What began as an ordinary evening gala at the National STEM Summit in Toronto became an unforgettable milestone for McMaster University Biomedical Engineering PhD student Albert Ashong. Moments after quietly taking his seat — arriving a bit late after resting to ease a headache — he heard his name announced as the recipient of the Canadian Black Scientists Network (CBSN) Excellence in Research and Innovation Award, recognizing exceptional innovation and leadership within Canada’s Black STEM community.
For Ashong, who conducts advanced biosensing research in the Niko Hildebrandt Lab, the honour reflects far more than scientific achievement. It acknowledges a journey shaped by cross‑continental study, formative mentorship and a commitment to fostering research spaces where everyone feels they belong.
“Diversity isn’t a numbers game”
Receiving the award, he says, “affirms the resilience, discipline and persistence that have shaped my journey as a Black scientist navigating spaces where representation is still limited.” The recognition is deeply personal; one he dedicates to his late mother and to his supervisor, Professor Niko Hildebrandt, Canada Excellence Research Chair in Nano‑Optical Biosensing and Molecular Diagnostics. Hildebrandt’s mentorship, he says, has been “transformative.”
Ashong believes the most meaningful progress in STEM depends on shifting from simply increasing representation to ensuring meaningful inclusion. “Diversity isn’t a numbers game,” he says. “We need cultures where diverse voices are heard, valued and positioned in leadership.”
That philosophy carries into his own research practice: “Innovation must be inclusive. When we build inclusive systems, we build better science.”
Mentors who matter
His path to McMaster is rooted in mentorship, chance connections and trust. While completing his master’s degree in Germany, Ashong conducted research in Denmark, where he met Professor Roana, who soon became a mentor, or “like a mum,” he says. She encouraged him to pursue a PhD, staying in touch long after he returned to Germany to defend his thesis. Following a visit to McMaster, she sent him two email addresses with a simple message: “Reach out to them. One of them is your supervisor.”
She was right. Minutes after contacting Hildebrandt, Ashong received a reply, and they met online shortly after. “Within ten minutes, I knew he was the one,” Ashong recalls. “He was kind, supportive, and we just had that bond.”
What convinced him to come to McMaster was not only Hildebrandt’s research excellence, but his humanity. “He made me feel welcome from the beginning. He made me feel I belong and that has made all the difference,” he says. “He has shown patience, belief and genuine care for my development not just as a researcher, but as a person.”
In Hildebrandt’s lab, Ashong is developing advanced optical biosensing technologies capable of detecting cardiac and renal biomarkers with greater speed and sensitivity. His work combines FRET‑based immunoassays with microfluidic systems to help clinicians detect kidney and cardiac injury much earlier than current diagnostic tools allow — potentially within the first week of onset. “Ultimately, this is about improving patient outcomes,” he says. “Giving clinicians the ability to act early, not years later.”
Now an active part of McMaster’s interdisciplinary research community, Ashong sees the CBSN award not as a finish line, but as motivation to keep moving forward with purpose.
This is a reminder to keep going, to keep building and to help open doors for others. It’s about the work and the people it serves.
