News and stories
Enhancing Balance Rehabilitation
Researchers from UHN’s KITE Research Institute have investigated a new affordable and clinically accessible training system for improving the standing balance of spinal cord injury patients. The team led by Dr. Kei Masani, KITE Senior Scientist and senior author of the study, investigated the integration of low-cost and portable sensors like a depth camera and pressure mat, which use motion tracking and distribution of pressure, respectively, to analyze movement.
Faces of BME – Amy Huang
Meet Amy Huang: a fourth-year undergraduate student majoring in biomedical engineering and currently undertaking her thesis work in Professor Cristina Amon’s lab. Amy’s journey into engineering was sparked by her passion for hands-on projects and her innate ability to turn abstract concepts into real-world solutions. Excelling in her academic pursuits, Amy was one of the recipients of the University of Toronto Student Leadership Award in 2024. In her spare time, Amy has been deeply involved in the Club for Undergraduate Biomedical Engineering (CUBE) and has served as its co-president, fostering unity and providing invaluable opportunities for fellow students.
Professor Warren Chan joins Nanyang Technological University of Singapore as Dean of Engineering
Professor Warren Chan, a world-renowned expert in nanobiotechnology, has been recruited as the next Dean of the College of Engineering at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore. Professor Chan will oversee one of the largest Engineering schools in the world with over 14,000 students and has been ranked among the top 15 Engineering schools in the world according to QS World University Rankings. He will provide leadership for the strategic, academic, intellectual, and administrative endeavours at NTU.
New study reveals insights into extracellular matrix’s influence on regeneration
A study published in the Journal of Cell Science, led by Professor Penney Gilbert (BME) and Jo Nguyen at the University of Toronto, shed light on the impact of culture substrate stiffness and extracellular matrix (ECM) ligands on the contractility, proliferation, and various cellular processes of human myoblasts. The study aims to understand how these factors influence the regenerative activities of muscle stem cells and their progeny, with implications for aging and disease.