Recent Staff and Faculty Changes

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Recent Staff and Faculty Changes – August 2012

image of new staff and faculty aug. 2012

IBBME welcomes two new core faculty members, appoints new undergraduate laboratory coordinator, in August.

Dr. Andrey Shukalyuk has been appointed to the position of Undergraduate Teaching Laboratory and Health & Safety Coordinator for IBBME, effective July 16, 2012.

Andrey earned his Master’s degree in Marine Biology at the Russian Academy of Sciences in 2000, and went on to earn his Ph.D. in Embryology at that same institute in 2004. While working through his graduate degrees, Andrey also taught in the subject areas of biology, anatomy, physiology at the Vladivostok State University of Economics & Services in Artyom, Russia and ecology at the Learning and Travelling Centre for Youth, also in the city of Artyom.

Andrey stepped in to run the Undergraduate Lab last fall, when former undergraduate lab coordinator, Bryan White, decided to leave the role. Since that time, Andrey has worked hard to turn the teaching lab into a first class facility—to great effect.

"We were delighted when we discovered that Andrey had submitted an application for the permanent position," said Sandy Walker, Manager of Operations for IBBME, "and we are extremely happy that he is now on board with us on a permanent basis. This presents an outstanding opportunity for pedagogical creativity and growth for the Institute and for biomedical engineering at the University of Toronto."

In Faculty news, Dr. Kei Masani , scientist at the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, joins IBBME's ranks as a core professor. Although he will be based at the Rehabilitation Engineering Laboratory at the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, IBBME is excited about the impressive research background Dr. Masani brings to IBBME. An expert in motor control, Masani has been collaborating with Dr. Milos Popovic on the potentials of FES (Functional Electronic Stimulation) for stimulating nerves to movement in the motor-impaired.

“We need to learn much more about how people maintain balance while standing," Masani is quoted in a Toronto Rehabililation Institute article. "Animals can stand and walk almost from birth. Humans, however, take years to learn how to stand or walk. We are bipeds, and keeping our balance while walking on two feet is not easy. My research goal is to understand exactly how we do it."

Dr. Penney Gilbert also begins her tenure as a core faculty member this month. Dr. Gilbert joins us from Stanford University, where she was the recipient of the 2010 Stanford University Postdoctoral Association (SUPA) Best Postdoc Research Award.

Dr. Gilbert's research focuses on creative bioengineering approaches to understanding biochemical and biophysical regulation of adult muscle stem cell fate.

IBBME is delighted to welcome both new faculties members to its growing community.

University of Toronto Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering

Recent Staff and Faculty Changes – August 2012

IBBME welcomes two new core faculty members, appoints new undergraduate laboratory coordinator, in August.