Contact Us:
Centre for Bioengineering and Biotechnology
University of Waterloo, East Campus 4, Room 2001
200 University Avenue West
Waterloo , Ontario, N2L 3G1 Canada
cbb.uwaterloo.ca
519-888-4567 Ext 32732
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Viral vector drug delivery
Biological nano-particles (Virus-Like Particles or VLPs)
Vaccines, gene therapy, gene expression, genetic diseases
Baculovirus Bioprocessing
Process dynamics of virus-based systems for the production of complex biologics such as viral vectors and vaccines
Development of strategies using multiple viruses to obtain recombinant products in cell culture
[YouTube Lecture] September 30, 2014 "Tools and strategies for complex biologics production in animal cells: applications to insect and mammalian cell culture"
[YouTube] January 26, 2011 "Research Profile: Marc Aucoin"
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
[Waterloo News] September 25, 2018 "Virtual reality motion sickness may be predicted and counteracted"
[ScienceDaily] December 15, 2018 "Aging warps our perception of time, study finds"
[Record] October 12, 2017 "Aging slows perception of falls: UW study"
Research Interests:
Treatment of neurological disorders (Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and mental health conditions including schizophrenia and depression)
Molecular pharmacology and pharmaceutical delivery
Intracellular signaling pathways in neurons, and the role of cytoskeletal dynamics in the trafficking of receptors in neurons
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
My research program combines a fundamental in-vitro research approach, examining the time varying response of the lumbar spine tissues, with in-vivo human research, examining biological responses to cumulative loading exposure from both pain generating and tissue altering/injuring perspectives. Work in my laboratories involves developing approaches to assess workplace cumulative loading exposure and injury in conjunction with in-vitro tissue mechanics studies investigating the injury pathways from repetitive loading. Currently, quantifying the influence of modifiers such as repetition and magnitude of exposure to establish the relationship between cumulative loading and low back pain is a major focus in my research. This knowledge will complement existing epidemiological data, linking cumulative loading and low back pain, for setting exposure limits and helping to prevent low back injuries.
Research Interests:
Confocal microscopy and ophthalmoscopy, measurement of refractive error
Retinal image quality
Optical effects of refractive surgery, reflections from the retina
Optical properties of the eye, monochromatic aberrations of the eye
Refractive properties of the crystalline lens and their changes with growth and accommodation
Eye-imaging systems for treatment and diagnosis
Biophysics, bio-photonics, and Vision Science.
[Research2Reality] May 8, 2015 "Early Alzheimer's Diagnosis: Imaging the Living Eye"
[YouTube Lecture] October 1, 2014 "Optics of the Eye as a Window on the Brain"
[YouTube] February 12, 2013 "Melanie Campbell AAAS Profile"
[Waterloo Stories] February 12, 2013 "An early test for Alzhemer's disease"
[Waterloo Stories] January 22, 2013 "Early test for Alzheimer's may rely on the eyes"
Office of Research - Technology Transfer & Commercialization:
Research Interests:
Bacterial molecular genetics
Functional genomics, metagenomics, genome engineering
Metabolic functions
Synthetic biology, bioplastics and bioproducts
[Biology News] December 21, 2016 "Waterloo biologist part of a research collaboration creating new genetic toolbox"
[Royal Canadian Institute Lecture] November 8, 2015 "Genome Engineering. Should we do it? (Can we afford not to?)"
[YouTube Lecture] September 30, 2014 "Mining microbial metagenomes"
[YouTube Lecture] September 19, 2013 "Mining metagenomes for bioplastics and other useful bioproducts"
[CBB researcher story] November 29, 2012 "Breaking Ground in Open Resource Metagenomics"
Research Interests:
Canada Research Chair in Fish and Environmental Immunology [Canada Research Chair Profile]
[UW Science News] June 15, 2018, Waterloo Biologist mentors local teen, the 2018 International BioGENEius Challenge winner
[Waterloo Stories] January 22, 2018 "Vaccines not protecting farmed fish from disease"
[Waterloo Stories] February 13, 2014 "True love makes pacific salmon healthier"
[YouTube] October 9, 2013 "Science Scoop - For the love of fish!"
