Atuka’s lead scientists have dedicated their careers to furthering our understanding of Parkinson’s disease, advancing novel therapeutics, and alleviating the burden of those suffering from neurological disorders.

Founded by Dr. Jonathan Brotchie in 2003, Atuka has been involved in the preclinical evaluation of more than 200 potential therapeutics, predominantly in Parkinson’s disease, of which more than 20 have progressed to clinical trials—a level of experience without equal in our field globally. Our lead scientists have collectively published more than 300 peer-reviewed, highly-cited papers, and individually possess h-indices ranging from 25 to 70.

With offices and facilities in Toronto, Suzhou, and Shanghai, Atuka’s team is diverse both in background and expertise, bringing to every one of our partner engagements a spirit of close collaboration, along with a commitment to the highest ethical standards in scientific research.

Meet Our Team

Sonia Aksamit

Senior Technician

Donya Aref

Scientist

Jonathan Brotchie

Chief Executive Officer and Chairman

Andrea Datu

Operations Manager

Rubaiya Hassan

Chief People Officer

Michael Hill

Chief Revenue Officer

Patrick Howson

Chief Innovation Officer

Su Jin

Operations Manager

Tom Johnston

Chief Operating Officer

James Koprich

Chief Technology Officer

Tielli Magnus

Scientist

Anna Oliinyk

Technician

Donna Pires

Partner, People and Finance

Adilya Rafikova

Senior Technician

David Sefton

General Council

Caitlyn Skeith

Senior Technician

Sahar Tamadon

Training Manager

Chaohuan Yan

Senior Technician

Ayme Yupari

Senior Technician

Sites and Facilities

Atuka’s partners benefit from experienced scientists using advanced technologies at leading-edge research facilities in Canada and China.

Our Toronto headquarters site: 

  • Macaque in vivo facility 
  • Rodent in vivo laboratory 
  • In vitro laboratory 
  • Administrative office 

Our sites in China: 

Suzhou 

  • Macaque in vivo facility 
  • In vivo imaging 
  • Surgical studies 
  • Bioanalytical services 
  • Behavioural studies 

Shanghai 

  • Bioanalytical services 
  • Medicinal chemistry 
  • Chemical procurement

Excellence Demands True Inclusivity

Inclusion isn’t just a word on a checklist for us—it’s at the heart of how we expect everybody, including our leadership, to work. This means there are no barriers to anybody in discussions around what we are trying to achieve, and how we go about achieving it. Atuka’s lead scientists have dedicated their careers to ending the suffering caused by Parkinson’s, and we take seriously our role in nurturing and developing the next generation of scientists, technicians, and expert support teams ready to work on these big problems.

Our team is small, diverse, and deeply collaborative. Our collective experience, from leadership down, fuels a culture of continuous learning that permeates every level of the organization. This body of shared knowledge and expertise isn’t just a resource. It’s a dynamic, constantly evolving tool accessible to everyone at Atuka that helps keep us at the forefront of our field.

Atuka is proud to support and partner with the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion (CCDI) and Indigenous Works (IW)  

Atuka is an Employer Partner with CCDI, which provides numerous benefits that support us on our diversity and inclusion journey, including Diversity Ink, the CCDI monthly newsletter, access to the CCDI Knowledge Repository, monthly webinars, and in-person events, in which CCDI hosts best-practice forums and Community of Practice events. 

Atuka is also a proud member of the Leadership Circle of Indigenous Works (IW), a Canadian not-for-profit with a mandate to improve the inclusion and engagement of Indigenous people in the Canadian economy.