When Jon Stokes talks about his accomplishments, he rarely talks about himself.<\/p>\n
He talks about the students in his lab. He talks about his colleagues. And he talks about Hamilton.<\/p>\n
But now, one of Canada\u2019s most prestigious awards programs is putting the spotlight back on him.<\/p>\n
Stokes, a McMaster University scientist, entrepreneur, alumnus and founder, has been named one of Canada\u2019s Top 40 Under 40\u00ae for 2026<\/a>, a recognition that celebrates exceptional young leaders who are changing the way things are done in business, innovation and their communities.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I learned the news, I was over-the-moon excited. I couldn\u2019t believe I was being given this honour,\u201d he says. \u201cBut the happiness was short-lived because then I thought, if a group of people think I belong on this list, it\u2019s my job not to let them down.\u201d<\/p>\n An assistant professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, the 36-year-old has earned international recognition for using artificial intelligence (AI) to discover new antibiotics and tackle antimicrobial resistance, one of the world\u2019s most pressing public health threats. His research has attracted global attention, including recognition from The New York Times<\/a>, which identified his work as one of the most significant scientific advances of 2023.<\/p>\n But while Stokes is helping redefine how new medicines are discovered, he\u2019s equally focused on what happens after discovery.<\/p>\n As founder of the McMaster spinout company Stoked Bio<\/a>, he is working to move promising therapies out of the laboratory and into the hands of patients who need them. It\u2019s a vision that reflects a growing shift in academic health research: the idea that breakthroughs should not stop at publication but continue through innovation, commercialization and real-world application.<\/p>\n \u201cEverything we do in the lab and in the company is about trying to discover and develop drugs to treat diseases that other people won\u2019t \u2014 because it\u2019s hard, and there are easier ways to make a huge return,\u201d says Stokes, a member of the Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research.<\/p>\n Stokes is part of a new generation of researchers who are combining scientific excellence, AI, entrepreneurship and commercialization to accelerate discovery and create meaningful impact. And it is a powerful example of how McMaster researchers are translating ideas into therapies, companies and solutions that benefit patients, communities and the economy.<\/p>\n Across the university, researchers like Stokes are helping demonstrate what is possible when world-class science is paired with entrepreneurial ambition and a focus on solving real problems. At NexusHealth<\/a>, for example, where Stokes is an executive member, researchers are accelerating the development of health innovations by bridging the gap between sectors.<\/p>\n And as a Heersink Distinguished Scholar of the DeGroote Heersink Hub<\/a>, Stokes supports innovation and entrepreneurship education, helping students identify, develop, and commercialize research and ideas with real-world potential.<\/p>\n \u201cAt McMaster, we believe the most meaningful discoveries don\u2019t end in the laboratory. We are focused on creating solutions that improve lives and strengthen communities. Jon\u2019s work exemplifies that journey from idea to impact, combining world-class science with a relentless focus on addressing urgent health challenges,\u201d says McMaster President Susan Tighe.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m very pleased to see Jon receive this recognition. In the best McMaster tradition, his work pairs excellence with purpose, and translates discovery into meaningful impact. The fact that he\u2019s one of our graduates makes it even better.\u201d<\/p>\n For those who know Stokes, there is something fitting about a Hamilton-raised researcher \u2014 the son of two Stelco employees \u2014 receiving national recognition while building his career in the city where it began.<\/p>\n A self-described \u201cMcMaster lifer,\u201d Stokes completed his undergraduate and graduate studies at the university, then returned to Hamilton to establish his own lab after a Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. He speaks openly about wanting not only to develop medicines that improve lives, but to create opportunities and economic growth in his hometown.<\/p>\n His journey, from local student to internationally recognized scientist and entrepreneur, reflects the role universities can play in fuelling innovation ecosystems, developing talent and generating solutions to global challenges. In many ways, it also mirrors Hamilton\u2019s own evolution: a city built on industry that is increasingly forging its future through research, innovation and entrepreneurship.<\/p>\n That\u2019s what makes Stokes\u2019 recognition about more than one person\u2019s success.<\/p>\n \u201cI currently have 12 people in my lab who are building their own careers, and it\u2019s up to me to be able to fund them, support them, and do whatever I can to make sure that they surpass me,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n Stokes is the latest member of the McMaster community to be recognized by Canada\u2019s Top 40 Under 40\u00ae, joining several notable alumni, faculty and graduates \u2014 including Tighe.<\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s talk about imposter syndrome for a second,\u201d Stokes laughs. \u201cProfessor Susan Tighe, who\u2019s the president of the university; Professor Brian Coombes<\/a>, who\u2019s my boss and the chair of my department; and Professor Emeritus John Valliant<\/a>, a McMaster legend who just sold<\/a> a two-and-a-half-billion-dollar company. It\u2019s incredible company to be in, and I don\u2019t think I\u2019m as good as any of them.\u201d<\/p>\n While Stokes\u2019 trademark humility is as evident as his ambition, ask any of his peers and they\u2019ll tell you he is right at home on that list.<\/p>\n Together, the McMaster laureates reflect the breadth of leadership emerging from the university, from business and entrepreneurship to health care, research and public service. Stokes\u2019 inclusion underscores the university\u2019s growing reputation as a place where discovery, innovation and commercialization come together to create meaningful impact.<\/p>\n Learn more about Jon Stokes<\/p>\n McMaster spin-out biotech company gets $2.5M in seed funding to develop critical medicines<\/a><\/p>\n McMaster-built AI model speeds up drug discovery, designs new antibiotic<\/a><\/p>\n McMaster researcher awarded more than $2M from Weston Family Foundation to advance precision antibiotic for IBD<\/a><\/p>\n Researchers discover new antibiotic for IBD \u2014 and AI correctly predicts how it works<\/a><\/p>\n McMaster researchers develop and share free antibiotic discovery tool to fight superbugs<\/a><\/p>\n Researchers invent artificial intelligence model to design new superbug-fighting antibiotics<\/a><\/p>\n Made at Mac: Scientist Jon Stokes heads new AI drug discovery startup<\/a><\/p>\n Jon Stokes\u2019 research on AI tackling superbugs was named one of the year\u2019s top discoveries by The New York Times<\/a><\/p>\n Scientists use AI to find promising new antibiotic to fight evasive hospital superbug<\/a><\/p>\n