Health & Bio-innovation
Saving lives, improving health and wellness and overall quality of life are key goals of biomedical engineers.
Health: Saving Lives
Saving lives, improving health and wellness and overall quality of life are key goals of biomedical engineers.Innovative, leading-edge research is needed to do everything from detect disease to provide therapies to create better biomaterials.
Leading the charge is the School of Biomedical Engineering with focuses in three key areas of research:
Biomaterials and Devices
- Growth/regeneration of cells, tissues, and organs
- Biomaterials, implantable devices, and sensors for various applications
Imaging, Sensing, and Detection
- Development and application of imaging technologies for cell, tissue, organ and brain diagnostics and therapies
Therapeutics
- Novel drug & delivery advancements
- Biodegradable polymers
- Tissue engineering
- Release of signalling molecules
Challenges: Improving drug delivery, lowering costs, improving quality of life for people with chronic diseases, creating healthy homes, communities designed for healthy living, better biomaterials.
Related Faculty
Dr. Emily Cranston
Adjunct Professor
Sustainable nanocomposites; Surface forces and interfacial engineering; biopolymers and thin films (primarily focused on nanocellulose materials)
Dr. Carlos Filipe
Chair of the Department
We create engineering solutions for a healthier society: thermal stabilization of vaccines, enzymes, antibodies, and phage; application of functional nucleic acids for biosensing including the development of materials able to detect pathogenic bacteria.
Dr. Raja Ghosh
Professor
bioseparation using ultrafiltration; bioseparation using membrane chromatography; biomimetic membranes
Dr. Todd Hoare
Associate Professor
nanotechnology, interfacial engineering, biomaterials engineering, polymer science, pharmaceutical science
Dr. Zeinab Hosseini-Doust
Assistant Professor
Bacteriophage Biotechnology, Bacterial Biofilms, Phage Antimicrobials, Targeted Antimicrobial Delivery, Biohybrid Systems
Dr. Kim Jones
Associate Professor
tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, immune and inflammatory responses to biomaterials, host remodelling of implanted constructs.
Dr. Vince Leung
CLA, Assistant Professor
Molecular biology, phage antimicrobials, vaccines, thermostabilization strategies
Dr. Heather Sheardown
Professor
biomaterials, tissue engineering, mathematical modeling of physiologic processes, ophthalmic drug delivery.
Dr. Boyang Zhang
Assistant Professor
Tissue engineering, biomaterials engineering, microfluidics, organ-on-a-chip engineering, advanced biofabrication, regenerative medicine, high-throughput drug screening
Dr. Shiping Zhu
Distinguished University Professor
Polymer reaction engineering and materials, polymer synthesis and characterization, polymerization modeling, digitalization of polymerization processes, precision production of polymers, industrial big data, process trouble shooting, smart polymers, polymer biomaterials, polymer microelectronics, surface modification and interfacial engineering
July 21, 2020 / Department News
McMaster engineers bringing to market at-home test to detect COVID-19 antibodies and 3D cell printing technology
Since March, a team of researchers have developed and advanced two novel technologies which have applications during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. Ishwar Puri and Rakesh Sahu speak about these products in the latest Big Ideas for a Changing World podcast episode.
July 22, 2020 / Department News
Students are making it easier and safer for patients to self-administer hemodialysis
Can human-centred design improve how patients and their caregivers learn to administer hemodialysis at home? Three McMaster Engineering students are exploring how we might improve this experience.
June 29, 2020 / Department News
McMaster opens Centre of Excellence to advance personal protective equipment in Canada
The Centre of Excellence in Protective Equipment and Materials is a network of engineers, clinicians, manufacturers and companies dedicated to improving personal protective equipment products and supply chains in Canada.
June 2, 2020 / Department News
Rong Zheng and team awarded NSERC funding to improve mobility for the aging population
As a winner of NSERC’s Collaborative Research and Training Experience (CREATE) program, Zheng and team will receive $1.65M to advance research in smart mobility for older adults.