[Waterloo Stories] September 9, 2013 "Video conferencing connects Waterloo biologist to young students"
Research Interests:
Molecular function prediction, design (proteins, DNA)
Computational genomics
Evolutionary bioinformatics and computational biology
[WCMR] June 18, 2018, receives Thermo Fisher Scientific Award
[Daily Bulletin] June 1, 2018, 11 CBB Members Named Outstanding Performance Award Winners
[Waterloo Stories] January 26, 2018 "Scientists find new kind of botox"
Research Interests:
Cancer research
Cell cycle, DNA replication, biomarkers and checkpoints
Genetics, yeast genetics, molecular biology
Protein factors
Kinases
Chromatin
[CBB researcher story] January 2, 2013 "How the Trout are Saving Us: Using Biomarkers to Improve Water Quality"
Research interests:
Research Interests:
Canada Research Chair in Environmental Microbiology [Canada Research Chair Profile]
[YouTube] October 23, 2015 "Piecing life together - microbial diversity and function through meta-omic analyses"
[Waterloo Stories] April 12, 2016 "New tree of life may hold clues to cleaning up pollution"
Research interests:
Research Interests:
University Research Chair
Office of Research - Technology Transfer & Commercialization:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Integrative kidney physiology
Biofluid dynamics
Diabetes
March 29, 2018 "Canada 150 Research Chair joins Department of Applied Mathematics"
Research Interests:
Biophysics of lipids and lipid-protein interactions
The role of structural changes and physical properties of lipid template in controlling biological processes and diseases
Biomedical nanotechnology (lipid films, molecular mechanism of Alzheimer's disease)
Drug development and delivery systems, antimicrobial peptides in lung disorders
Fluorescence and atomic force microscopy
Kelvin probe force microscopy and single molecule force spectroscopy
[Global Impact] May 2018, studying Alzheimer's at a molecular level to find a cure
[YouTube Lecture] October 1, 2014 "Scanning probe microscopy in biomedical research"
Research Interests:
Bioinformatics tools (protein structures, genome mapping, conducting homology searches)
Protein structure prediction, and automated NMR protein structure determination
Stem cell image recognition
Canada Research Chair in Bioinformatics [Canada Research Chair Profile]
The Royal Society of Canada Fellow
[Waterloo Stories] April 5, 2013 "RSVP: Responding to a need"
[Waterloo Stories] July 6, 2012 "Solving life's big issues, one question at a time"
Research Interests:
Biochemistry and enzymology
Thermostable Biocatalyst and dehydrogenases (Biofuel/Bioethanol production, pharmaceutical and other industrial processes)
Enzyme evolution and protein engineering, microbial physiology, molecular biology
Sulfur reduction and energy metabolism, alcohol metabolism
Electron transfer and flavoproteins.
Office of Research - Technology Transfer & Commercialization:
Research Interests:
microrobots
We develop microrobots for medical applications. The goal is to develop more targeted, active, but less invasive strategies for drug or cell delivery with the help of wireless, autonomously moving microrobots. One strategy is to combine biological elements with artificial components in a biohybrid approach. The biological component (cells, molecules) can serve as power source, loading unit or structural unit.
