Vision Conference 2026

Digital Data
2026-10-14 08:07 - 09:07 (America/Toronto)
The PASCO Sensor Challenge is a hands-on, team-based science competition where students rotate through three inquiry stations in physics, biology, and chemistry. At each station, teams make predictions, collect real-time data using PASCO sensors, and compare their results to their original hypotheses. In physics, students explore motion by matching graphs using a smart cart or motion sensor. In biology, they investigate water quality by measuring and ranking the mineral content of tap water samples using conductivity data. In chemistry, they analyze a reaction by tracking pH changes as an antacid is added to a solution. Each station is a mini-competition, with prizes awarded to the team that demonstrates the strongest combination of accurate predictions, high-quality data collection, and clear scientific reasoning.

Rhonda MacDonald
Rhonda MacDonald is the Marketing Director at AYVA Educational Solutions, where she works closely with educators to support meaningful, hands-on, inquiry-based science learning. She partners with teachers across Canada, helping them integrate practical experiments and technology into their classrooms in ways that align with curriculum and enhance student understanding. With extensive experience in PASCO scientific solutions, Rhonda is passionate about making science more engaging, accessible, and relevant for all students.

Empowering Users Through UX Writing
2026-10-14 08:08 - 09:08
User experience (UX) research can pinpoint when and where people struggle with software as varied as banking apps, online application forms, shopping sites, or even video games. Sometimes, it’s easy to develop and apply a technical solution to resolve these pain points. When it isn’t easy, or when trying to fix users’ issues would take too much time or cost too much money (or when the software is actually working as it should, despite what users think!), human-centred UX writing can teach users how to resolve their own issues and enhance brand loyalty. In this hands-on workshop, we will use real world examples to learn about the fundamental principles of UX writing and how to engage and empower users through well-crafted user interfaces, instructions, and error messages. You’ll also learn how central good writing is to UX design and problem solving and the importance of plain language in universal design.

Bruce Gillespie
Bruce Gillespie is an associate professor in the User Experience Design Program at Wilfrid Laurier University, where he creates and teaches courses about UX writing, human-centred design, digital media and journalism. He was named a Laurier Teaching Fellow in 2017 and is interested in designing hands-on learning activities that bridge theory and practice.

Enzymes Kinetics
2026-10-14 08:09 - 09:09
Kinetics is a gas with beans, beans, the magical fruit!
We often forget how common, important, and useful enzymes are for us, including for our health. For example, some people only poorly digest vegetables like beans because they have insufficient enzymes to break down carbohydrates in their diet. With poor digestion of complex sugars, the microbes in our intestinal tracts will metabolize those carbohydrates for us producing gases that we release as “flatulence”. Beano® is an over-the-counter dietary supplement that contains α-galactosidase, an enzyme that breaks down complex sugars and helps reduce flatulence. In today’s workshop, we will use Beano® and an extract from peas to determine how quickly the enzymes in this dietary supplement will break down complex carbohydrates to produce small sugars like glucose.

