Armstrong Murira

Armstrong Murira, Ph.D., is the co-founder and CEO of Simmunome, a Montréal-based startup that uses AI to predict the success or failure of drug candidates in clinical trials by combining innovative machine-learning methods and multi-omic biological data.

Simmunome was born out of Mr. Murira's passion for finding new ways to understand and treat complex diseases. He met his co-founder, Nardin Nakhla, during their PhD studies at Simon Fraser University, where they worked on different aspects of the immune system. Mr. Murira focused on characterizing the chronic immune response using a systems immunology approach, while Nakhla studied the role of microglia in neurodegeneration. They realized that they shared a common vision: to use their expertise in molecular biology and neuroscience to create computational models that could simulate the effects of therapeutics on patients and diseases.

They decided to join forces and launch Simmunome in 2020, with the mission of accelerating drug discovery and development using AI. Simmunome has developed proprietary computational models that integrate multi-omic data, such as genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics, to capture the complexity and diversity of biological systems. By applying machine learning techniques, such as deep learning and reinforcement learning, Simmunome can generate predictions about how a drug candidate will perform in clinical trials, reducing the time and cost of drug development.

Simmunome serves the pharma, biotech, and research sectors, focusing on oncology, neurodegenerative diseases, and regenerative medicine. It competes with other AI startups in the drug discovery and development space, such as Atomwise, Recursion Pharmaceuticals, Insilico Medicine, and BenevolentAI. However, Mr. Murira believes that Simmunome has a unique advantage: its multi-omic integration approach, which allows it to capture more information and generate more accurate predictions than other methods.

Simmunome has recently closed $2 million CAD in pre-seed funding from various investors, including Theodorus, Eurêka, BKR Capital, Sandpiper, and ACET Capital. The funding will help Simmunome continue developing and begin commercializing its software. Mr. Murira hopes that Simmunome will become a leader in the field of AI-driven drug discovery and development, and that it will contribute to finding new treatments for some of the most challenging diseases of our time.

Mr. Murira is not only a scientist and an entrepreneur, but also a mentor and an advocate for diversity and inclusion in STEM. He has published papers on B-cell phenotypes, HIV-1 infection, autoimmune disease, and knowledge diversity in the bio-nano sector. He has also been involved in several initiatives to promote STEM education and career opportunities for underrepresented groups. He is a member of the Canadian Black Scientists Network (CBSN), a platform that connects Black scientists across Canada and provides mentorship and support for aspiring Black scientists. He is also a mentor for the Black Professionals in STEM (BPiS) program, which aims to increase the representation of Black professionals in STEM fields.

Mr. Murira is an inspiring example of how AI can be used to advance science and society. He is passionate about his work and driven by curiosity and innovation. He is also committed to sharing his knowledge and experience with others and fostering a more diverse and inclusive STEM community. He is one of the AI scientists who are revolutionizing drug discovery with Simmunome.