Discovery Grant 2025

Nine BME affiliated Professors awarded NSERC Discovery Grants

Professors Tom Chau, Hai-Ling Margaret Cheng, Douglas Cheyne, Rodrigo Fernandez-Gonzalez, Penney Gilbert, Ofer Levi, Eli Sone, Sara Vasconcelos, and José Zariffa have recently been awarded over $500,000 in funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) through the Discovery Grant program.

Professors Tom Chau, Hai-Ling Margaret Cheng, Douglas Cheyne, Rodrigo Fernandez-Gonzalez, Penney Gilbert, Ofer Levi, Eli Sone, Sara Vasconcelos, and José Zariffa have recently been awarded over $500,000 in funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) through the Discovery Grant program.

The Discovery Grant program supports researchers exploring new frontiers to address critical challenges, including environmental protection, food security, and sustainable construction in cold climates. It seeks to sustain a diverse and high-quality research ecosystem in the natural sciences and engineering at Canadian universities, foster excellence, and create an engaging environment for research training.

A complete list of winners can be found here.

TomChau2024UT

Tom Chau
Professor 

Advancing paediatric brain-computer interfaces

$63,000.00

Cheng_TF1_0972

Hai-Ling Margaret Cheng
Professor 

Accessible MR Imaging Platform for Dynamic Mapping of Vascular Reactivity and Function

$60,000.00

Cheyne_d

Douglas Cheyne
Cross-appointed Professor 

Investigating the Neural Basis of Speech Motor Control

$44,000.00

Rodrigo Fernandez-Gonzalez 500x500

Rodrigo Fernandez-Gonzalez
Professor

Mechanisms of collective cell movement during embryonic heart development

$67,000.00

Penney Gilbert 2024

Penney Gilbert
Associate Professor 

Impact of Niche Biomechanics on Muscle Stem Cell Behavior

$96,000.00

OferLevi45

Ofer Levi
Associate Professor 

Integrated photonic devices for portable optical tissue imaging and sensing

$43,000.00

Eli Sone 2024-2

Eli Sone
Professor 

Self-assembled proteinaceous biomaterials and composites

$48,000.00

Sara Vasconcelos 400 x 400

Sara Vasconcelos
Status-only Professor

Uncovering the mechanisms of endothelial organotypic specification and plasticity

$56,000.00

Portrait of Jose Zariffa

José Zariffa
Associate Professor 

Novel representations of electroneurography data for more accurate and stable peripheral nerve interfaces

$63,000.00