May 19, 2020 / Department News
McMaster engineers to help physicians predict outcomes for patients with cardiovascular disease
Zahra Motamed and her team receives $780,000 in NSERC funding to develop an in-vitro, patient-specific predictive tool and a regulatory testing machine for transcatheter heart valve replacement.
April 29, 2020 / Department News
"We want to know we did everything we could": How McMaster's manufacturing experts shifted to respond to COVID-19
When COVID-19 struck Hamilton in March, the McMaster Manufacturing Research Institute (MMRI) team rallied to help the community design and manufacture protective gear and medical supplies. A month later, they’re working closer than ever with local hospitals and manufacturers.
April 9, 2020 / Department News
McMaster Engineering professor and his son creating face shields for healthcare workers
Alec Fernback, Engineering 1 student and his dad, Mike Noseworthy, are working on 3D printed face shields in the iBioMed Design Studio
April 8, 2020 / Department News
Sibling success: Electrical & biomedical engineering student and sister create unique mask for healthcare workers
Amanda Tomkins and her sister Kayla, a nursing student, used their time at home to design a mask that could potentially be used in place of an N95 respirator. Now, their design is nearing production.
April 7, 2020 / Department News
MacEng arms the frontlines with ventilators for local hospitals
McMaster engineers, physicians, students and industry partners join forces to create timely solutions to the high demand for critical equipment for frontline workers. In the third part of the MacEng arms the frontlines series, we take a look at ventilators.
April 2, 2020 / Department News
MacEng arms the frontlines with face shields: Using 3D printers and industry collaboration to create protective gear for healthcare workers
McMaster engineers, physicians, students and industry partners join forces to create timely solutions to the high demand for more personal protective equipment (PPE) for frontline workers. In the second part of the MacEng arms the frontlines series, we take a look at face shields.
March 23, 2020 / Department News
McMaster engineers pivot 3D cell printing technology to help COVID-19 research
Joining the global mission to find treatments for people with COVID-19, McMaster engineers hope to use their novel technology to help other researchers with disease modelling and drug screening.
March 6, 2020 / Department News
Heather Sheardown honoured with YWCA Women of Distinction Award
Heather Sheardown, chemical engineering professor at McMaster and a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Ophthalmic Biomaterials, won a YWCA Hamilton’s Women of Distinction Award in the Science, Technology, Trades category.
January 28, 2020 / Department News
Manufacturing Engineering grad shares how he narrowed down his path to a career he loves
Ryan McMinn, graduate of W Booth's Master of Engineering in Manufacturing Engineering, shares his story of discovering his career in manufacturing.
December 13, 2019 / Department News
McMaster Engineers develop superbug-resistant, self-cleaning plastic wrap
CNN reports: McMaster Engineers have developed a self-cleaning plastic wrap that repels bacteria -- and could be used to prevent the transfer of antibiotic resistant superbugs, and other forms of dangerous bacteria.
November 27, 2019 / Department News
McMaster researchers create “smart” surfaces to help synthetic vascular grafts knit better and more safely
Researchers at McMaster University have created a new coating to prevent clotting and infection in synthetic vascular grafts , while also accelerating the body’s own process for integrating the grafted vessels.
October 29, 2019 / Department News
Working with Indigenous communities to improve water quality
Charles de Lannoy’s first year of engineering was also his first year of grad school.
September 27, 2019 / Department News
Students + postdocs + faculty + industry = solutions to big challenges
Developing hydrogels that respond to environmental changes – disease, for example, or a magnetic field – is what the Laboratory for Engineered Smart Materials does.
August 1, 2019 / Department News
This self-healing gel could be the solution to antibiotic-resistant viruses
McMaster researchers create gel that can self-heal
August 1, 2019 / Department News
Canadians Develop Self-Healing & Bacteria-Eating Gel
Gel substance made from converted viruses could have medical and commercial uses.
July 29, 2019 / Department News
McMaster researchers create gel that could heal wounds, purify water and more
Lead author Zeinab Hosseini-Doust says a regenerative, bacteria-fighting gel has a variety of potential applications in everything from healing wounds to purifying tainted water.