Rosa da Silva, Elizabeth Weretilnyk & Peter Summers
Rosa da Silva is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biology at McMaster University, who teaches courses in the areas of cell and molecular biology and physiology. These are really important courses that give students the knowledge needed to understand how our bodies work, and how we are able to medicinally help our bodies when we are sick! Rosa is an award-winning professor who welcomes all students in her classrooms, engaging her classes in thoughtful and supported conversations related to amazing innovations in science. Having previously served as Associate Chair, Undergraduate Studies for the Department of Biology, Rosa has since 2023 entered into the role of Associate Dean, Undergradaute Studies for the Faculty of Science.
Dr. Elizabeth Weretilnyk is a Professor in the Department of Biology at McMaster University. Dr. Weretilnyk’s research examines how plants cope with abiotic stress, particularly stresses associated with drought, salinity, and nutrient deficiencies. She uses physiology, biochemistry, and genomics (metabolite and transcriptome profiling) approaches in her work on the extremophile crucifer, Eutrema salsugineum. Dr. Weretilnyk, together with colleagues Rosa Da Silva and Peter Summers, is inspiring the next generation of scientists and supporting high school science teachers with the Department of Biology’s STEM Engagement Project. The long-running STEM Engagement Project by the Department of Biology connects McMaster with hundreds of high school students and teachers each year.
Peter Summers is a Research Project Manager with the Department of Biology at McMaster University. Peter, together with colleagues Rosa Da Silva and Elizabeth Weretilnyk, is inspiring the next generation of scientists and supporting high school science teachers with the Department of Biology’s STEM Engagement Project. The long-running STEM Engagement Project by the Department of Biology connects McMaster with hundreds of high school students and teachers each year.
McMaster’s Department of Biology has an active outreach program that includes greenhouse visits and experiential activities. The Enzyme Kinetics Workshop is given by a team of three biologists. Drs. Rosa da Silva is an Associate Professor who teaches First Year Biology courses and is the Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies in the Faculty of Science, Dr. Peter Summers is a Plant Biochemist who co-organizes a Plant Molecular Workshop for high school students with our third member, Dr. Elizabeth Weretilnyk, a Professor who studies how plants tolerate extreme environmental conditions.

Exploring the Invisible: A Hands-On Microscopy & 3D Imaging Workshop
2026-10-14 08:10 - 09:10
Have you ever wondered what things really look like up close, like really close? In this interactive workshop, you’ll get a crash course in electron microscopy and discover how scientists explore the hidden details of the world around us. We’ll start with a quick, beginner-friendly introduction to what electron microscopes are, how they work, and why they matter in real-world science, from studying materials to solving problems in engineering.
Then, you’ll jump into two fun, hands-on activities:
1. See the Unseen with a Scanning Electron Microscope
Take control of a real scanning electron microscope (SEM) and examine materials at up to 5000× magnification. You’ll explore surfaces and structures in incredible detail—things you could never see with your eyes or a regular microscope.
2. LEGO X-ray Challenge: Build What You Can’t See
Work in teams to recreate a hidden LEGO model using a 3D scan from an X-ray CT system. It’s a race against time, can your team figure out the structure and build it first?
This workshop is all about curiosity, problem-solving, and getting hands-on with real scientific tools. No experience needed, just bring your curiosity!

Samantha Stambula
Dr. Samantha Stambula completed her PhD in Materials Science and Engineering at McMaster University, where she used powerful electron microscopes to research new materials that could make cleaner energy technologies, like fuel cells, more efficient and affordable.
She is now the Manager of Education, Governance, and Outreach at the Canadian Centre for Electron Microscopy (CCEM), a leading research facility with some of the most advanced microscopes in the world. She leads outreach programs that bring real scientific tools into classrooms, including scanning electron microscopes, so students can explore and better understand the hidden, microscopic world around them.

Food Sensory
2026-10-14 08:11 - 09:11
This activity gives students the opportunity to learn how their five senses influence their experience with food. Students will increase their knowledge of how their olfactory and gustatory systems work together. Students are able to apply their creativity and their enhanced knowledge of sensory perception in a culminating sensory perception test.

Joe Helterbrand

Forensics
2026-10-14 08:12 - 09:12
Do shows like CSI, Forensic Files, Bones and Dexter make you want to know what it’s really like behind the scenes solving murder cases? Join Dr. Nathan Vo in his forensic science lab for an immersive learning experience and step into the role of a forensic specialist. You won’t just watch – you’ll do the analysis yourself! This hands-on experience shows you how your Laurier education will start you on a path to careers in forensics, criminology, health sciences, psychology, law, policing, public safety, social work, investigative journalism and more.
Nathan Vo- Assistant Professor, Department of Health Studies

