This week, University Professor Michael Sefton (ChemE, IBBME) was invited to join the United States Institute of Medicine (IOM)—a rare honour bestowed upon few Canadian scientists and engineers.

Sefton is a global leader in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. His research tackles a question central to the field: how can scientists construct or grow blood vessels that will keep engineered tissues vital and alive?

Sefton is cross-appointed to U of T’s Department of Chemical Engineering & Applied Chemistry and the Institute for Biomaterials & Biomedical Engineering (IBBME), as well as affiliated with the Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research (CCBR). He was among the first to demonstrate the significant synergy that was possible between chemical engineering principles and biomedical engineering.

Approximately fifteen years ago, Sefton’s group observed that a particular biomaterial “caused blood vessels to grow [as if] by magic,” he explained. “[But] since we don’t understand why we get blood vessels, it is difficult to exploit this phenomenon.”

He hopes that within the next few years his team will have unraveled the baffling mystery of blood vessel growth, allowing them to develop tissues with strong vascular functions. If successful, his research will significantly advance the field of tissue engineering.

“Professor Sefton has made tremendous contributions to the field of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine,” said Cristina Amon, Dean of the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering. “On behalf of the Faculty, my heartfelt congratulations for this richly-deserved induction to the prestigious Institute of Medicine.”

“I’m humbled by this honour,” shared Sefton, who now joins three other U of T professors who have been nominated since the Institute was established in 1970.

The IOM advises the U.S. government on scientific and medical matters, and has a mission to advance health care for the country. In 2011, the New York Times called it the “nation’s most and authoritative adviser on issues of health and medicine, and its reports can transform medical thinking around the world.” It is part of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, first chartered under President Abraham Lincoln in 1863.

“This is a well deserved honour for Professsor Sefton,” said Professor Grant Allen, chair of the Department of Chemical Engineering & Applied Chemistry. “He is truly a pioneer in the application of chemical engineering principles to biomedical engineering, something that is now widely practiced around the world for the benefit of human health”.

Learn more about how U of T researchers are engineering your health.

Creating a multimillion-dollar company directly out of graduate school may not be rocket science, but for alumnus Francis Shen (UTIAS MASc 8T3), a degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies (UTIAS) certainly helped.

This past summer, Shen donated $1 million to the Institute to develop an entrepreneurship incubator, enabling future engineers with the competencies and opportunities he’s learned over decades in business.

“I want to show graduate students that there are more options than simply finding a job after you graduate,” said Shen. “Instead of working for someone else, you can create jobs for yourself and others, building prosperity within your community and giving back to your economy,”

Shen’s program will provide mentorship, networking and funding to participants with promising ideas, while encouraging collaboration amongst the groups.

“UTIAS is an ideal place for an entrepreneurship program of this type,” said Professor David Zingg, UTIAS director. “UTIAS’s cutting-edge research has the potential to be commercialized in so many different areas, both within and outside aerospace, as has so often been demonstrated in the past.”

In 1983, Shen founded Aastra, an R&D consulting firm that rapidly grew to become North America’s largest provider of caller ID units. The firm recently merged with Mitel Networks Corp. for a combined worth of more than $1 billion and over 60 million customers around the world.

“We are grateful to Francis Shen for his commitment to UTIAS,” said Dean Cristina Amon. “His generous gift will provide students with the infrastructure and support needed to explore entrepreneurial opportunities in aerospace engineering. It also demonstrates the deep connection our alumni feel toward the Faculty.”

Shen looks forward to being involved with the program and seeing students progress.

“I want to do something meaningful with my time and with my resources,” he said. “I want to give back to the place that helped me get my start.”

To pursue graduate studies or not pursue graduate studies: that is the question—or at least that was the topic at the second annual University of Toronto Engineering Graduate Fair.

Last Wednesday, over 300 prospective students gathered in the Bahen Centre to explore graduate engineering programs at five different Canadian universities. Hosted by U of T Engineering under the guiding theme of “dispelling myths about grad studies,” attendees participated in information sessions, panel discussions and networking all geared to share the benefits of furthering their education.

“This event has two purposes,” said Professor Markus Bussmann, vice dean, graduate studies. “We hope to convince students that graduate school can help expand their careers and open doors, and to provide students with a chance to speak with representatives from the top universities in the country, including U of T.”

The Fair was organized through the Canadian Graduate Engineering Consortium, a partnership that began last year between engineering schools at the University of Alberta, McGill, University of British Columbia, University of Waterloo and U of T.

To kick off the Fair, students interacted directly with school representatives about their program offerings and where their students go after graduation.

“I’m here today to see what different schools are offering,” said engineering student Max Julian (MIE MASc 1T5). “I am starting to think about PhD programs and want to find something in line with my research interests.”

“I want to learn more about biomedical engineering,” said undergraduate Wanyu Zhang (EngSci 1T4 + PEY). “I chose U of T because of its proximity to so many world-class hospitals.”

Professor Bussmann and Dean Cristina Amon also hosted a panel discussion to explore the theme, involving Professor Kinnor Chattopayhyay (MSE) from U of T, Anna Dunets Wills, a project engineer at rePlan Inc., Professor Frank Gu from uWaterloo, Ghazaleh Nazari, a hydrometallurgical process engineer at Hatch and Jorge Osorio, president of The Aquila Group.

From finances to finding the perfect supervisor, panellists shared insights on many aspects of earning a graduate degree, including some that surprised the audience, like the potential salary increase and long-term impacts on your career.

“Having your PhD or your master’s degree may not always guarantee that you’ll earn more,” said Professor Chattopadhyay. “It can depend on the industry, but it does differentiate you from other competing applicants, and helps you advance more quickly through a company.”

With myths dispelled, students at all levels left the Graduate Fair informed and excited about the next step in their engineering careers.

