Contacts
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Hassan Baaj
Civil and Environmental Engineering, Professor, Associate Chair for Research

Hector Budman
Chemical Engineering, Professor

Naveen Chandrashekar
Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, Associate Professor

Trevor Charles
Biology, Professor, Director, WCMR

[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"
Perry Chou
Chemical Engineering, Professor

[Waterloo Stories] May 3, 2013 "Can bacteria help create a cheaper fuel for our cars?"
[UW Eng-e-news] August 14, 2013 "Engineering Life-enhancing research"
David Edwards
School of Pharmacy, Professor

Shahrzad Esmaeili
Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, Professor

Marianna Foldvari
School of Pharmacy, Professor

[Global Impact] [CBC] April 30, 2018 "Working with gene therapy to treat glaucoma"
[Waterloo Stories] July 5, 2012 "Revolutionary drug delivery"
Maud Gorbet
Systems Design Engineering, Professor, Biomedical Engineering Program Director

[YouTube] December 23, 2013 "Waterloo Engineering Research: Targeted Drug Delivery"
[Daily Bulletin] June 1, 2018, 11 CBB Members Named Outstanding Performance Award Winners
Emmanuel Ho
School of Pharmacy, Associate Professor

[Waterloo News] February 6, 2019 "Researchers find new treatment for Chlamydia"
[Waterloo News] April 16, 2018 "Developing new way to fight transmission of HIV"
John Honek
Chemistry, Professor

[Daily Bulletin] June 1, 2018, 11 CBB Members Named Outstanding Performance Award Winners
Peter Huck
Civil and Environmental Engineering, Professor

NSERC Industrial Research Chair in Water Treatment [NSERC Profile]
[Waterloo Stories] March 14, 2013 "Protecting our drinking water for 20 years"
Lyndon Jones
Optometry and Vision Science

Research Interests:
- Clinical trial design
- Contact lens performance
- Drug delivery
- Ocular biomaterials
- Proteins at interfaces
University Research Chair
Office of Research - Technology Transfer & Commercialization:
Subha Kalyaanamoorthy
Chemistry, Assistant Professor

Research Interests:
- Design/discovery of potential therapeutics to target various diseases
- Understanding the structure and pharmacology of membrane proteins
- Development of in silico methods/tools for sequence, structure and functional analysis
- Inferring the structure-function evolution of proteins
- Protein engineering for biotechnology and pharmaceutical applications
[American Chemical Society] January 23, 2012 "Exploring Inhibitor Release Pathways in Histone Deacetylases Using Random Acceleration Molecular Dynamics Simulations"
[Wiley Online Library] July 27, 2013 "Ligand release mechanisms and channels in histone deacetylases"
[Royal Society of Chemistry] December 19, 2013 "A steered molecular dynamics mediated hit discovery for histone deacetylases"
[Nature Methods] May 8, 2017 "ModelFinder: fast model selection for accurate phylogenetic estimates"
[Royal Society of Chemistry] October 24, 2017 "Reverse engineering: transaminase biocatalyst development using ancestral sequence reconstruction"
Zoya Leonenko
Physics and Astronomy

Research Interests:
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Biophysics of lipids and lipid-protein interactions
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The role of structural changes and physical properties of lipid template in controlling biological processes and diseases
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Biomedical nanotechnology (lipid films, molecular mechanism of Alzheimer's disease)
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Drug development and delivery systems, antimicrobial peptides in lung disorders
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Fluorescence and atomic force microscopy
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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"
Kam Tong Leung
Chemistry

Research Interests:
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Green energy: solar cells and hydrogen generation
- Biosensing and environmental remediation using hybrid nanomaterials
- Quantum electronics
- Surface chemical physics
- Ultra-large scale computational chemistry
Juewen Liu
Chemistry

Research Interests:
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Biomedical diagnosis
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Targeted drug delivery
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Environmental monitoring
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DNA-based biosensors and functional polymers
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Nanomaterials, (gold nanoparticles, liposomes, magnetic nanoparticles, quantum dots, graphene hydrogels, hybrid nanomaterials)
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Bioinorganic / Bioanalytical chemistry
University Research Chair
[Waterloo Stories] February 27, 2013 "Waterloo researcher uses nano-materials to clean water"
Yilan Liu
Engineering

Research Interests:
- Synthetic biology for sustainable development
- Functional probiotics for affordable and preventive health solutions
- Biomanufacturing
- Genetic tools exploring
- Bio-nanoparticles
- Bio-upcycling of mixed waste for sustainable development
- Dynamic regulation of bioprocess
- Biodegradation and Bioremediation
Kesen Ma
Biology