Heat and Chill: The Power of Efficiency
2026-10-14 08:13 - 09:13
The Heat and Chill workshop is perfect for high school students, aligning with the country’s focus on clean energy and environmental stewardship. Through hands-on activities and real-world applications, students gain practical knowledge about energy efficiency and sustainable heating and cooling systems for different kinds of homes. These workshops are fully subsidized for classes in specific regions for the 2025/2026 school year.
In Heat and Chill workshops, high school students will:

Experiment with how heat transfers through conduction, radiation, and convection
Use real tools to uncover where buildings lose energy
Learn about energy efficiency technologies and practices
Discover how saving energy can help the environment and save money

Sonja Teichert
Sonja is the SW Ontario Facilitator based in Waterloo. She holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Biology and has over 10 years of experience teaching young adults. She is passionate about relationship building, supporting social good, and promoting sustainable, connected, and healthy communities. Sonja loves Latin dance, billiards, and the beach.

Material Science
2026-10-14 08:14 - 09:14
This is an interactive session in which we explore how new materials stimulate important innovation in all fields of engineering. You’ll see some magic tricks which are, in reality, cool changes in appearance and properties of the material. You’ll use shape memory alloys, microscopes, polymers…. and maybe, we’ll make things disappear

Hatem Zurob & Dr. Bryan Lee
Dr. Bryan Lee teaches in the first-year engineering program and in the department of Materials Science & Engineering. His teaching interests include biomaterials, statistics, and sustainability.
His research interests are in understanding the cell-biomaterial interface, creation of new biomaterials and the development of new evaluation techniques/methods

Mirrors & Molecules
2026-10-14 08:15 - 09:15
If you have been introduced to organic chemistry, you know that arranging atoms in different order allows you to get different functional groups, each with different properties. Placement of atoms in 3D space also needs to be taken into account. An important idea is chirality, where a molecule has a mirror image that is non-superimposable. While this sounds very complex, you can see an example with your hands. You can can “reflect” your hand by placing your palms together but if you stack your hands on top of one another your thumbs will face opposite directions. Your hands are chiral! Chirality of molecules will impact their properties when placed in a chiral environment, like biological systems. Your body in fact contains many chiral molecules from amino acids in proteins to the building blocks of your DNA (nucleic acids).
In this workshop you will learn to identify chiral objects and molecules, find the relations between them (mirror images or not) and get comfortable building 3D models like a professional chemist would!
Leanne Racicot
Leanne Racicot is an organic chemistry laboratory instructor at the University of Waterloo. They obtained their PhD in Chemistry at the University of British Columbia in 2016 for their work on hypervalent iodine molecules. She held a joint post-doctoral Thode fellowship between the University of Waterloo and McMaster University to use hypervalent iodine reagents for 18F-labelling of small molecules.
They started teaching in 2019, spending most of their time offering introductory organic chemistry laboratories for non-Chemistry majors (Biology, Biomedical Sciences and Engineering programs). Leanne also periodically lectures organic chemistry or first-year chemistry and supervise the delivery of the on-campus high school outreach program and is the resident ‘chemistry magic’ demonstrator.

Mitigating Microplastics
2026-10-14 08:16 - 09:16
Learn about microplastics and their impact on the environment, animals, and us. Discuss plastic as a resource and how microplastic pollution affects and disrupts sustainable ecosystems. Through hands-on activities, experience what researchers in the Earth and Environmental Sciences Department at UWaterloo are doing to mitigate microplastics.

Corina McDonald

Nanotechnology
2026-10-14 08:17 - 09:17
Ever wondered how tiny tests can deliver big answers in minutes? Join us for a hands-on workshop that cracks open the science behind biosensors—tiny, clever devices that behave like biological detectives. It’s the same science behind blood-glucose tests, and rapid COVID kits—and in this workshop, you’ll see exactly how it works.
The real showstopper? Optical biosensors powered by gold nanoparticles. When a target such as a bacterium, toxin, or antibiotic binds to the biosensor, the gold nanoparticles shift from red to blue right before your eyes. No bulky instruments. No complicated electronics. Just add a drop of sample and watch the science happen. Simple, affordable, and fast—these sensors are transforming testing in homes, clinics, and the field.

