Faculty & Research
Faculty & research are integral components of BME. With a strong focus on research, BME is located in the heart of Canada’s largest health-care research hub. Our graduate students receive their training from 14 departments at U of T, 10 partner hospitals, and 7 research institutes & commercialization centres.
At BME, our cross-disciplinary approach in biomedical and clinical engineering enables our researchers to cover a diverse set of topics. Find out what our research publication are saying about our research focus.
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Faculty directory
Core Faculty
We have 30+ core faculty members that span across cell & tissue engineering, clinical engineering, and molecular engineering disciplines.
Cross-Appointed Faculty
BME currently hosts cross-appointed faculty members across more than 30 academic units, partner hospitals, research institutes, and commercialization centres.
Emeriti
Learn about some of our retired faculty members
Research streams
Clinical
BME’s clinical engineers design technologies, devices and strategies for people with chronic disease, traumatic injury, disabilities and mobility limitations to help them integrate more fully with their environment.
Cell & Tissue
Research that has the potential to change how we think about disease and aging is happening at BME. Regenerative medicine uses stem cells and biomaterials to repair, replace or regenerate damaged tissue, organ structures and function.
Molecular
BME researchers are advancing disease detection, customizing drug delivery and improving health-care outcomes with faster and more precise technologies and systems.
Latest news
Developing biodegradable brain stimulation electrodes for neural repair
Researchers at the Institute of Biomedical Engineering (BME) at the University of Toronto have developed a flexible, biodegradable electrode capable of stimulating neural precursor cells (NPCs) in the brain. This device delivers targeted electrical stimulation for up to seven days before dissolving naturally, eliminating the need for surgical removal.
Three U of T biomedical engineers awarded Canada Research Chairs for innovations in synthetic biology, neurodiversity health, and nanobioengineering
Three faculty members at the University of Toronto’s Institute of Biomedical Engineering (BME) have been awarded Canada Research Chairs (CRCs) by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC).
Tissue engineering research earns Professor Alison McGuigan an Arthur B. McDonald Fellowship
Professor Alison McGuigan (ChemE, BME) has earned an Arthur B. McDonald Fellowship from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC).
Professor Milica Radisic earns NSERC’s John C. Polanyi Award
Professor Milica Radisic (BME, ChemE) has received this year’s John C. Polanyi Award from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC).
Professor Leo Chou awarded $130,000 to advance cancer vaccine research
Professor Leo Chou has been awarded $130,000 in funding from The Cancer Research Society (CRS) to propel forward an ambitious project aiming to boost the effectiveness of cancer vaccines. This award places him among 100 distinguished Canadian recipients this year, each selected to push boundaries in cancer research with innovative solutions.
U of T Engineering Research Spotlight: Biomaterials Engineering
U of T Engineering Professor Naomi Matsuura and Thoracic Surgery Professor Kazuhiro Yasufuku speak about their research collaboration that aims to better diagnose and treat lung cancer in the third instalment of the Research Spotlight series.
Faculty startups
The following list highlights some of the startup companies that have been launched by these forward-thinking faculty members, demonstrating their commitment to translating academic knowledge into real-world applications and making a significant impact on the biomedical industry.
| Faculty Member | Commercialization Venture | Focus | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan Andrysek | LegWorks | Prosthetic Knee Joint | San Francisco |
| Warren Chan | Luna Nanotech | Nanotechnology Product Supplier | Toronto |
| John E. Davies | Tissue Regenerative Therapeutics Inc. | Mesenchymal Stem Cells | Toronto |
| Milos Popovic | MyndTech Inc. | Medical Tech Company | Mississauga |
| Milica Radisic | Tara Biosystems | Cardiac Drug Discovery | New York |
| Jonathan Rocheleau | QuantM3 | Microfluidics Technology Diabetes Treatment | Toronto |
| Paul Santerre | Interface Biologics | Drug Delivery and other technologies | Toronto |
| Paul Santerre and Eli Sone | Cohesys Inc | Bone Tape to replace plate and screws in craniofacial repair; Angel investment | Toronto |
| Paul Santerre | Ripple Therapeutics | Non-polymeric anti-inflammatory drug delivery systems for ophthalmology; venture invested | Toronto |
| Molly Shoichet | AmacaThera | Injectable hydrogel platform technology | Toronto |
| Aaron Wheeler | Miroculus (formerly Kappex) | Digital Microfluidics Platform | Toronto |