Staff

Director

Wilson, J. L.

Graduate Coordinator

Brown, J.

Professors

Adamson, R., PhD (Toronto). My research concerns the biomechanics of hearing and new diagnostic imaging technologies for otology. My primary focus is on developing optical probes for investigating the ear - an optical coherence tomography (OCT) probe for imaging and a fiber optic hydrophone for dynamic pressure measurement. Primary appointment in the School of Biomedical Engineering
Beyea, S. D., PhD (UNB). Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging physics. Technique development for high-field functional neuroimaging. NMR studies of degradable biomaterials and implantable devices. Primary appointment at the Institute for Biodiagnostics (Atlantic) - National Research Council Canada
Brown, J. A., PhD (Queen’s). High-resolution ultrasound imaging, micro-transducer design, and fabrication, miniaturized piezoelectric hearing prosthesis. Primary appointment in Biomedical Engineering
Dunbar, M., MD (Dalhousie), PhD (Lund). Joint biomechanics and kinematics. Development of radiostereometric analysis and gait Analysis for Prediction of hip and knee arthroplasty failure. Development of gait laboratory surrogates for clinical assessment of orthopaedic patients. Primary appointment in Surgery, Division of Orthopaedics
Filiaggi, M., PhD (Toronto). Biomaterials and biomedical devices for orthopaedic, dental, and cardiovascular applications; therapeutic delivery. Primary appointment in Applied Oral Sciences
Fine, A., VetMD, PhD (Univ of Pennsylvania). Synaptic function and plasticity in the brain. Brain networks underlying sensation and memory. Advanced optical methods for imaging neural structure and function. Primary appointment in Physiology and Biophysics
French, A., PhD (Essex). Information encoding and processing by sensory neurons, mechanotransduction, nonlinear systems analysis, and ion channel biophysics. Primary appointment in Physiology and Biophysics
Gu, J., PhD (Alberta). Medical robotic devices and applications; artificial eye implant control; rehabilitation assistive device design and applications; sensor fusion in a mobile robot. Primary appointment in Electrical and Computer Engineering
Kozey, C., PhD (Dalhousie). Classification of neuromuscular control patterns associated with normal movement and movement in the presence of pathology and/pain. These studies involve the use of electromyography, and other sensors to measure muscle function and motion parameters. Primary appointment in the School of Physiotherapy
Kreplak, L., PhD (Paris).  My research goal is to unveil the design rules underlying the unique mechanical properties of protein assemblies, cells and tissues. I am interested in both bottom-up and top-down approaches. In the former, I study the relationship between structure and mechanical properties for peptides and proteins assemblies in vitro. In the latter, I am interested in human pathologies that modify the mechanical properties of cells and tissues through changes in cytoskeletal or extra-cellular matrix architecture.  Primary appointment in Physics and Atmospheric Science
Maksym, G., PhD (McGill). Modelling and signal analysis applied to respiratory cellular biology and physiology with technology development of respiratory medical devices and research tools for the clinic and for investigation of the biomechanics of the cells, tissues, and whole lung in respiratory health and disease. Primary appointment in the School of Biomedical Engineering
Price, R. B., DDS (Dalhousie), PhD (Malmo, Sweden). Photopolymerization of dental resins, hardness testing, cytotoxicity of dental resins, light emitting diode (LED) dental curing lights, optical testing of dental curing lights, mechanical testing of dental materials. Primary Appointment in Dentistry
Rainey, J.K., PhD (Toronto) Protein and polymer-based fibrous and nanoparticle biomaterials design, development, testing, and application; NMR and optical spectroscopy; structural biology. Primary appointment in Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology 
Wilson, J. L., PhD (Dalhousie). Modeling and description of joint dynamics, neuromuscular function and orthopedic biomechanics, with particular application to the study of knee osteoarthritis gait patterns and other musculoskeletal disorders. Pattern recognition and statistical modeling of complex biomechanical data. Three-dimensional motion capture analysis, electromyography, Radiostereometric Analysis, and computer-assisted surgery. Primary appointment in Biomedical Engineering
Zhang, P., PhD (Western). Material science, nanoscience, and technology, synchrotron spectroscopy, biotechnological applications of nanocrystals. Primary appointment in the School of Biomedical Engineering