July 25, 2019 / Department News
Canadian team invents gel made from viruses that eat bacteria
“Antibiotics are not specific at all. They kill the good bacteria inside your gut, and the good bacteria are what we need to stay healthy,” Hosseini-Doust said in a telephone interview. “Bacteriophages are not like this. They can be very specific to their host.”
May 20, 2019 / Department News
Canadian researchers test injectable foam to repair bones
Materials Science and Engineering Assistant Professor Kathryn Grandfield and Chemical Engineering PhD student Daniel Orsorio are featured in this Global National TV segment on foam-like material they've created that appears to help bones heal.
May 21, 2019 / Department News
Researchers create a better way to transport life-saving vaccines
Researchers at McMaster University have invented a stable, affordable way to store fragile vaccines for weeks at a time at temperatures up to 40C, opening the way for life-saving anti-viral vaccines to reach remote and impoverished regions of the world.
April 22, 2019 / Department News
“This kind of nerve damage isn’t life threatening, but it can change your whole life.”
A seven-year-old girl whose leg had almost been severed by a boat propeller gave Mike Willand his “a-ha” moment.
April 10, 2019 / Department News
McMaster Engineering announces new faculty appointments spring 2019
We are pleased to announce the following new appointments to the Faculty of Engineering.
March 23, 2019 / Department News
Rapid magnetic 3D printing of human cells
Imagine being able to visit your physician, and instead of being given a one-size-fits-all treatment, you are given a specifically customized medication for your symptoms.
March 22, 2019 / Department News
Addressing water security at home and around the world
Sarah Dickson’s passion for water and the environment started at an off-the-grid cottage in the Gatineau Hills.
March 7, 2019 / Department News
International Women's Day: Zeinab Hosseini-Doust and Azucena González Gómez
This year, McMaster Engineering is celebrating International Women's Day by honouring nine women who are supporting each other through mentoring relationships.
March 4, 2019 / Department News
15 questions with Heather Sheardown
Chemical Engineering professor Heather Sheardown, who has been elected as a Fellow of the American Institute of Biological and Medical Engineers (AIMBE), answers 15 questions in this rapid-fire interview.
January 4, 2019 / Department News
McMaster Engineering announces new faculty appointments
We are pleased to announce the following new appointments to the Faculty of Engineering.
November 7, 2018 / Department News
Engineering Tomorrow's Military Successes
As they explore the cutting-edge of materials, microscopy and biomedical engineering, McMaster researchers are making discoveries that promise to keep Canadian troops safer and healthier in years to come.
October 24, 2018 / Department News
Researchers design “smart” surfaces, creating promise for safer implants and more accurate diagnostic tests
Researchers at McMaster University have solved a vexing problem by engineering surface coatings that can repel everything, such as bacteria, viruses and living cells, but can be modified to permit beneficial exceptions.
August 1, 2018 / Department News
Fresh Faces: Boyang Zhang
Welcome to Fresh Faces. In this series, we’re highlighting 43 Engineering faculty members, all hired within the last five years, who are doing interesting and innovative things in the lab and the classroom.
July 18, 2018 / Department News
Fresh Faces: Seshasai Srinivasan
Seshasai Srinivasan is an assistant professor and the program chair of the Software Engineering Technology program in the W Booth School of Engineering Practice and Technology. He joined McMaster in 2013. Here, he shares his thoughts on walking, teaching and Leonardo Da Vinci.
July 3, 2018 / Department News
Scientists develop patch to detect meat contaminated with E. coli
Scientists at McMaster University are developing a transparent patch to detect meat contaminated with E. coli.
June 19, 2018 / Department News
Professor recognized for fostering undergraduate research
Mechanical Engineering Assistant professor, Cheryl Quenneville has been awarded the $25,000 Petro-Canada-McMaster University Young Innovator Award, which builds on the connection between research and teaching by engaging undergraduate students in research.