Research Interests:
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Biochemistry and enzymology
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Thermostable Biocatalyst and dehydrogenases (Biofuel/Bioethanol production, pharmaceutical and other industrial processes)
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Enzyme evolution and protein engineering, microbial physiology, molecular biology
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Sulfur reduction and energy metabolism, alcohol metabolism
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Electron transfer and flavoproteins.
- Proteins purification and analysis, metal-containing
- Fermentation
- Hyperthermophiles
Office of Research - Technology Transfer & Commercialization:
Veronika Magdanz
Systems Design Engineering

Research Interests:
-
microrobots
- sperm cells
- magnetic actuation
- remote control
- wireless
- soft robots
- medical robots
- bioprinting
- 3D printing
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]
Vivek Maheshwari
Chemistry

Research Interests:
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High Resolution flexible pressure and tactile sensors
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Microbial fuel cells
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Nano electrodes for electrochemical detection
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Flexible Electrodes for bio-interfacing, electrical mapping self-powered devices
- Cell-inorganic composites
- Multi-functional materials and devices
- Wearable sensors
- Composite membranes
Elizabeth Meiering
Chemistry

Research Interests:
- Proteins: folding, misfolding and aggregation, structure, dynamics, and function
- Protein engineering and design
- Protein thermodynamics and kinetics
- Biophysical chemistry and biochemistry
- Bionanotechnology and biomaterials
- Biochemistry and Biophysics
- Smart Materials
- Biomaterials, Polymers and Bioplastics
- Theranostic Materials
- Smart and Functional Materials
- Molecular Therapeutics and Theranostics
- Nanomaterials
- Bionanotechnology and Biosensors
- Soft Matter
- Drug Discovery, Design and Delivery
- Bioinformatics, Systematics and Evolution
[Waterloo News] November 24, 2015 "New insights into protein structure could change the future of biomedicine"
[Chemistry News] August 20, 2014 "Chemist Elizabeth Meiering takes on the ALS ice bucket challenge"
Tizazu Mekonnen
Chemical Engineering

Research Interests:
- Bioplastics
- Polymer blends and composites
- Polymer modifications and processing
- Rubber processing and modifications
- Biodegradable and compostable polymers
- Nanostructured polymers
- Polymer structure-property and applications development
- Dispersion Rheology & dynamics of colloidal nanomaterials
Christine Moresoli
Chemical Engineering

Research Interests:
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Membrane filtration process (microfiltration; ultrafiltration; nanofiltration; reverse osmosis)
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Food proteins, processes, sustainability (concentration; separation; fractionation, water and waste minimization)
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Protein recovery and purification
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Enzyme reaction engineering
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Health food product development and processing
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Thermal food processes (baking; drying; ultra-high temperature; pasteurization; sterilization)
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Diffusion transport in biomaterials and polymeric films
Kevin Musselman
Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering

Research Interests:
- Nanomaterials
- Spatial atomic layer deposition
- Photovoltaic solar cells
- Nanoelectronics and sensors
- Electrochemistry
- Connectivity and Internet of Things
- Nanotechnology
- IoT
- Devices
Praveen Rao Perampalli Nekkar
School of Pharmacy

Research Interests:
- Drug discovery
- Rational drug design and medicinal chemistry
- Cancer therapy
- Treatment of neurological disorders (Alzheimer's, Parkinson's)
- Drug discovery/rational design
- Synthesis and biological evaluation of novel organic molecules and peptides/peptidomimics as therapeutic agents
[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"
Michael Pope
Chemical Engineering

Research Interests:
- Flexible, wearable energy storage and sensing technologies
- Graphene production and post-processing techniques
- Directed assembly of 2D nanomaterials at the air-water interface
- Bottom-up assembly approaches for energy storage, sensing and electrocatalysis
- Supercapacitors
- Next generation batteries
- Electrochemical sensors
- Thin films and membranes
- Nano-materials
Office of Research - Technology Transfer & Commercialization:
Mahla Poudineh
Electrical and Computer Engineering

Research interests:
- Real-time bio-sensing approaches for detection of small molecules
- Microfluidic-based integrated devices for therapeutics and diagnostics purposes
- Implantable micro-devices for cancer treatment
- Circulating tumor cell phenotypic characterization
- Stem cell profiling and characterization
- Translating biomedical devices for clinical use
- Silicon micro-machining for developing bio-MEMS and bio-NEMS devices
Carolyn Ren
Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering

Research Interests:
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Protein and DNA separation analysis towards disease diagnosis and drug discovery
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Biosensing and Devices (bacterial, proteins, fluorescence)
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Living cell analysis and water toxicity testing
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Lab-on-a-Chip technology (point-of-care biomedical diagnosis , chemical detection, protein separation and identification, environmental testing)
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Micro-scale fluid mechanics, droplet microfluidics and nanofluidics
- High Throughput Screening For Drug Screening
- Manufacturing Nanomaterials and Carbon Management
Canada Research Chair in Lab-on-a-Chip Technology [Canada Research Chair Profile]
[Waterloo Stories] June 14, 2012 "Creating the tiny future of science"
Hamed Shahsavan
Chemical Engineering

