Disease Biomarkers; Drug Development; Hematopoiesis; Hematopoietic Stem Cells; Leukemic Stem Cells; Pre-Clinical Modeling; Therapeutic Approaches; Translational Science

$4,162,215

Relapse-induced (ri) Leukemia Stem Cells or "riLSCs"

Co-investigatorCIHR2016Project Grant

Principal investigators: Bhatia, Mickie

Keywords: Acute Myeloid Leukemia; Chemotherapy Induced Relapse; In Vitro Evaluation; In Vivo Efficacy Testing; Repurposed Drug Discovery

$1,040,400

Broad deletions of chromosome 17p constitute a therapeutically targetable driver event in medulloblastoma

Co-investigatorCIHR2016Project Grant

Principal investigators: Taylor, Michael D

Keywords: Brain Tumors; Chromosome Engineering; Drug Screening; Genomics; Pediatric Cancer

$955,625

Heterogeneity through space and time drive the clinical behaviour of childhood medulloblastoma

Co-investigatorCIHR2016Foundation Grant

Principal investigators: Taylor, Michael D

Keywords: Brain Tumors; Drug Screening; Genomics; Mouse Models; Pediatric Cancer; Xenografts

$4,158,227

A small molecule inhibitor of G protein-coupled Receptor Kinase 6 (GRK6) to treat human Multiple Myeloma and related diseases

Co-investigatorCIHR2011Operating Grant

Principal investigators: Tiedemann, Rodger

Keywords: Cancer; Crystallography; Drug Development; G Protein Coupled Receptor Kinase 6; Genomics; High Throughput Screening; Kinase Inhibitor; Lymphoma; Multiple Myeloma; Novel Therapeutics

$361,800

Polymeric Nanospheres Designed for Targeted Delivery in Breast Cancer

Co-investigatorCIHR2010Operating Grant

Principal investigators: Shoichet, Molly S

Keywords: Antibodies; Biodegradable; Breast Cancer; Chemotherapeutics; Drug Delivery; Engineered Fabs; Polymeric Nanoparticles

$586,822

The CMHD: An integrated and regional platform for mouse models of human disease

Co-investigatorCFI2009Innovation Fund: Leading Edge Fund 2009

Principal investigators: Adamson, S. Lee

Keywords: Mouse genetics, Targeted mutagenesis, Human disease models, Phenotyping, Cardiovascular disease, Neurobiology, Hematopoiesis, Bone Disease, Undecalcified Tissue Processing, archiving/distribution of mouse models

$7,341,094

From public funding decisions: CIHR since 2008, NSERC since 1991 and SSHRC since 1998 with their latest competition results, the Canada Foundation for Innovation, Genome Canada, the Canadian Space Agency, Canada Research Chairs, the Fonds de recherche du Québec, Ontario research funding, Michael Smith Health Research BC, the Canadian Cancer Society, Heart & Stroke and Brain Canada.

Profile data last refreshed on September 29, 2026 from the university directory, publication records and public research funding records.

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Rima Al-awar

Research

Latest papers

Latest funding

Discovery of pyrrolopyrimidinone inhibitors of the BCL6-SMRT corepressor interaction.

Self-Dimerization Induced Proximity Targeting Chimeras (SDIPTAC) Lead to DCAF1 Loss of Function and Inhibition of HIV Replication.

Discovery and development of potent and selective dual NUAK/MARK inhibitors as Hippo pathway modulators for the treatment of cancer.

Structure-based discovery of sulfamoyl-ethyl-4-oxo-3,4-dihydro-7H-pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine amides and sulfonamides as potent B-Cell Lymphoma 6 (BCL6)-BTB inhibitors.

PRMT1 inhibitor MS023 suppresses RNA splicing to sensitize small cell lung cancer to DNA damaging agents.

CDC40 suppression induces CDCA5 splicing defects and anti-proliferative effects in lung cancer cells

OICR-41103 as a chemical probe for the DCAF1 WD40 domain.

Crystal structures of DCAF1-PROTAC-WDR5 ternary complexes provide insight into DCAF1 substrate specificity.

The Imipridone ONC213 Targets α-Ketoglutarate Dehydrogenase to Induce Mitochondrial Stress and Suppress Oxidative Phosphorylation in Acute Myeloid Leukemia

High-throughput sensitive screening of small molecule modulators of microexon alternative splicing using dual Nano and Firefly luciferase reporters

Centre for Protein Target Enabling Packages (ProTEP)

The CMHD: An integrated and regional platform for mouse models of human disease

Frequent collaborators

Ahmed Aman

David Uehling

Cheryl Arrowsmith

Masoud Vedadi

Gennady Poda

Dalia Barsyte-Lovejoy

Matthieu Schapira

Levon Halabelian

Aaron Schimmer

Jeffrey Wrana

Gil Privé

Gilbert Privé

Mark Minden

Ming Tsao

Ming-Sound Tsao

Aled Edwards

Gary Bader

Rachel Harding

Anne-Claude Gingras

Brian Raught

John Dick

Adrian Sacher