2023 AMTD Scholar: Vasily Panferov (he/him)

Faculty of Science
Department of Chemistry 

Vasily PanferovCountry of origin: Russia

Academic degrees and Institutions:

  • Ph.D. in Biochemistry - The Federal Research Centre “Fundamentals of Biotechnology” of the Russian Academy of Sciences (2019)
  • Master's Equivalent, Lecturer-researcher, Education - Research Center of Biotechnology RAS (2018)
  • Master's Equivalent, Engineer, Biotechnology - Moscow State University of Food Production (2014)

Describe your work and how it embodies the nature of the AMTD postdoctoral program.

The project is focused on the development of point-of-need bioanalytical methods for the quality control of food and water.  Currently, quality control is performed in laboratories using sophisticated and expensive methods. The high cost of testing, extended analysis time (2-3 hours), the requirements of bulky stationary equipment, and qualified personnel restrict the applications of these methods only to professional laboratories.  Our goal is to bring quality control of food and water to the users at point-of-need.

What are some activities you hope to accomplish during your postdoctoral appointment at University of Waterloo?

  • Developing point-of-need assays for the detection of multiple allergens and xenobiotics.
  • Analytical application of new enzyme-mimicking catalytic nanoparticles.
  • Validation of the developed point-of-need assays for the real-live application.

Have you been the recipient of any other major or donor-funded awards?

I received a Banting fellowship in 2021.  This fellowship allowed me to join Prof. Sergey Krylov's lab at York University and initiate collaborations with key clinical partners at Sinai Health and Toronto General Hospitals

Do you have any relevant academic projects you would like to share?

I have successfully worked on projects dedicated to point-of-care diagnostics of inflammatory biomarkers, viral diagnostics (hepatitis B and C, SARS-CoV-2), and environmental screening (pathogens of plants, xenobiotics in environmental objects).

Why did you choose the University of Waterloo?

The chemical department of the University of Waterloo is home to world-calibre scientists. It would be a great honour for me to learn from them and work together.  The University provides a perfect environment with qualified personnel, facilities, and materials required for the completion of the project and its further development as a market product.

What are you most looking forward to or currently enjoying about the University of Waterloo?

The people. I am looking forward to meeting and working with very qualified academics and enthusiastic young researchers.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

Playing guitar and spending time with my family.

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