Join microrobotics researchers at the Southern Ontario Microrobotics in Medicine Research Symposium.
We are pleased to announce the SOMMeRS 2026: Southern Ontario Microrobotics in Medicine Research Symposium on Friday, August 21, 2026, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. EST on the Waterloo campus. Registration is required, but available free of charge for in-person participation.
Nano/microrobotics is an emerging multidisciplinary field that brings together different disciplines of science, engineering, and medicine with the goal of revolutionizing medical interventions such as noninvasive surgery, targeted drug and cell delivery and diagnostics.
SOMMeRS 2026 is a follow-up of SOMMerS 2023 hosted at the University of Waterloo, and was a celebration of over 20 years of medical microrobotics research with pioneers in the field. This year's symposium will shine a spotlight on the growing multidisciplinary field of medical nano/microrobotics in our community at Waterloo and neighbouring cities in Southern Ontario. This is a great opportunity for active researchers, students, clinicians and interested collaborators to connect, share their progress and discuss challenges in microrobotics and related topics.
This event, funded by Global Futures, is part of the "MIRACLE: Microrobotics Institute for Research Advancements in Clinical & Life Science Engineering" initiative. The MIRACLE Centre evokes cutting-edge micro-scale breakthroughs including the development of microrobots for medical interventions. We aim to accelerate this potential by providing collaboration, networking and student support platforms which increase visibility of excellent research, advance funding and training opportunities, and build a global network. Through the MIRACLE Centre, the young generation of scientists and engineers will be equipped to accelerate the development of microrobots, while positioning Waterloo as global leader in addressing grand challenges and enhancing the quality of life.
This is a fantastic opportunity for students to present their work via posters, pitches, or demos. There will also be a student award for the posters, pitches, and demos should they choose to participate.
This event is kindly sponsored by the University of Waterloo Global Futures Office, SMART-Lab, Medical Microrobotics Lab and UpNano.
SOMMeRS Agenda 2026
|
Time (Eastern Standard Time (EST) UTC−05:00) |
Session |
|---|---|
|
8:30 – 9:00 a.m. |
Registration |
|
9:00 – 9:15 a.m. |
Welcome, MIRACLE initiative: Microrobotics Institute for Research Advancements in Clinical & Life Science Engineering |
|
9:15 – 9:45 a.m. |
Micro-Scale Surgery: Using Magnetic Fields to Control Tiny Robots in the Gut and Brain Prof. Eric Diller | University of Toronto |
|
9:45 – 10:05 a.m. |
Simultaneously Actuating and Sensing Rotating Microrobots with Magnetic Fields Prof. Cameron Forbrigger | University of Waterloo |
|
10:05 – 10:20 a.m. |
Break |
|
10:20 – 10:40 a.m. |
Microrobot in the Brain: Measurement, Stimulation, and Treatment Prof. Xian Wang | Queen’s University |
|
10:40 – 11:00 a.m. |
Hydrogel microneedle integrated electrochemical aptamer biosensor for continuous biomarker tracking in vivo Prof. Mahla Poudineh | University of Waterloo |
|
11:00 – 11:15 a.m. |
UpNano Talk |
|
11:15 – 11:45 a.m. |
Pitches & Demos |
|
11:45 a.m. – 12:45 p.m. |
Lunch and Posters |
|
12:45 – 1:05 p.m. |
"Making an impact" - Miniature robots with high-force outputting capabilities Prof. Jiachen Zhang | City University of Hong Kong |
|
1:05 – 2:05 p.m. |
Discussion Panel: Prof. Rob Casper, Prof. Tohid Didar, Dr. Sarah Khalife, Mike Clark |
|
2:05 - 2:20 p.m. |
Break |
|
2:20 - 2:40 p.m. |
Rapidly Deployable Nasal Surgery Tools Using Magnetic Soft Continuum Robots Prof. Onaizah Onaizah | McMaster University |
|
2:40 - 3:00 p.m. |
Modelling the hydrodynamics of swimming microrobots Prof. Henry Shum | University of Waterloo |
|
3:00 - 3:30 p.m. |
Pitches & Demos |
|
3:30 - 3:50 p.m. |
Bacteriophage coated microbots for disruption of bacterial biofilms Prof. Zeinab Hosseinidoust | McMaster University |
|
3:50 - 4:10 p.m. |
Maglev Microrobots in Biomedical Applications Prof. Mir Behrad Khamesee |University of Waterloo |
|
4:10 - 5:30 p.m. |
Networking Time |
|
5:30 - 5:45 p.m. |
Awards and Final Remarks |
Parking
Visitor parking is available in Lots Q, B, and X. Please refer to the campus map.