QuantOmics Receives NSERC CREATE Funding to Train Canada's Quantum-Biomedical Leaders

We are thrilled to announce that the NSERC CREATE in AI-Driven Quantum Sensing and Genomics for Precision Therapeutics (QuantOmics) has received funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) to establish Canada’s first integrated research and training pipeline bridging quantum nanotechnology, computational genomics, and artificial intelligence.

What is QuantOmics?

QuantOmics is designed to dismantle disciplinary and training silos that currently prevent Canada from fully realizing the potential of quantum-enabled precision medicine. Our program brings together a consortium of six research-intensive universities — Toronto Metropolitan University, McGill, Queen’s, Université Laval, University of Saskatchewan, and University of Toronto — along with a cross-sectoral network of eight industry and clinical partners.

Over six years, QuantOmics will train 93 highly qualified personnel (HQP), including 36 undergraduates, 36 Master’s students, 15 PhD candidates, and 6 Postdoctoral Fellows, producing 170 one-year training units.

The Vision

The next frontier in medicine lies in translating an individual’s unique genomic blueprint into personalized, life-saving therapeutics. Realizing this vision requires overcoming a fundamental measurement barrier: today’s biological assays lack the sensitivity to detect the ultra-low-abundance biomarkers that signal disease onset.

QuantOmics addresses this with an integrated three-stream research pipeline:

• Stream 1 — Quantum Probe Design & Fabrication: Engineering biosensors capable of detecting biomarkers at the attomolar level
• Stream 2 — Genomics Signal Integration: Converting quantum sensor data into high-fidelity multi-omic datasets
• Stream 3 — AI-Powered Therapeutic Design: Building predictive models to guide rational therapeutic and vaccine design

A New Kind of Training

Every QuantOmics graduate trainee is supported by a “Translational Trajectory” Mentorship Trio — pairing them with a primary academic supervisor, a co-supervisor from a complementary stream at a different institution, and an industry advisor. This structure ensures trainees develop deep interdisciplinary literacy and strong professional networks from day one.

The program includes five specialized courses (three on-demand, one immersive bootcamp, and one responsible innovation seminar series), industry and academic mobility placements, annual team hackathons, and triennial national symposiums with concurrent job fairs.

Quote from the Program Director

“QuantOmics is not just a training program — it’s a paradigm shift in how we prepare the next generation of Canadian researchers. A QuantOmics graduate will speak the language of hardware engineers, molecular biologists, and AI developers simultaneously. That kind of integrative thinking is exactly what Canada needs to lead in the global quantum-biomedical economy.” — Dr. Naimul Khan, Program Director, QuantOmics

Applications Opening Soon

The QuantOmics program will begin accepting applications for its inaugural cohort. Prospective trainees at all levels — undergraduate, Master’s, PhD, and Postdoctoral — are encouraged to review the program details and reach out to faculty whose research aligns with their interests.

Applications are made through the standard graduate admissions process at any of the six partner universities, with supervisor nomination to the QuantOmics program.

Learn more about how to apply →

This research is funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) through the Collaborative Research and Training Experience (CREATE) program.