Professor Yu Sun (MIE) has been awarded the 2010 IEEE Robotics and Automation Society’s (IEEE RAS) Early Career Award, for contributions in enabling microrobotic and MEMS technologies for automated cell manipulation and characterization in cell biology and clinical applications. This award is bestowed on individuals in the early stage of their career, who have made an identifiable contribution or contributions which have had a major impact on the robotics and/or automation fields. Professor Sun is the first Canadian researcher to win this award since its establishment in 1999.

Yu Sun holds the Canada Research Chair in Micro and Nano Engineering Systems. His research focuses on the manipulation and characterization of single cells, biomolecules and nanomaterials using microelectrical mechanical systems (MEMS). While he only received his PhD in 2003, he has already published over 50 articles in refereed journals and 69 refereed conference publications. His research has also resulted in ten patents and two spin-off companies. Professor Sun is a Senior Member of IEEE and a Fellow of CSME. In 2009, he received the McLean Award for early career research from the University of Toronto.

“I am delighted that Professor Sun has been honoured by IEEE RAS for his contributions to cell characterization using MEMS technologies,” said Cristina Amon, Dean, Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering. “Recognition by this prestigious international society demonstrates the global impact that he and many of our other early career researchers are already making.”