Professor Juewen Liu
Professor Liu’s research group applies the fundamental principles of chemistry, physics, and biology to produce nanoscale materials, devices, and systems to understand basic sciences, advance technology, and impact medicine.

Oenology & Viticulture
2026-10-14 08:18 - 09:18
Come learn more about Brock University’s Grape & Wine Science Program with a few interactive activities led by industry experts. Identify blind aromas and put your taste buds to the test!

Marissa Neuner
Marissa Neuner began her career in wine in 2013, studying fermentation in the BC wine industry and earning a Master of Science. After many years working as a winemaker, she launched her own consulting firm in 2020, Cellar Door Analytics, to bridge the gaps between research and development, academia, and industry. Now, she furthers her goals as a science communicator with the Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute at Brock University, acting as a Sr. Lab Demonstrator and advisor to students within the Applied Grape & Wine Science program.

Taylor MaGee
Taylor MaGee started in the wine industry working for the Inn on the Twenty pouring wine for various events locally. From there he made his way to Retail Wine Shop for Cave Spring Vineyard and was later hired to work on the production team making wine and learning the process from start to finish. His first harvest was in 2015 and while studying through WSET and other Professional & Continuing Studies courses offered at Brock he was named Assistant Cellarmaster for the winery and worked every harvest and made wine every year there until CCOVI at Brock University came calling in 2022. Currently Managing the cellar, coordinating Outreach Events and the day-to-day operations for the Institute.

Quantum Computing and Quantum Algorithms
2026-10-14 08:19 - 09:19
Quantum science studies the rules of atoms, photons, electrons, and more, and has been used to develop everyday tools like lasers and GPS. Modern quantum research explores what happens when you encode information in individual quantum systems and what kinds of problems computers based on quantum mechanics can solve. In this workshop, you’ll explore how quantum computers solve problems differently than today’s computers. We’ll investigate the search algorithm and use a board game to examine the advantages and disadvantages of using quantum computers for this purpose. We’ll end with a series of demonstrations showing how researchers are building quantum technologies in the lab today.

John Donoghue
The Institute for Quantum Computing (IQC) is a research institute at the University of Waterloo propelling the development of quantum science and technology. IQC’s 30+ research groups and 200+ research students harness quantum properties like superposition and entanglement to develop new kinds of computers, sensors, materials, and communication systems. IQC runs many education programs, including the annual Quantum School for Young Students (QSYS) for high-school students.

Space Exploration
2026-10-14 08:20 - 09:20
Where is space exploration headed in the next 10-20 years? Canada is entering a space exploration odyssey with the recent Artemis II mission to the Moon, participation in the James Webb Space Telescope, in addition to actively conducting Earth observation. The STEAM career options are endless when it comes to the space exploration sector. We will facilitate discussions in small, rotating groups to help you answer questions on topics of the future of space exploration, including careers, innovations, research, and additional resources.

Bhairavi Shankar & Joseph Ulmer
Dr. Bhairavi Shankar is a Planetary Scientist, a Canadian Space Ambassador, and entrepreneur. She founded Indus Space, a social enterprise, to raise public awareness around Space Exploration and its links to STEAM. She has previously served on the boards of several local not-for-profit organizations that serve both the South Asian and Astronomy community and empower youth.
Joseph Ulmer is an astrophysicist, science communicator, and Curriculum Developer for Indus Space. He designs program activities that engage participants with the exciting world of astronomy and space exploration through discovery-based learning initiatives. He also creates content around space topics intended for our digital platforms.

