Two BME Professors Awarded Canadian Foundation for Innovation Funding

The Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) has awarded the John R. Evans Leaders Fund (JELF) to two faculty members at the Institute of Biomedical Engineering, recognizing their pioneering work in vaccine development and microbiome research. 

The John R. Evans Leaders Fund (JELF) is a strategic investment program administered by the Canada Foundation for Innovation. It is designed to help Canadian universities attract and retain top-tier researchers by providing them with the cutting-edge infrastructure needed to conduct world-class research. 

Professor Aereas Aung received funding for his project titled “Improving vaccine efficacy through novel antigen design and quantitative tools.” His research aims to enhance the effectiveness of vaccines by developing new antigens for intranasal delivery, which stimulate both mucosal and systemic immunity. This approach addresses a critical limitation of conventional vaccines, particularly highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic, where breakthrough infections were common due to insufficient mucosal immune responses. Professor Aung’s team will also create a novel platform to analyze antibody binding strength at the single-cell level, providing insights into the variability of immune responses and informing strategies to improve vaccine design. The project is expected to accelerate vaccine innovation in Canada and train the next generation of biomedical researchers. 

Professor Freeman Lan was awarded funding for his project titled “Understanding complex microbiomes using ultrahigh-throughput experimentation.” His research focuses on advancing the study of microbiomes, which are diverse microbial communities essential to human health and the environment. The Lan lab specializes in droplet microfluidics. This technology enables millions of parallel experiments at the single-cell level, offering unprecedented resolution in microbiome analysis. Professor Lan’s work will initially target the human gut microbiome, with potential applications in treating diseases such as Crohn’s disease and colorectal cancer. The tools and insights developed have commercialization potential, contributing to the growth of Canada’s biotechnology sector and providing interdisciplinary training for future experts.