June 8, 2018 / Department News
Using the power of big data to improve maternal health in Africa
Tom Wanyama has lots of ideas about how to improve maternal and infant health in his native Uganda.
May 2, 2018 / Department News
Big Ideas: Going against the grain
How four McMaster Engineering grads became stars overnight with a novel solution to a big problem.
May 1, 2018 / Department News
Chemical engineering professor receives prestigious NSERC fellowship
A McMaster Engineering professor has been recognized with a prestigious award given to outstanding chemists and research leaders.
April 20, 2018 / Department News
Overcoming challenges in 3-D printing artificial tissue
Professor Ravi Selvaganapathy and a team of McMaster researchers are developing a new way to use additive manufacturing to create artificial tissues.
April 17, 2018 / Department News
Students helping students
iBioMed End-of-Year Showcase highlights design solutions to help McMaster students.
April 10, 2018 / Department News
This tiny patch will tell you if your food has gone bad
Is that meat still good? Are you sure? McMaster researchers have developed a test to bring certainty to the delicate but critical question of whether meat and other foods are safe to eat or need to be thrown out.
April 3, 2018 / Department News
McMaster capstone projects solve a range of real-world problems
From automating gel manicures, to preventing the spread of diseases amongst drug users, to helping visually impaired people cross the street safely, this year’s capstone projects aim to solve a wide range of real-world problems.
March 23, 2018 / Department News
McMaster prof featured at American Chemical Society national meeting
Chemists from around the world gathered in the Crescent City for the 255th ACS National Meeting & Exposition on March 18–22. Emily Cranston The Kavli Foundation Emerging Leader in Chemistry Lecture.
March 22, 2018 / Department News
Big Ideas: Blurring the boundaries between science and engineering
Innovation happens when researchers “straddle the fence” between disciplines. Just ask Todd Hoare.
March 8, 2018 / Department News
International Women’s Day: 4 women in engineering who are changing the world
Today, McMaster Engineering celebrates International Women’s Day by honouring four women who are making a big impact on the world through their engineering research.
March 7, 2018 / Department News
Special delivery
Heather Sheardown engineered a better eyedrop. Now, McMaster’s new Biomedical Engineering and Advanced Manufacturing (BEAM) project centre will help the chemical engineering professor take her technology from the lab to the manufacturing plant.
March 7, 2018 / Department News
Big Ideas: Engineering is for everyone
Disease detective Leyla Soleymani builds sensors that make finding disease faster, easier and more accurate.
March 7, 2018 / Department News
Innovation through problem-based learning
From monitoring labour contractions to predicting injury, first year iBioMed students present meaningful health and fitness applications.
February 27, 2018 / Department News
Vector Institute names two Biomedical Engineering students to inaugural Postgraduate Affiliate program
Two McMaster PhD students and one postdoctoral fellow have been named to the Vector Institute for Artificial Intelligence’s Postgraduate Affiliate program.
February 9, 2018 / Department News
McMaster University engineers make drug testing more efficient and affordable
McMaster University engineers have devised a way to make testing for new drugs more efficient and affordable, and reduce the time for helpful medications to reach the public
December 1, 2017 / Department News
Transforming Technology
Leaders in Artificial Intelligence Gather for McMaster.AI Workshop
November 22, 2017 / Department News
Grey Cup haunted by brain injury risk — but doesn’t have to be
When the Toronto Argonauts and Calgary Stampeders square off in Ottawa for the 105th Grey Cup on Sunday, it will be under dark clouds — not necessarily of weather, but rather the risk of concussions and their devastating long-term effect on players’ brains.
November 17, 2017 / Department News
7 Engineering Startups to Watch
In honour of Global Entrepreneurship Week, a celebration of innovators and job creators who are changing the world, we’re spotlighting 7 McMaster Engineering startups to watch.
November 15, 2017 / Department News
Stars overnight: McMaster Engineering alumni receive international attention
McMaster Engineering grads, Michael Takla, Rotimi Fadiya, Prateek Mathur and Shivad Bhavsar knew the James Dyson Award announcement would be big news. What they didn’t expect was a fan club.
