Liza-Anastasia DiCecco, PhD (She/Her)
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Biography
Dr. Liza-Anastasia DiCecco is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Systems Design Engineering at the University of Waterloo, working specifically with their Biomedical Engineering program. The DiCecco Team, known as the Regenerative Biomaterials Innovation Group, explores biomimetic implant development for hard tissue applications and fundamental biomineralization processes. Her team leverages advanced multiscale characterization tools in her research to explore biomaterials with new lenses.
Previously, she was a Postdoctoral Scholar in the Nanotherapeutics and Regenerative Biomaterials Lab in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the Pennsylvania State University, where she was supported by the NSERC Banting Fellowship. There, her work focused on biomaterials for hard tissue regenerative applications and innovating new advanced characterization strategies to assess biomaterials, specifically through liquid phase microscopy techniques. She holds a Ph.D. in Materials Engineering from McMaster University, supported by the NSERC Vanier Scholarship. There, her research explored calcium phosphate biomineralization processes, essential for maintaining and repairing hard tissues like bone and teeth, and peri-implant repair of titanium-based porous implants. She also holds a Master of Applied Science in Materials Engineering and a Bachelor of Applied Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Windsor, where she researched titanium additive manufacturing processes and their influence on material properties. Outside of the lab, Dr. DiCecco enjoys travelling, playing roller derby, painting and is a big foodie.
Previously, she was a Postdoctoral Scholar in the Nanotherapeutics and Regenerative Biomaterials Lab in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the Pennsylvania State University, where she was supported by the NSERC Banting Fellowship. There, her work focused on biomaterials for hard tissue regenerative applications and innovating new advanced characterization strategies to assess biomaterials, specifically through liquid phase microscopy techniques. She holds a Ph.D. in Materials Engineering from McMaster University, supported by the NSERC Vanier Scholarship. There, her research explored calcium phosphate biomineralization processes, essential for maintaining and repairing hard tissues like bone and teeth, and peri-implant repair of titanium-based porous implants. She also holds a Master of Applied Science in Materials Engineering and a Bachelor of Applied Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Windsor, where she researched titanium additive manufacturing processes and their influence on material properties. Outside of the lab, Dr. DiCecco enjoys travelling, playing roller derby, painting and is a big foodie.
Research Interests
- Biomaterials
- Bone
- Implants
- Biomineralization
- Electron Microscopy
- Material Characterization
- Liquid Phase Electron Microscopy
- Imaging
- Additive Manufacturing
- Computational Modelling
- Biomedical Engineering
- Materials Engineering
- Medical Devices
- Engineering Pedagogy
Scholarly Research
The DiCecco Team, known as the Regenerative Biomaterials Innovation Group, explores biomimetic implant development for hard tissue applications and biomineralization processes. Fundamentally, the team uses materials science approaches to answer life science questions – exploring the design of biomaterials for complex biomedical systems from multimodal, multimaterial, and multiscale perspectives. The team’s focus is split between two facets: 1) designing and evaluating customizable bioactive implants for musculoskeletal applications to meet patient-specific needs, & 2) fundamentally exploring biomineralization mechanisms at inorganic-organic interfaces and probing the influence of different promoters and inhibitors to control these processes. Founded in January 2025, the DiCecco Team will leverage and expand the state-of-the-art characterization infrastructure at the University of Waterloo to develop multiscale biomaterial characterization workflows that link the structure-function relationships of biomaterials from the atomic to macro scales, specifically in hydrated conditions
Education
- 2023, Doctorate, Materials Engineering, McMaster University, Canada
- 2019, Masters of Applied Science, Materials Engineering, University of Windsor, Canada
- 2017, Bachelors of Applied Science, Mechanical Engineering w. Materials Option, University of Windsor, Canada
Awards
- 2023-2024 Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
- 2024 M&M Microanalysis Society Creative Canvas Award Postdoctoral Poster Award, Microanalysis Society
- 2024 M&M Postdoctoral Scholar Award, Microscopy Society of America
- 2023 Fall Class Valedictorian for Faculties of Engineering and Science, McMaster University
- 2019-2022 Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
- 2021-2022 Michael Smith Foreign Study Supplement, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
- 2023 Graduate Student Award of Merit, Senior Women Academic Administrators of Canada
- 2022 Student Leadership Award, Microscopy Society of Canada
Professional Associations
- Canadian Biomaterials Society (CBS), 2025 - Present
- Microscopy Society of Canada (MSC), 2025 - Present
- Microscopy Society of America (MSA), 2023 - Present
- Microanalysis Society (MAS), 2023 - Present
Graduate studies
- Currently considering applications from graduate students. A completed online application is required for admission; start the application process now.