Associate Professors

Boyd, D., PhD (Limerick). Glass-based biomaterials for minimally invasive clinical interventions; synthesis, characterization, and safety and efficacy evaluation of new clinical materials (Oncology, Spine and Dentistry). Primary appointment in Applied Oral Sciences
Brewer, K., PhD (Dalhousie). Molecular imaging with a focus on the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET). Projects use imaging to improve understanding and clinical translation of novel immunotherapies in cancer. Primary appointment in Diagnostic Radiology
Frampton, J. P., PhD (State Univ of New York at Albany). Microscale cell and tissue engineering, cell-material interactions, liquid handling technologies, microfluidic manipulation of cells, design and development of multiplex bioassays. Primary appointment in the School of Biomedical Engineering
Gratzer, P., PhD (Toronto). Tissue engineering. Developing scaffolds for tissue regeneration (e.g. blood vessels, ligaments) using naturally derived materials (collagen and elastin). Primary appointment in the School of Biomedical Engineering
Horne, G., MD (London), PhD (Calgary). Septal mechanics in heart failure. Non-invasive functional myocardial imaging (echocardiography, MRI, scintigraphy), somatic cell gene therapy for myocardial repair. Primary appointment in Medicine
Leung, B., PhD (Toronto). Tissue engineering and microfabricated cell culture platforms. Development of 3d microtissue and acini models for epithelial disease modeling as well as advanced co-culture techniques to study microbe-mammalian cells interactions. Primary appointment in the Department of Applied Oral Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry
Milne, A. D., MD (Dalhousie), FRCPC (Anesthesia), PEng. Research ranges from basic laboratory testing to clinical outcome studies. Specific areas of interest include: Anesthesia Airway Equipment Design, Device Testing, and Quality Control, Clinical Anesthesia Database/Outcome Studies, and Drug Stability. In addition to Anesthesia related work I also have interests in Orthopedics/Plastic Surgery; specifically Biomechanics/Biomaterials, 3-D kinematics and surface geometry digitization. Graduate students are welcome to shadow me in the operating room to get a better understanding of biomedical device implementation and real-world usage. Primary appointment in the Department of Anesthesiology
Quinn, T. A., PhD (Columbia University, NY). Cardiovascular disease, with an emphasis on changes in cardiac mechanics, electrophysiology, and mechano-electric interactions leading to cardiac arrhythmias and heart failure; Cardiac regulation, with an emphasis on intrinsic autoregulatory mechanisms, including stretch and the intracardiac nervous system; Fluorescence-, optogenetic-, and computational modelling-based structure-function studies using whole animals to isolated cells. Primary appointment in the Department of Physiology and Biophysics
Rutherford, D. J., PhD (Dalhousie). Joint biomechanics and electromyography associated with dynamic walking challenges in lower extremity injury and disease with implications for biomechanical intervention development and evaluation. Lead researcher in the Joint Action Research Laboratory, Dalhousie University. Primary appointment in School of Physiotherapy. Affiliated Scientist with Nova Scotia Health Authority Central Zone
Wells, S. M., PhD (Toronto). Structural-mechanical relations in biopolymers such as elastin and collagen are examined in order to determine the underlying mechanism(s) of elasticity of these materials and thereby to understand the functioning of the arteries, ligaments, skin etc. which they make up. As well, research examines the structural remodeling of these structures during development and maturation: from fetal to adult life. Primary appointment in the School of Biomedical Engineering

Assistant Professors

Adibnia, V., PhD (McGill University). My research is at the interface of medical sciences, chemistry, material engineering and biophysics. I conduct translational studies in biomedical engineering to develop novel polymeric biomaterials for different biomedical applications including osteoarthritis treatment, bleeding control, dental biomaterials, wound management and antifouling coating. My primary appointment at Dalhousie University is in the Department of Applied Oral Sciences
Huyer, D. L., PhD (Toronto). Study of mechanisms of inflammation associated with implantable medical devices. Polymer based biomaterial development for clinical interventions; synthesis, characterization, and immune characterization of new materials. Primary appointment in Applied Oral Sciences
Sheikh, Z., Dip.PhD (IPDDPH), BDS (Baqai), MSc (QMUL,London), M.Perio (Dalhousie), FRCD(C), PhD (McGill). Novel calcium phosphate-based biomaterials and scaffold for maxillofacial, periodontal, and orthopaedic applications; therapeutic delivery of bone anabolic conjugate drugs. Primary appointment in the departments of Applied Oral Sciences & Dental Clinical Sciences at the Faculty of Dentistry

Adjunct (FGS)

Landry, S. C., PhD (Dalhousie). Biomechanics and neuromuscular function of the lower limb: Investigations into understanding the higher prevalence of knee osteoarthritis (OA) and non-contact anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in the female population. Progression and non-invasive treatments of knee OA. Primary appointment in Kinesiology Acadia University
Tokarz, D., PhD (Toronto). Development of ultrastructural characterization techniques using ultrafast laser microscopy, measurement of nonlinear optical susceptibilities of artificial and natural nanomaterials, and nonlinear optical investigations of tissue biopolymers and semiconductor nanostructures. Current research avenues include an investigation into the hierarchical organization of collagen during physical alteration (e.g. stretching, buckling) and during tumor progression, a study on ultrafast light-matter interactions in individual nanowires, and an investigation of biodegradation in starch and cellulose plant materials for the biofuels industry. Primary appointment in the Department of Chemistry, Saint Mary’s University
Veres, S.P., PhD (Auckland). Structure-function relationships in biomaterials.  My research focuses on the identification, implications, and exploitation of structural changes that occur within biomaterials (primarily collagen) in response to mechanical loading.  A multi-level approach is employed, studying tissues at the macro, micro, ultrastructure, and molecular levels.  Pathologies of interest currently include rupture and subrupture of tendons and ligaments, and spinal damage including intervertebral disc herniation, and internal disc disruption.  Primary appointment in the Division of Engineering, Saint Mary’s University

Adjunct (Retired)

Lee, J. M., PhD (Western). Bioprosthetic heart valves and vascular grafts, intravascular stents, biopolymers, tissue mechanics, developmental changes in cardiovascular system. Primary appointment in Applied Oral Sciences
Stanish, W. D., MD (Dalhousie), FRCS (Canada). BST-cargel: in situ chondioinduction for cartilage repair. Gait patterns in individuals suffering with moderate osteoarthritis of the knee, but with non-surgical interventions. Psychological predicators of prolonged pain and disability following total knee arthroplasty. Primary appointment in Division of Orthopaedic Surgery, Faculty of Surgery, Dalhousie University