November 9, 2017 / Department News
Searching for a silent threat: McMaster Engineering grads receive James Dyson Award for cancer detection device
What started as a final year engineering class project at McMaster University is now an internationally recognized improved solution for the early detection of melanoma, the most dangerous form of skin cancer.
November 3, 2017 / Department News
Where engineering meets healthcare: First year iBioMed students design innovative hip implants
Spider silk meshing that encourages bone regrowth. Silicon carbide that transmits stress signals to a physician. Ultra-high molecular-weight polyethylene that is strong, yet ductile.
March 8, 2017 / Department News
Five young women in Engineering to watch
In recognition of International Women's Day, which celebrates and recognizes the achievements of women, as well as promoting gender equality, McMaster Engineering is highlighting five top female student leaders.
October 25, 2017 / Department News
Revolutionizing breast cancer detection with radar imaging
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a time to encourage preventative action against the most common cancer and the second leading cause of death among Canadian women.
October 24, 2017 / Department News
Mac engineers part of team tackling 'unacceptable' water issues in First Nations communities
The numbers are staggering. An analysis of water security and climate change in Indigenous communities shows that up to 72,000 people may have been affected by drinking water advisories (DWAs) in First Nations at the start of 2017.
October 4, 2017 / Department News
McMaster engineers create catheter coating that reduces blood coagulation
McMaster University scholars have developed a novel technique to minimize catheter-associated blood clotting.
September 29, 2017 / Department News
#InsidetheLab: Improving healthcare with bio-inspired technologies
The Didar Lab is showcasing their bio-inspired technologies today as part of the next instalment of Inside the Lab.
August 25, 2017 / Department News
#InsidetheLab: Fusing engineering and medicine to improve healthcare
Today’s Inside the Lab Instagram story spotlights an undergraduate student research team who put their hearts into their work.
August 31, 2017 / Department News
Students drawn to new combined program in health sciences and engineering
A new program beginning this September at McMaster that combines engineering and health sciences has attracted many of the best and brightest minds.
August 25, 2017 / Department News
Health Technology Project Teaches Life Lessons
The W Booth School continues to build a reputation as a solutions provider in the field of health technology and wellbeing.
August 16, 2017 / Department News
McMaster engineer works with NASA to develop medical emergency simulator
Doyle is among a team of experts from Harvard and the Northern Ontario School of Medicine, who worked with NASA to build an immersive simulator to run medical emergencies that could happen in deep space.
August 15, 2017 / Department News
Engineering researchers receive $1.9 million in federal funding
Six McMaster researchers have been awarded more than $1.9 million combined for infrastructure funding from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI).
July 27, 2017 / Department News
#InsidetheLab: Combining natural and synthetic materials to create new health technologies
Four McMaster Engineering students take you inside the new Biohybrids Lab on today’s Inside the Lab Instagram Takeover.
June 28, 2017 / Department News
#InsidetheLab: New ideas sprout from nanotechnology
Can innovations in nanotechnology improve plant growth for crop-based farming?
August 25, 2016 / Department News
http://dailynews.mcmaster.ca/article/mac-grads-1-8-million-bequest-includes-his-library-his-scholarship-fund-and-his-house/
An empty house isn’t your usual place for a research lab.
December 2, 2016 / Department News
McMaster awarded six new CRCs, $8.9M to support research excellence
McMaster has been awarded six new Canada Research Chairs (CRCs) and three renewals, bringing a total of $8.9M in new funding from a federal program aimed at retaining and attracting research leaders.
June 6, 2017 / Department News
Conference magnifies breakthroughs in materials research using electron microscopy
On June 2, the Canadian Centre for Electron Microscopy (CCEM) welcomed 120 participants to a mini-conference on campus that focused on advanced electron microscopy methods in materials and chemistry research.