Research interests:
- Smart Polymers
- Liquid Crystal Elastomers
- Soft Robotic Materials
- Micro Additive Manufacturing
- 4D Printing
- Surface and Interfacial Engineeirng
George Shaker
Electrical & Computer Engineering

Alternate Location:
- Satellite Campus, UW-Schlegel Research Institute for Aging, Research Building, Sensors and Devices Lab
Research Interests:
- Bio-wearable electronics and systems
- Bio-electromagnetics, bio-technology, bio-sensors and energy harvesting systems
- RF/microwave/millimeter wave/Terahertz (THz) circuits and antenna systems
- Radio frequency (RF)/microwave packaging and Electromagnetic compatibility
- (EMC)/Electromagnetic interface (EMI) analyses
- Vehicle and UAV wireless communications, navigation systems, and telematics systems
- Complex propagation and scattering phenomena
- Devices and novel electromagnetic materials and wireless sensors
Awards:
- Top downloaded paper in Medical Physics (arXiv) – October 2019
- Best Imaging Paper, CVS, 2018
- ACM MobileHCI 2017 Best Worskshop Paper Award
- IEEE APS 2017 SPC Honorable Mention Paper Award
- IEEE Sensors Most Popular Article (March 2017)
- IEEE Sensors Annual Volume Cover Page
[CBB Events] November 15, 2019 "Professor Shaker organizes a Health Canada Regulatory insights Workshop"
[CNN] November 11, 2019 "Scientists develop sensor to save children and pets from hot car deaths"
[Waterloo News] October 29, 2019 "Advancing healthcare through innovative technology"
[Inside Digital Health] June 3, 2019 "Study: Radar Monitors Sleep with Accuracy Comparable to Current Standards"
[Waterloo News] June 28, 2018 "AI and radar technologies could help diabetics manage their disease"
[Engineering News] June 28, 2018 "Researchers developing a prick-free glucose monitor"
[RD Magazine] June 28, 2018 "AI and Radar Technologies Could Help Diabetics Manage Their Disease"
[Engineering News] July 5, 2016 "Waterloo wins big with tiny power device"
Tais Sigaeva
Systems Design Engineering

Research Interests:
- soft tissue
- nonlinear elasticity
- continuum mechanics
- mechanical testing
- uniaxial testing
- biaxial testing
- residual stress
- data analysis
- constitutive modelling
- cardiovascular mechanics
- fibrous micro-structure
- multiphoton microscopy
- heterogeneity
- anisotropy
- layers
- aneurysms
- skin
David Simakov
Chemical Engineering

Research Interests:
- Microalgae
- Microfluidics
- Biophotoreactors
- Biomass conversion
- Heterogeneous catalysis
[Engineering News] March 9, 2018 "Finds manure can yield energy and ease global warming"
Michael Tam
Chemical Engineering

Research Interests:
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Enhanced drug delivery systems, gene therapy
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Associative polymers for environmentally friendly coatings
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Sustainable nanomaterials (cellulose nanocrystals)
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Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization (ATRP) and stimuli responsive polymeric systems
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Polymer-surfactant interactions
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Magnetic nanoparticles for novel separation processes
University Research Chair
Shirley Tang
Chemistry

Research Interests:
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Nanomaterials, nanodevices, biosensors for applications in food processing, bioreactors and biotechnology, natural gas purification, fuel cell, and water purification
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Nano-Bio Hybrids for Tissue Engineering and Medicine for drug delivery, tissue engineering and regenerative medicine
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Bio-molecule assisted nanomaterial self-assembly
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Health and environmental effects of engineered nanomaterials
Pejoohan Tavassoti
Civil and Environmental Engineering

Research Interests:
- Smart Pavements and Connected Transportation Infrastructure
- Modern Pavement Instrumentation
- Non-destructive Testing and Evaluation (NDT/E)
- Advanced Construction Materials Characterization
- Sustainable Materials and Green Construction Technologies
- Recycled Materials Valorization in Pavements
- Application of Nanotechnology
- Enhanced Pavement Design and Performance Prediction
- Application of Artificial Intelligence to Pavement Engineering Problems
- 3D Printing of Cementitious Materials
- Implications of Climate Change for Pavement Design and Assest Management
- Multistakeholder Planning in Pavement Engineering and Management
Scott Taylor
Chemistry