One example is the "spermbot" - a sperm cell remotely controlled with magnetic fields: https://phys.org/news/2014-01-sperm-bots-desired-video.html
Another example is IRONSperm: a magnetically functionalized nonmotile sperm driven by magnetic fields:https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.aba5855
Inspired by the motion of sperm, we also develop small scale flexible magnetic robots for noninvasive surgery (coming soon). I am also interested in reproductive biology and research that elucidates reasons for infertility. We look into the mechanisms of sperm migration and some interesting phenomena, such as sperm bundling (publication online soon)
[Google Scholar]
Research interests:
Research Interests:
Protein structure, functions, evolution (yeast, mammalian cell lines, plant-bacterial)
Bioinformatics, systematics and protein evolution
Research interests:
Research Interests:
[Waterloo News] March 16, 2015 "Expert: Parties need to consider bigger picture for Rouge National Urban Park"
Research Interests:
[Science News] October 22, 2018 "Nekkar lab determines that depression medications can help treat Alzheimer’s disease"
[Pharmacy News] July 29, 2015 "Waterloo pharmacist examines drug therapies for Alzheimer’s disease"
Research interests:
Research interests:
[Science Mag] June 6, 2016 "This desert moss can water itself with fog"
[Nature] June 08, 2016 "How desert moss drinks from air"
[PNAS] June 22, 2017 "Cavitation onset caused by acceleration"
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Molecular genetics
Cell and Developmental Biology
Research Interests:
Lab Equipment: Imagestream MkII with 488nm, 642nm and 785nm lasers; 60x magnification
[YouTube Lectures] Winter School on Quantitative Systems Biology 2015
Research Interests:
Drug discovery, delivery systems and nanomedicine
Gene therapy, microbial genetics
Oncology, Antiviral therapeutics design
Anti-bacterials
Acne cosmeceutical design
Phage-based biotechnology
Viral exclusion systems
Cosmeceuticals
Vaccine design (dementia), bacteriophage-based biotechnology, use of coliphages to design and construct vectors for the development of novel vaccines, pharmaceuticals and gene delivery systems, and the identification and application of novel phage genomic anti-bacterial genes with potential phage therapy applications.
Strategic management in Pharmacy; healthcare reform
Research Interests:
Calcium channel analysis for target drug delivery for treatment of pain, arrhythmias, angina, and potential benefits in treatment of epilepsy and cancer.
Structure, function and pharmacology of calcium channels and sodium channels
Structure and function and analysis of NALCN cation channel and anti-calcium channel toxins
The Spafford Neurobiology Research Laboratory studies voltage-gated calcium channels, molecular physiology, biophysics, cell biology, protein biochemistry, fluorescence microscopy and tissue cultures.
[Science News] April 25, 2014 "Waterloo discovers a key regulator in the pacemakers of our brain and heart"
Research Interests:
Nanomaterials, nanodevices, biosensors for applications in food processing, bioreactors and biotechnology, natural gas purification, fuel cell, and water purification
Nano-Bio Hybrids for Tissue Engineering and Medicine for drug delivery, tissue engineering and regenerative medicine
Bio-molecule assisted nanomaterial self-assembly
Health and environmental effects of engineered nanomaterials
Research Interests:
Biochemistry and molecular biology of programmed cell death
Functional genomics of senescence (biological aging) and apoptosis
Comparative aspects of senescence and stress including the role of hormones and the involvement of free radicals
Applicable therapies for cancers, inflammatory diseases (arthritis and sepsis), and in the agricultural sector (enhance yield, develop tolerance to environmental stress and plant diseases, and increase the shelf-life of perishable produce)
The Royal Society of Canada Fellow
Research interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Biomaterials and mechanics of biomaterials and tissues
Bone quality and fragility, collagen
Engineering of bone mimetic materials for skeletal reconstruction (3D printing)
Centre for Bioengineering and Biotechnology
University of Waterloo, East Campus 4, Room 2001
200 University Avenue West
Waterloo , Ontario, N2L 3G1 Canada
cbb.uwaterloo.ca
519-888-4567 Ext 32732
The University of Waterloo acknowledges that much of our work takes place on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabeg and Haudenosaunee peoples. Our main campus is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land granted to the Six Nations that includes six miles on each side of the Grand River. Our active work toward reconciliation takes place across our campuses through research, learning, teaching, and community building, and is co-ordinated within the Office of Indigenous Relations.