Dr. Nik Kovinich

Biography

Nik Kovinich received his Ph.D. in 2011 from Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada. His doctoral research focused on understanding the genetics and biochemistry of specialized metabolite biosynthesis in the seed coat of black soybean, specifically engineering soybean metabolism to produce visible color markers for genetically modified soybean grains. Kovinich continued his postdoctoral studies at Ohio State University, USA, where he investigated the fundamental mechanisms of metabolite transport in plants. In 2012, he was awarded the Pelotonia Postdoctoral Fellowship to explore novel approaches for producing derivatives of anticancer drugs through a combination of semi-synthesis and metabolic engineering. He joined West Virginia University in July 2015 as an Assistant Professor, where he researched how plants regulate the biosynthesis of phytoalexins, critical metabolites involved in plant defense with medicinal applications. Kovinich moved to York University in Toronto, Canada, in September 2019 as an Assistant Professor in Systems Biology, focusing on gene regulatory networks controlling phytoalexin biosynthesis and nanoparticle-based engineering of specialized metabolism in Cannabis sativa. He has received the Arthur Neish Young Investigator Award from the Phytochemical Society of North America and his research is funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), the United States Department of Agriculture, and York University.

Research Interests