Several Medicine by Design-funded investigators were named Canada Research Chairs, and two received New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF) Transformation stream grants.
"Our lab’s work is a good example of why it’s an exciting time to be in regenerative medicine: tissue engineering and regenerative medicine strategies enable us to model a disease in the lab, which can help us answer big unknowns."
Cells transplanted into the retina transfer materials to recipient cells through nanotubes.
“I hope my impact on science is two-fold. It's enjoyable to mentor young scientists who are developing their scientific thinking and their love of discovery. I also hope my research one day translates into something that helps patients."
“Science is about interpreting hard numbers and data, but I’ve realized that science is also an exercise in creative storytelling. I love the visual arts and literature, and I can see the drama in science."
Researchers have engineered a new method to improve the survival and potency of cell transplants to treat diabetes.
"We simplify the problems so we can start nibbling at them. With each step, you contribute to the body of knowledge that we can all use to improve people’s health. I like helping to make that impact."
"The infiltration of new technologies into mainstream scientific research is incredible. I mean, synthetic biology, AI, machine learning, resolution at the single cell level. I love interdisciplinary science and I love technology."
"It’s been amazing to witness the marriage of biological engineering and cell and molecular biology, which will generate regenerative medicine’s next wave of discoveries and therapeutics."
"My research is at the intersection of biology and physics. It’s really the fundamental questions that drive me. I hope that one day my work on these fundamental questions might lead others to develop new therapies."
"I realized that I would also be helping people if I pursued science, and if I did it well, I might help hundreds of thousands of people."
"I think working together to tackle problems using different tools and perspectives is the way to new discoveries that will shape the future."
"Whether regenerative medicine is headed towards translation or even more fundamental discovery, I think now is a time of just an explosion of possibilities."
"I wanted to be a researcher since I was 14. As I studied more, I became inspired by the idea of developing treatments for challenging diseases that have limited treatment options. That's why I chose a PhD in spinal cord injury and a post-doc in abdominal aortic aneurysm."
"We have an aging population. Our biggest problems are degenerative diseases that we need to learn how to stall or turn around. It's an amazing set of problems to work on because of the potential for impact."
