Michael Floros
Michael is a postdoctoral fellow in the Santerre lab. He completed his PhD in Materials Science at Trent University where he developed sustainably derived antimicrobial polymers and energy storage materials. Michael’s research background and interests include the synthesis of novel polymers, polymer/nanocomposites and dental materials. His current research is focused on developing a bioinspired adhesive to repair damaged bones.
Contact: michael.floros(at)utoronto.ca
Suja Shrestha
Suja is a postdoctoral fellow in the Santerre laboratory. She completed her PhD thesis in the Kishen laboratory in the Faculty of Dentistry at the University of Toronto in 2016. She developed temporal-controlled drug releasing systems and characterized them in vitro and in vivo for dentin-pulp tissue engineering applications. Her current research project involves the development of a polyurethane-based drug delivery system for functional cardiac tissue regeneration.
Contact: suja.shrestha(at)mail.utoronto.ca
Alex Lausch
Alex is a postdoctoral fellow and a co-founder of Cohesys, a medical device start-up company led by Dr. Michael Floros, spun out of the Santerre lab. He completed his BASc in materials engineering and his PhD in biomedical engineering both at the University of Toronto. He specializes in biomaterials and connective tissue biology. His current research is focused on the development and commercialization of BoneTape, a novel fracture fixation technology targeted at the repair of fractures to the midface and cranium.
Contact: alex.lausch(at)utoronto.ca
Eric Tawagi
Eric is a PhD candidate in Biomedical Engineering. He received his BSc degree in Chemistry from McGill University in 2014. His project involves designing immunomodulatory particles for the sustained release of angiogenic growth factors.
Contact: eric.tawagi (at) mail.utoronto.ca.
Jeremy Antonyshyn
Jeremy is a PhD candidate in Biomedical Engineering at the Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering. He completed his undergraduate studies in Kinesiology at Queen’s University in 2013. It is the ultimate goal of his research to fabricate a biomimetic small caliber vascular prosthesis to facilitate the treatment of peripheral vascular disease, coronary artery disease and end-stage renal disease. Jeremy is currently investigating whether adipose tissue may function as a source of autologous cells for the development of an anti-thrombogenic endothelium.
Yizhou Shawn Chen
Yizhou is a PhD student in Biomedical Engineering. He completed his bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering at the University of Toronto in 2018. The ultimate goal of his research is to develop a functional cardiac tissue engineered patch that could repair and regenerate damaged myocardium of failing hearts. Currently, he is aiming to develop a co-electrospun D-PHI gelatin nanofibrous scaffold that will be later seeded with cardiomyocytes and fibroblasts for coculture studies. Outside the lab, he enjoys reading, cooking, playing the violin, and studying new languages.
Contact: yizhoushawn.chen@mail.utoronto.ca
Katya D'Costa
Katya is a PhD candidate in Biomedical Engineering. She is focused on developing a small-diameter vascular graft using the D-PHI platform, upon which adipose stem cell-derived vascular smooth muscle cells, endothelial cells and monocytes will be co-cultured and conditioned. Her past experiences include research in ophthalmic drug and cell delivery as well as process engineering work in a Canadian pharmaceutical manufacturing facility. In 2018, she received her BASc in Chemical and Bioengineering at McMaster University. In her spare time, she enjoys experimenting in the kitchen with new cuisines, volunteering for local organizations and travelling.
Contact: katya.dcosta@mail.utoronto.ca
Brian Webb
Brian is a MASc candidate in Biomedical Engineering. He completed his bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Science at Trent University in 2020. His research aims to seed an electro-spun D-PHI/PCNU scaffold with cells sourced from adipose-derived stem cells, allowing for the preparation of tissue constructs with all their cells sourced from the host. This will be done with the goal of developing a functional gingival tissue graft.
Zachary Gouveia
Zach is a PhD student in the Faculty of Dentistry. He previously attended Western University completing his BESc in Biochemical Engineering and MESc in Biomedical Engineering. His project in the Santerre lab involves the development of biostable monomers and polymer composites to improve the robustness of dental resin materials. He is co-supervised by Dr. Santerre and Dr. Yoav Finer.
Chantal Trepanier
Chantal is a MASc candidate in Biomedical Engineering and is part of UofT’s Translational Biology and Engineering Program at the Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Health. She completed her bachelor’s degree in Chemical and Bioengineering at McMaster University in 2013 and worked in industrial water and energy management with healthcare facilities across the GTA before starting her MASc in 2021. She is a member of Professional Engineers Ontario and received her Certified Energy Manager designation in 2019. Her MASc project is focused on developing biodegradable polymeric nanoparticles for the delivery of therapeutic peptides in vascular systems. Outside of the lab, she enjoys travelling, cooking and live music.
Contact: chantal.trepanier(at)mail.utoronto.ca
Kate MacQuarrie
Kate is a MASc candidate in Biomedical Engineering at the Institute of Biomedical Engineering. She completed her BASc in Chemical Engineering with a minor in Bioengineering at the University of Toronto in 2022. Her project currently involves evaluating the functionality of the small-diameter D-PHI vascular graft when it is seeded with adipose stem cell-derived endothelial and vascular cells.
Contact: k.macquarrie@mail.utoronto.ca