The Subatomic World: Careers and Technologies
2026-10-14 08:21 - 09:21
Everything around you—from your phone to your own body—is made of tiny building blocks called subatomic particles. But what if you could control these particles individually? Scientists and engineers are now doing exactly that, unlocking a new world of powerful technologies known as quantum technologies.
These breakthroughs are already leading to ultra-fast quantum computers, incredibly precise sensors, and even the possibility of quantum teleportation. Around the world, Canada is recognized as a global leader in these fields.
In this interactive workshop, you’ll explore how the strange and fascinating rules of subatomic particles are shaping the future. Discover real-world applications, try hands-on activities, and learn about the wide range of careers you could pursue in this cutting-edge field.

Damian Pope
Damian Pope is an Outreach Scientist at Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics in Canada. He inspires students and teachers with the wonders of science. He holds a PhD in quantum computing from the University of Queensland in Australia, along with a qualification in science communication. He is passionate about making physics accessible and is dedicated to sharing the joy and beauty of physics with audiences of all backgrounds.

Viral Vaccines
2026-10-14 08:22 - 09:22
Take on the role of a scientist working to develop a vaccine for a deadly virus before all of humanity is infected! Students will learn about vaccines, see herd immunity in action and problem solve to save all of humanity.

Let’s Talk Science / Science Outreach at the University of Waterloo
Amanda works for the University of Waterloo as an Educational Resources Coordinator where she specializes in helping others share their science with the community. With a background in biochemistry/pharmacy and healthcare experience during the Covid-19 pandemic Amanda is ready to chat all things germs.
Science Outreach at the University of Waterloo is dedicated to sharing interactive, hands-on sciences experiences with members of the community through classroom workshops and events. Volunteers are current undergraduate and graduate students studying in STEM related fields.

Watts in the Wind
2026-10-14 08:23 - 09:23
Working in groups, students will design and build their own electrical wind-turbine and quantify how much voltage can be generated, all while learning about renewable energy and using the engineering design process!

Zombie Apocalypse
2026-10-14 08:24 - 09:24
Working in groups, students will build a device out of crafting materials to transport zombies from one end of the containment zone to the other in under a minute, all while using the engineering design process!

Artificial Intelligence
2026-10-14 12:01 - 13:01

Digital Media
2026-10-14 12:02 - 13:02
This seminar will look into how technology is used in the creative space, including visual effects, post-production, AI, and how these tools connect to content we already know, such as film, series, entertainment, and social media.
Ryan Stasyshyn
Ryan Stasyshyn brings a wealth of experience leadership, and a commitment to fostering artistic excellence. He has been a part of the production teams for some of the industry’s most recent and iconic projects, including WandaVision, HBO’s Watchmen, John Wick: Chapter 4, The Handmaid’s Tale, 1923, and priscilla. As head of the Toronto Rodeo FX studio, he supervised many of its latest creations, including Mark Wahlberg’s The Family Plan 2, Bob Odenkirk’s Normal, and the upcoming Hershey movie.
Throughout his career, Ryan has gained invaluable on-set experience serving as the Head of Production, Head of Operations, and Managing Director. His tenures at various high-profile studios gave him a deep understanding of virtual production an affinity for leadership roles that challenge the status quo and a contagious enthusiasm.

Discover the Invisible World That's Shaping Your Future
2026-10-14 12:03 - 13:03
What if the future of medicine, energy, AI, electronics, and computing all depend on things too small to see or handle? Imagine a technology reaching the infinitesimal and transforming the world from the ground level up – that’s nanotechnology engineering—and it’s driving some of the biggest breakthroughs of our time.
Professor Guo-Xing Miao, Director of the Nanotechnology Engineering Program at the University of Waterloo, will reveal how working at the nanoscale leads to innovations like nm transistor processes, ultra fast electronics, precision drug delivery, green energy, and advances in AI and quantum computing. Rooted in chemistry, physics, biology, and materials science, nanotechnology engineering connects the quantum world with real technologies that shape everyday life.
If you’re curious about technologies, excited by cutting-edge discoveries, or eager to help solve global challenges, this talk will show you how the smallest technologies are shaping the future.

