The Department of Chemical Engineering invites you to a seminar about composite (bio)sensors for non-invasive medical diagnostics, by Dr. Yael Zilberman-Simakov.
Abstract
Oxidative stress is now known to be a major factor in the development of most pathological events, associated with neurological disorders, diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular diseases and human aging. Oxidative stress is the overall balance between formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and free radicals in the body. Excessive ROS have harmful effects on the cell. They attack DNA and oxidize polyunsaturated fatty acids in lipids and amino acids in proteins. As a result, (bio)markers are secreted to the bloodstream and reflected in other body fluids, such as breath and saliva.
Current diagnostic systems used in clinical settings to detect (bio)markers require highly trained experts, large volumes of blood samples and long turnaround time. There is an immense need for a low-cost and accurate point-of-care-testing (POCT) device for home monitoring of (bio)markers for global pandemics.
In this seminar, Dr. Zilberman-Simakov presents three platforms composed of composite sensors. The first one is based on carbon nanotube (CNT) network and self-assembled polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). The second one is based on optical responsive beads. The last one is based on CNT thin film and highly specific protein antibodies, integrated with electrical, optical and electrochemical signals combined with machine learning algorithms for the detection of non-invasive medical conditions outside of a medical facility.
Biographical Sketch
Dr. Yael Zilberman-Simakov received her BSc, MSc and PhD in Chemical Engineering from the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. During her graduate study, she worked on composite sensors based on discotic liquid nanocrystals for detection of volatile organic compounds exhaled from breath, for non-invasive chronic disease diagnostics.
Dr. Zilberman-Simakov conducted her postdoctoral training at Tufts University, one of the leading universities in the Greater Boston region. First, she trained at the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, working on the development of microfluidic optical sensors. Next, she trained at the Department of Chemistry, studying catalytic activity of synthetic peptides.
After moving to Canada, she has received a prestigious Mitacs Elevate Postdoctoral Fellowship and was a group leader at Professor Shirley Tang’s lab in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Waterloo. She worked in collaboration with LeNano Diagnostics on the development of a portable biosensor based on microfluidics and advanced composite nanomaterials for rapid point-of-care testing of heart failure.
Recently, Dr. Zilberman-Simakov joined the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Waterloo as a lecturer, teaching Engineering Biology and Bioprocess Engineering. Her current research interests lie in the area of noninvasive medical diagnostics, focusing on optoelectronic biological nano-sensors and wearable devices.