PATHS TO RESEARCH

Health

Overview

We have a long history and an established track record in world-class research advancing chemical and biological engineering fundamentals and their applications to medical treatments and human health. Our research interests span the gamut from molecular-scale phenomena, single-molecule biophysics, polymer science, drug delivery, stem cell biology, to pre-clinical applications, tissue engineering, and regenerative medicine. Some examples of our research activities include:

  • Developing biomaterials for tissue engineering and drug delivery applications.
  • Creating biomaterials to examine complex cell behaviours and responses, including cell growth, differentiation and movement.
  • Incorporating cutting-edge research of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) on materials and formulation design to better suit knowledge translation towards clinical practices.
  • Developing technologies for improved nutrition and health through food fortification.
  • Designing and manufacturing novel materials with smart functionalities and biostable properties.
  • Establishing novel and integrated single-molecule functional imaging techniques that address basic questions related to the physical, chemical, mechanical, and electronic properties of biological materials and how they impact their functional characteristics and performance.

Key Terms

  • Biomaterials
  • Regenerative medicine
  • Tissue engineering
  • Polymer science
  • Drug delivery
  • Drug development
  • Diagnostics
  • Disease modeling
  • Organ-on-a-chip
  • Microfabrication
  • Food engineering
  • Nutraceuticals
  • Microbiomes
  • Biomolecular assemblies
  • Molecular modeling
  • Metabolic modeling

Core Principal Investigators

Chris Yip

Christopher M. Yip

Biophysics; imaging; biomolecular interactions; self-assembly; biomolecular assemblies; molecular modeling

Nicole Weckman

Nicole Weckman

Global health; synthetic biology; diagnostics

Molly Shoichet

Molly S. Shoichet

Tissue engineering; polymer science; drug delivery

Michael Sefton

Michael V. Sefton

Biomaterials; tissue engineering; regenerative medicine

Arun Ramchandran

Arun Ramchandran

Polymer science; molecular assemblies; drug delivery

Milica Radisic

Milica Radisic

Tissue engineering; organ-on-a-chip; biomaterials

Alison McGuigan

Alison P. McGuigan

Tissue engineering; organ-on-a-chip; drug discovery

Krishna Mahadevan

Radhakrishnan Mahadevan

Metabolic modeling; microbiome

Frank Gu

Frank Gu

Biomaterials; drug delivery; diagnostics

Levente Diosady

Levente L. Diosady

Food engineering; nutraceuticals; drug delivery

Yu-Ling Cheng

Yu-Ling Cheng

Global health; sanitation; drug delivery

Jeff Brook

Jeffrey Brook

Environmental health; exposure assessment; chronic disease; open data platforms

Edgar Acosta

Edgar J. Acosta

Colloid-based drug delivery; lung surfactants; antiseptics