Dr. Carolyn Ren is a mechanical and mechatronics engineering professor and a Canada Research Chair in Microfluidic Technology. As director of Waterloo’s Microfluidics Laboratory, she is recognized as one of Canada’s top microfluidics researchers, with her work having a broad and profound impact on the global biomedical, pharmaceutical and environmental sectors.
Ren is a Member of the Royal Society of Canada College (2018), a Fellow of the Canadian Society of Mechanical Engineering (2012) and was recently named one of WXN Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women (2021).
She was recognized as one of 20 leading innovators in Women of Innovation: The Impact of Leading Engineers in Canada. Ren is also an entrepreneur; her microfluidic innovations have spurred the launch of four start-up companies with her students (Advanced Electrophoresis Solutions, Alphaxon, QuantWave Technologies, and Air Mircrofluidics Systems.