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Heather Sheardown named region's Engineer of the Year
by Anqi Shen
November 10, 2011
Heather Sheardown, professor of chemical engineering and associate dean of graduate studies, has been named the 2011 Engineer of the Year for the Hamilton/Halton region.
The award, presented by the Ontario Society for Professional Engineers and the Hamilton/Halton Engineering Week Committee, celebrates the achievements of local engineers who have made significant contributions to their profession, excelled as researchers and mentored youth.
Sheardown was trained as a chemical engineer at McMaster University, where she became interested in the biological and medical aspects of engineering. After completing graduate studies in wound healing processes in the cornea, Sheardown's postdoctoral training in the field of blood-contacting biomaterials brought her back to McMaster.
Since becoming a professor at the University, she has been immersed in the field of ocular research and biomedical engineering.
"You do the things you do because you love them, but it's always an honour to be recognized," said heardown.
Sheardown is currently studying the issue of drug delivery in the eye using smart biomaterials. The goal is to reduce side effects and improve clinical outcomes for those with glaucoma, cornea blindness and age-related macular degeneration.
"We're coming up with new ways of delivering drugs to the back of the eye, where the degeneration occurs," said Sheardown. "My ultimate goal is to develop new devices that will treat and prevent retinal diseases."
Sheardown is the scientific director of the 20/20 Network, which will train nearly 200 students and post-doctoral fellows in her field over a five-year period. The initiative showcases Canadian research talent in providing new therapies and has been identified as critical to developing a homegrown industry.
Sheardown is also chair of McMaster's Women in Engineering Committee and was actively involved in developing the popular province-wide Go Eng Girl event for girls in grades 7 to 10.
"I think it's important for girls to see how women have succeeded in the industry," said Sheardown. "I think all students interested in engineering, whether in university or high school, should have good role models to look up to."
