Students in a research-based master’s or doctoral program will work with a faculty supervisor through their degree. Visit the research area pages to learn about the faculty members within each area to help identify a relevant supervisor for your graduate program.
Research Areas and Themes
Advances medical interventions and treatment through the restoration, maintenance, improvement, and replacement of biological tissues using cells and materials engineering.
Examines the mechanical aspects of biological structures and movement to optimize recovery, prevent injuries, and develop assistive devices.
Explores the acquisition and measurement of physiological signals in living systems to extract meaningful information to identify patterns and trends.
Enhances the technology used to visualize biological structures to diagnose and monitor medical conditions.
Applies principles of computer and information science to transform biomedical research, the delivery of healthcare services, and public health.
Current Projects
Tailoring 3D-printed implants with advanced imaging
3D-printed implants can now be custom-made for each patient, but we still don’t fully understand how the load is shared between the bone and the implant. This project uses 3D imaging to measure how bone deforms around an implant, so future implants can be designed to fit each patient’s needs and last longer.
- Project lead: Brandon Lefevre (MASc – BME)
- Funding: NSERC Discovery Grant
Load transfer at the shoulder bone–implant interface
How a shoulder implant shares load with the surrounding bone affects how well it stays secured over time, and bone quality varies widely between patients. This project tests 3D-printed titanium implants in human shoulder bone to understand how load is transferred across the bone–implant interface. High-resolution CT imaging lets us see how the bone and implant respond under load, with much clearer images around metal than standard CT.
- Project lead: Rumaisa Bhatti (MASc – BME)
- Funding: NSERC Discovery Grant; Canada Foundation for Innovation (John R. Evans Leaders Fund)
Spotlight Project
Léa Slive, a fourth-year Biomedical Engineering undergraduate supported by an NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Award, presented her research at the 10th World Congress of Biomechanics (WCB 2026). Using 3D X-ray imaging and deep learning models, she developed a biomechanical assessment methodology to study how spinal bone deforms around the screws used in spinal surgery. Her paper was selected as one of the best research papers from the conference and was recently published in a special issue of the Journal of Biomechanics.