July 26, 2016 / Department News
Federal government investing $12M towards Biomedical Engineering and Advanced Manufacturing centre
The federal government is investing almost $12-million to develop McMaster’s new Biomedical Engineering and Advanced Manufacturing centre.
July 17, 2017 / Department News
McMaster Engineering welcomes nine new faculty
"With the addition of our new faculty members, we will continue to strengthen our reputation as one of the top engineering schools in Canada and worldwide while building a brighter world." -Ishwar K. Puri, Dean of Engineering
June 26, 2017 / Department News
Kathryn Grandfield and Karen Balcom recognized with MacPherson Institute awards
Kathryn Grandfield, an assistant Materials Science and Engineering professor, has been awarded the $25,000 Petro-Canada - McMaster University Young Innovator Award
June 27, 2017 / Department News
McMaster entrepreneurs awarded $50K to develop stroke detection device
HiNT (Healthcare Innovation in NeuroTechnology), a team of McMaster entrepreneurs, was one of 11 Ontario innovators awarded with $50K from the Ontario Brain Institute’s ONtrepreneurs program.
June 20, 2017 / Department News
McMaster Engineering professor wins Young Innovator Award
A McMaster Engineering researcher studying how to improve bone implants, such as dental implants and hip replacements, is the recipient of a young innovator grant.
August 25, 2016 / Department News
Eng Phys Prof to Lead Unique Project in 2017
Dr. Qiyin Fang will develop technology to monitor older patients living with chronic diseases.
June 24, 2016 / Department News
Dr. Leyla Soleymani’s Discovery Grant Announcement
Dr. Leyla Soleymani has been awarded from NSERC's Discovery programs.
April 13, 2016 / Department News
Eng Phys Annual Capstone Expo
Eng Phys' annual end of year Capstone projects were on full display.
April 11, 2016 / Department News
Former Eng Phys Intern Wins Big
High School Intern, Emma Mogus Wins Silver at BASEF.
March 15, 2016 / Department News
NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Award Recipients
Congrats to all of our amazing undergrads!
March 8, 2016 / Department News
Research Chair in Miniaturized Biomedical Devices
Assistant Professor, Leyla Soleymani, honoured with the Canada Research Chair in Miniaturized Biomedical Devices.
February 4, 2016 / Department News
A successful first Research Information Night!
Many thanks to the faculty, staff, graduate, and undergraduate students for making our department’s first Research Information Night a success!
February 26, 2015 / Department News
#TBT to that time Dr. LaPierre was on the Discovery Channel
Dr. LaPierre's appearance on G Word on Planet Green.
March 19, 2014 / Department News
Engineering Physics and McMaster Create a Joint Venture with Jiangsu Delin Environment Protection Co.
McMaster launches a joint venture to tackle the most challenging task in water pollution monitoring: online detection of water-borne bacteria
September 4, 2013 / Department News
Eng Phys Alumnus, Dr. Erim Tam Wing-cheung, is Helping Hong Kong's Disabled
How pioneering biomedical engineer helped Hong Kong’s disabled
June 26, 2013 / Department News
Soleymani, Nagasaki, and Turak Part of $1M Infrastructure Expansion
More than $1M for infrastructure to expand and enhance labs.
March 21, 2013 / Department News
Dr. Qiyin Fang Develops Innovative Device to Better Detect Signs of Cancer
Hamilton researchers use Google-Street-View-like tool for colon research.
November 22, 2012 / Department News
Dr. Leyla Soleymani receives $100,000 from the federal government
Leyla Soleymani is building a hand-held, solar rechargeable device for fast assessment of TB at the bedside.
March 1, 2012 / Department News
Douglas R. Colton Medal for Research Excellence
Dr. Leyla Soleymani wins a medal for research excellence.
April 12, 2012 / Department News
Dr. Leyla Soleymani Rises to the Global Health Challenge
Dr. Leyla Soleymani, assistant professor in the department of Engineering Physics, is developing new diagnostic technologies to address global health challenges, such as the emerging multi-drug resistant tuberculosis.