the Cook team

Adam was born and raised in Ajax, Ontario – that’s about 40 minutes east of Toronto (by GO Train, of course). He achieved a BSc from the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (presently known as OntarioTech University), where he discovered his passion for synthetic organic chemistry while working under the supervision of Prof. Yuri Bolshan. He enrolled in graduate school at the University of Ottawa in 2019, where he worked with Prof. Stephen Newman to utilize high-throughput chemical techniques to prod the ever-expanding world of nickel-catalyzed carbon–oxygen bond activation. As an undergraduate student, he had the opportunity to spend a semester abroad conducting research with Prof. Rebecca Melen at Cardiff University; as a graduate student he was fortunate to spend another semester abroad learning the ins-and-outs of electrochemistry at Cornell University with Prof. Song Lin.

After graduate school, Adam moved to Palo Alto to carry out research at Stanford University under the supervision of Prof. Paul Wender. There, he pursued various projects related to drug delivery, HIV eradication and the development of RNA vaccinations. In 2026, Adam launched his independent research team at VCU where he works alongside a talented team of chemists to integrate synthetic chemistry with delivery science en route towards solutions to grand clinical challenges including cancer treatment, immunotherapy, organ-specific disease and cellular rejuvenation. Beyond the lab, Adam has won >12 awards for communicating his research, prides himself on his ability to bring enthusiasm to the oft-mundane world of science, is an avid painter and loves to talk with anyone about anything.

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