Dr. Guo-Xing Miao
Dr. Guo-Xing Miao is Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, member of the Institute for Quantum Computing (IQC), Director of Nanotechnology Engineering (NE), and Director of Quantum Information (QI) Graduate program at the University of Waterloo.
Professor Miao’s research group concentrates on a specific quantum property of electrons—their spin degrees of freedom. Spin-based information can be stored, transmitted, and manipulated across both classical and quantum regimes. In nanoelectronic systems, the interplay between spins and ions – central to spin-iontronics – offers a powerful platform for precise spin control and dynamic monitoring.

Fusion
2026-10-14 12:04 - 13:04
Dr. Spencer Pitcher
Dr. Charles Spencer Pitcher brings deep expertise in fusion science and technology, and management of large-scale fusion project delivery. Before establishing Stellarex, he was Fusion Technology Principal Engineer at the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) in France.
Dr. Pitcher has held scientific and engineering roles at the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority, the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics, the MIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center, and the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, where he contributed to the first production of fusion power using deuterium and tritium on the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR).
He has authored or co-authored over 200 research publications and collaborated on major tokamak and stellarator programs across Europe and North America.

Smart Lighting and Bug Battles: Inside the World of High-Tech Greenhouses
2026-10-14 12:05 - 13:05
Learn about how fruits and vegetables are grown in high-tech greenhouses year-round in Ontario. We will discuss state-of-the-art technologies, including advanced lighting and pest management techniques using natural enemies.
Dr. Fadi Al-Daoud and Cara McCreary
Dr. Fadi Al-Daoud is the greenhouse vegetable specialist at the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness. His portfolio includes fruits and vegetables grown in controlled environments, such as greenhouses and vertical farms. After earning his doctorate from the Department of Biology at McMaster University in Ontario, Canada with a specialization in molecular plant pathology, Fadi worked at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the University of Guelph. He has over 20 years of experience conducting applied and fundamental research on horticultural and field crops, and communicating his research to the scientific community and agricultural producers. Today, he collaborates with producers, researchers, and industry to advance controlled environment agriculture in Ontario.
Cara McCreary is the Greenhouse Vegetable IPM Specialist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness (OMAFA) and is working out of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Harrow Research & Development Centre. Cara joined the ministry in January 2015 from a position as a Research Associate in the Edible Bean Program at the University of Guelph Ridgetown Campus. Prior to joining the University of Guelph, Cara was the Acting Field Crop Entomologist at OMAFA. She also has several years of experience as a greenhouse scout and supervisor, and as a horticultural advisor. Cara has a Master of Science in Environmental Biology from the University of Guelph, a Bachelor of Commerce in Business Administration from the University of Windsor, and an Associate Diploma in Horticulture from the University of Guelph. During her master’s degree, she studied the life cycle, temperature-dependent development and economic impact of an agricultural pest, the bean leaf beetle. In her current role with the ministry, Cara has worked extensively on emerging pest issues, such as pepper weevil and tomato brown rugose fruit virus. Pest management has been her focus and passion through both work experience and education.

Health Care
2026-10-14 12:06 - 13:06

Indigenous Holistic Health and Wellness
2026-10-14 12:07 - 13:07
This seminar will discuss Indigenous approaches to health and wellness and will examine the ways that identity and connection to the lang informs Indigenous health and wellness. This seminar will also explore holistic health and working with Indigenous peoples in healthcare systems.
Jessica Bomberry, M.Ed., Assistant Professor at Wilfrid Laurier University.
Jessica is from the Cayuga Nation and Turtle Clan family at Six Nations of the Grand River Territory.