Research Interests:
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Medicinal chemistry/enzymology (treatment of prostate and breast cancer, diabetes)
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Nanomedicine; development of novel antibiotics
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Bionanomaterials; synthetic polymers and methodologies
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Peptide, charbohydrate, nucleoside and nucleotide chemistry
[Daily Bulletin] June 1, 2018, 11 CBB Members Named Outstanding Performance Award Winners
[Science News] February 4, 2015 "Chemists develop new method to improve the discovery of antibiotics"
Ehsan Toyserkani
Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering

Research Interests:
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Tissue engineering and biodegradable implants for regenerative medicine (3D printing)
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Bio-additive and microscale-additive manufacturing (opto-mechanical sensors, smart structures, developed through additive manufacturing)
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Novel multi-scale additive manufacturing technologies for biomedical, oil/gas and manufacturing sectors
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Laser-based fabrication techniques with particular focus on direct write processes in micro- and macro-scale
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Modeling, sensing and real-time control of laser-based manufacturing techniques
University Research Chair
Canada Research Chair in Multi-Scale Additive Manufacturing [Canada Research Chair Profile]
[Office of Research News] May 8,2018 "Waterloo researchers named Canada Research Chairs"
[YouTube Lecture] May 6, 2014 "Additive manufacturing"
Office of Research - Technology Transfer & Commercialization:
John Wen
Mechanical & Mechatronics Engineering

Research Interests:
- Renewable energy technologies
- Biofuel combustion, biomass gasification, combustion generated particulates
- CO2 capture and storage
- Synthesis, characterization and applications of nanomaterial
- Developing nanothermite and energetic nanocomposites
- EPD fabrication of nanotube and nanowire based electrodes for advanced energy devices
- Engineering thermodynamics
- Energy conversion
Shawn Wettig
School of Pharmacy

Research Interests:
-
Gene therapy and drug delivery systems (prostate and ovarian cancer treatment)
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Polymeric nanomaterials, biopolymers
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Novel surface active compounds (gemini surfactants)
[Daily Bulletin] June 1, 2018, 11 CBB Members Named Outstanding Performance Award Winners
[CBB researcher story] July 21, 2015 "Vectors for gene therapy and improving drug solubility"
Thomas Willett
Systems Design Engineering

Research Interests:
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Biomaterials and mechanics of biomaterials and tissues
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Bone quality and fragility, collagen
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Engineering of bone mimetic materials for skeletal reconstruction (3D printing)
Yimin Wu
Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering

Research interests:
- Advanced Manufacturing
- Materials Interfaces
- Energy Materials
- Solar Fuels
- CO2 reduction
- Ammonia synthesis
- Batteries
- Plastic recycling and upcycling
- In situ Multimodal Characterizations
- Artificial Intelligence
- Connectivity and Internet of Things
- Electronic and Photonic Materials
- Responsive Materials
- Neuromorphic Computing
- Flexible Electronics and Soft Robotics
- Sensing
- Healthcare
- Nanotechnology
Mustafa Yavuz
Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, Professor, Director, Graduate Nanotechnology Program

Evelyn Yim
Chemical Engineering

Research Interests:
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Stem cells, nanofabrication and advancement of biomaterials in healthcare technologies to repair, replace or regenerate damaged tissue and organ structures
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Fabrication and application of nano-structure for biomedical applications in neural, vascular, and cornea tissue engineering
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Biomaterial approach to study ex-vivo pluripotent stem cell expansion
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Modulation of cell behavior with nanotopography
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Topography-regulation of stem cells lineage commitment and differentiation
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Differentiation of adult and pluripotent stem cells with nanotopography
Boxin Zhao
Chemical Engineering

Research Interests:
- Surface science and bionanomaterials
- Adhesives and coatings
- Biomimetic micro and nano fabrication
- Nanotechnology
- Biomechanics
- Biolubrication
- Polymer Science
- Hydrogels
- Interfacial Phenomena
- Colloids & Porous Media
- Micro- and nano-tribology
- Bionanomaterials
- Soft Interfaces
- Biomimetic Adhesion
- Bio-integrated Devices
- Nanoparticles synthesis
- Interfacial materials engineering
- Biomimicry
- Biomimetic materials and devices
- Multifunctional polymers and nanocomposites
- Biopolymer and healthcare materials
- Advanced coating and adhesive bonding technology
- Additive Manufacturing
- Nanotechnology
- Nanotechnology, Soft Materials and Interface
- Polymers and soft robotics
[Waterloo Stories] December 16, 2016 "New Gecko Gripper can be used in manufacturing and medicine"
[YouTube Video] June 11, 2015 "Zebra Mussel-inspired Electrically Conductive Polymer Nanofiber"
[Waterloo Stories] September 16, 2013 "Waterloo researcher is developing nano-glue for electronics"
Office of Research - Technology Transfer & Commercialization:
Liza-Anastasia DiCecco
Systems Design Engineering, Assistant Professor
