World Leader in Stem Cell Research Appointed New Director of Bioengineering Minor

Professor Peter Zandstra, Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry and Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering has been named the new Director of the Bioengineering Minor, effective September 1, 2008.

Professor Zandstra, who was recently awarded the University’s prestigious McLean Award, is an excellent fit for this important position. A world leader in stem cell research, he has a broad knowledge in the field of Bioengineering and was one of the developers of the Bioengineering Minor.

"I am excited about the opportunity to continue the pioneering efforts of Professor Molly Shoichet in this program. I believe that the integration of Engineering and biology has an immense potential to contribute to both new technologies to benefit society and to our basic understand of complex
systems. I look forward to working with the students in this program to help them achieve their goals," said Professor Zandstra.

Over the years, Professor Zandstra, a Canadian Research Chair in Stem Cell Bioengineering and former Mary Gertrude I’Anson Professor of Tissue Engineering, has been recognized many times for his research and achievements. In May, he was one of two Engineering professors to be named to the Top 40 Under 40, a national program that honours Canadians who have achieved significant success before reaching the age of 40.

Professor Zandstra's work integrates Engineering and biological approaches and has contributed to the development of clinically and industrially relevant and academically recognized technologies based on the design of bioprocesses for the growth and differentiation of adult and embryonic stem cells. Direct applications of this work include tissue and cellular Engineering, gene therapy, and organ transplantation.

Professor Molly Shoichet was the inaugural and last Director of the Bioengineering Minor, a position she held for three years.

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