Life, Energy, Environment: Global Solutions Through Chemical Engineering
2026-10-14 12:08 - 13:08
What if you could help power cities, develop biomedical devices and vaccines, clean the planet, and design the next viral skincare product—all with the same career? Sounds wild, right? Welcome to chemical engineering.
Ever wonder how your shampoo is made at a massive scale, or why your snacks stay fresh for months, or how engineers run entire factories?
Chemical engineering mixes chemistry, physics, biology, math, and a whole lot of creativity to design the processes that make modern life possible. Chemical engineers don’t just make things—they design safe, efficient, eco-friendly ways to turn raw materials (and even waste!) into valuable products.
If you want a career that’s hands-on, world-changing, and connected to all 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals, this talk will show you how chemical engineers are shaping the future one reaction, one innovation, one breakthrough at a time.
They dive into everything from thermodynamics and fluid mechanics to biochemical engineering, materials science, and process control—the field that uses simulations, optimization, and machine learning to solve real-world problems.
Professor Mario Ioannidis, Chair of Chemical Engineering at the University of Waterloo, will take you inside this world of transformation—where chemical engineers scale up ideas from “cool experiment” to “global impact.”

Prof. Mario Ioannidis
Mario Ioannidis is the Chair of the Department of Chemical Engineering and a Professor at the University of Waterloo.
Professor Ioannidis and his students research fundamental aspects of multiphase flow and transport of solutes and nanoparticles in porous materials of different kinds (fibrous or granular, loose or consolidated, natural or man-made, etc.). The ultimate goal of their research is to enable engineering applications ranging from contaminant hydrology, groundwater remediation and petroleum production to environmental sampling, fuel cell performance optimization and oil spill response.

Quantum Biology
2026-10-14 12:09 - 13:09
Dr. Nirosha Murugen

STEM Cells
2026-10-14 12:10 - 13:10
The Future of Medicine: How Stem Cells Could Change Everything
Everywhere we look today — online and in the media, among patient groups, families and health care providers — stem cells and regenerative medicine have become synonymous with the promise of better health as people seek out new therapies for what ails them.
Regenerative medicine is changing the game by unlocking leading-edge treatments for diseases such as, type 1 diabetes, retinal degeneration, muscular dystrophies, lung and heart disease, as well as for neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s and multiple sclerosis.
Traditionally powered by stem cells, regenerative medicine focuses on replacing, repairing, or regenerating human cells, tissues and organs. It is considered by investors, economists, and health policy experts to be the next frontier of modern medicine.
This seminar will dive into the world of stem cells and regenerative medicine, exploring a future where diseases may be halted or even cured.
Alexandra Kozlov, Ph.D.
Alexandra Kozlov joined the Stem Cell Network (SCN) in 2024. As the Research Specialist, she supports the delivery of SCN’s research funding programs and the development and roll-out of research symposia and scientific programming.
Prior to joining SCN, Alexandra worked extensively with human pluripotent stem cells, where she researched the relationship between metabolism and cell fate and state. Alexandra holds a Ph.D. in Biology, with a specialization in Developmental Biology, from Western University.
With almost a decade of experience in life sciences, Alexandra is dedicated to ensuring SCN’s research program runs efficiently and effectively to power the translation and commercialization of regenerative medicine research in Canada.
Danielle Spice, Ph.D.
Dr. Danielle Spice is a Scientist and Science Communicator who, by day, drives the development of cutting-edge cell therapies in biotech, and by night educates her community of over 77,000 social media followers about cool and interesting science.
Dr. Spice earned her PhD from Western University, and after a short post-doctoral fellowship at SickKids Hospital transitioned into biotech where she uses her expertise in genetic engineering and human stem cells to develop cell therapies.
During her academic training, Dr. Spice fell in love with teaching, and she knew that the best way to reach as many “students” as possible was to start her social media channels: Science with Spice. Dr. Spice loves to bring her love of biology and science to everyday people through short-form videos and podcasting to make science fun and accessible. Dr. Spice proves that science and education don’t just exist in an academic classroom but is out in the real world with real people.
