McMaster recruits U.S. radiopharmaceutical leaders Lapi and McConathy

McMaster University has recruited two internationally recognized radiopharmaceutical scientists, chemist Suzanne Lapi and clinician Jonathan McConathy, from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, the university announced in August 2026. The married couple played key roles in making UAB a research powerhouse in radiopharmaceutical science and nuclear medicine, a multidisciplinary field where researchers are unlocking new and better ways of diagnosing and treating cancer and other diseases, according to McMaster.

The hires followed a competitive courtship. Lapi and McConathy spent the winter meeting with suitors from across Canada, including McMaster president Susan Tighe and Gianni Parise, the university's vice-president of research, according to McMaster. The university said other institutions were also courting the couple.

A competitive recruitment

Parise said the couple's ability to connect discovery, clinical translation and commercialization made them a priority. "Suzanne and Jonathan are internationally recognized leaders who know how to connect discovery, clinical translation and commercialization," he said. "We knew their leadership would help accelerate our ambitions and strengthen our position at the forefront of radiopharmaceutical science — that's exactly why we wanted them at McMaster."

Lapi said the personal pitch from senior leaders stood out. "Susan and Gianni's enthusiasm matched how Jon and I talk about radiopharma around the dinner table," she said. "To be a world leader in this field, a university must be all-in. That takes a major investment, a sustained commitment and a willingness to collaborate with industry, health care and government partners. Susan and Gianni left no doubt that McMaster was serious."

What McMaster is building

McMaster's commitment includes launching a McMaster Institute for Radiopharmaceutical Imaging and Therapy, building a bio-innovation hub on campus, upgrading existing facilities, installing new equipment and hiring more faculty and staff with expertise in radiopharmaceutical science, according to the university. McMaster said the investments aim to make it a leader in preclinical evaluations and human clinical trials.

The recruitment builds on an existing base. McMaster calls itself Canada's Nuclear University and says its McMaster Nuclear Reactor, the country's most powerful research reactor, produces 60 per cent of the world's supply of iodine-125, providing treatments for more than 70,000 cancer patients every year. The university said much of that was made possible by major investments from the Ontario government.

Hamilton has become a hub for the sector. In 2024, AstraZeneca acquired Hamilton-based Fusion Pharmaceuticals, a cancer therapy and diagnostics company founded nine years earlier by McMaster professor John Valliant, for $2.4 billion, according to McMaster. Valliant also founded the Centre for Probe Development and Commercialization, a not-for-profit operating from the McMaster Innovation Park. In 2025, Atomvie Global Radiopharma, another Hamilton company with McMaster roots, announced a $138 million investment in a new facility next to the city's international airport that will increase its capacity to manufacture radiopharmaceuticals for targeted cancer therapies by at least 10-fold, the university said.

The global radiopharmaceuticals market is currently valued at more than $8 billion US and is poised for substantial growth driven by technological advancements and increasing demand for personalized medicine, according to McMaster. The Canadian government launched a $1.7 billion program to recruit international scholars, and McMaster's wish list included the couple.