Three myths about graduate school, and the facts to dispel them:

Myth: Graduate school won’t increase my job prospects.
Fact: “Graduate school helped me differentiate myself from other applicants,” said Jorge Osorio. “Not to mention the incredible networking opportunities that graduate studies provided, which ultimately helped me find my career.”

Myth: Graduate research is not relevant and does not have real life applications.
Fact: “Sometimes people think that when you do graduate research, it will largely be fundamental and not applicable,” said Frank Gu of uWaterloo. “That’s a myth. A lot of what you do is very applied and relevant, and can even turn into entrepreneurial opportunities.”

Myth: Graduate studies won’t increase my salary; it’s better to get industry experience to advance my career.
Fact: “A masters degree is a great entry point for breaking into an industry,” said Professor Kinnor Chattopayhyay. “It gives you confidence and the ability to solve complicated problems. And a lot of companies require you have a masters if you want to be a project manager.”
“In the health care industry, it’s expected now that you’ll have at least a PhD,” said Frank Gu. “And graduate studies can increase your salary by more than double in some instances.”

Learn more about graduate programs in engineering offered by the University of Toronto.

Frustrated with your commute? You’re not alone.

Vancouver is Canada’s most congested city, according to a recent traffic index from mapping titan TomTom, with residents delayed an average of 87 hours a year on their 30-minute commutes. Toronto placed a close second, with the average commuter losing 83 hours in limbo each year.

We have a problem.

On Oct. 29, U of T Engineering’s keynote speaker series, BizSkule, will feature a panel of industry experts to discuss solutions that will redefine urban travel in the coming decades. The network-friendly event titled The 3rd Urban Revolution – Re-thinking the Future of Transportation, will be moderated by Professor Eric Miller (CivE), transportation expert and director at the University of Toronto Transportation Research Institute.

U of T Engineering’s Jamie Hunter sat down with Miller to discuss the future of travel and the technology that’s going to bring change.

Why is it important that we’re having a discussion about the future of urban travel now?

As anybody living in Toronto knows, we are faced with huge challenges. And a lot of that has to do with the fact that we haven’t built enough transit or taken the problem seriously enough. But it also reflects that the city is growing, we’re under huge pressures and the conditions of travel are changing. We have to respond to that. You might argue that the traditional approaches haven’t served us as well or at least we haven’t made as good a use out of them as we can.

Another reason is that technology—information technology in particular—is changing the possibilities for travel and even the definitions of how we supply transportation services. The smartphone, even though it’s a communications device, is revolutionizing transportation. We can get real-time information at our fingertips that can be used to make informed, rational decisions about the best way to get from here to there. But that’s just the starting point. These apps create all new business models for the transportation industry.

And on top of all that we have autonomous connected vehicles—cars that’ll drive themselves and talk to each other—coming down the pipe. There not here yet, but they are going to be.

In the BizSkule event description, it mentions that “complete mobility” services will redefine urban travel. Can you expand on that?

Mobility is a challenging word because people tend to think of it as mobile communications with your smartphone and apps. For transportation people, mobility means moving from place to place. “Complete mobility” integrates both of these. You have a smart transportation system, which is as much an information communications system as a physical movement of people and goods system—a marriage of the two.

By “mobility” we are talking about moving people, but thinking about it in a more holistic way, where you might drive your car someplace, leave it, take transit, pick up a car share, drive it back to where you parked your car in the first place and drive home again. The mixing and matching of modes and services is, potentially, quite interesting. So the “complete” really refers to getting you through your day in a very holistic way and taking advantage of communications and different transportation services and reconfiguring those services as needed.

What do you hope that people take away from the BizSkule event on October 29^th?

A sense of excitement about the field and a sense that there are opportunities out there as a student, a professional or an investor.

With the current [municipal] election campaign, we’re so bogged down with news about transit investments and how to pay for it and congestion on the roads—and those are all very important and useful discussions that I’ve spent a lot of time involved in—but I think it’s very easy to feel depressed about transportation and that there is no hope. But there really are opportunities for us to fundamentally change things.

It is a brave, new world out there for us—hopefully in a good way. But we have to grab it, we have to jump on it, we have to be innovative. It’s a message for Toronto, Ontario and Canada—if we’re not doing it, somebody else will. We’re not the only ones who have discovered complete mobility. It’s a market opportunity, it’s an academic opportunity, and we have to grab it.

BizSkule Presents: The 3rd Urban Revolution – Re-thinking the Future of Transportation

Date: Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2014
Time: 6:00-8:30 p.m.
Location: Bennett Jones, 1 First Canadian Place, Suite 3400
Cost: $30

View participant bios and register for this event.

In vitro fertilization is a costly, invasive process—but what if there was a way to vastly improve a woman’s chances of getting pregnant in fewer in vitro sessions?

Enter QSperm, a startup grounded in U of T Engineering-developed research from Professor David Sinton (MIE), PhD student Reza Nosrati (MechE PhD 1T6) and alumna Lise Eamer (MechE 0T8, MASc 1T3).

“QSperm is a one-step, inexpensive and easy-to-use device that selects the best sperm for assisted reproduction,” said Eamer. “It races the sperm against each other in a sort of miniature obstacle course in order to select the highest quality sperm to improve the success rates of assisted reproduction.”

Eamer is a researcher at the Sinton Lab where the science behind QSperm got its start. She says the current success rate for assisted reproduction in Canada is only 24 per cent.

“By selecting the highest quality sperm, we aim to improve the success rates and reduce the number of fertilization cycles that couples require to conceive. This will help reduce both the financial and emotional burden of trying to conceive,” she explained.

Last spring, U of T News profiled QSperm as the team competed in the finals of an international life-sciences-based startup competition called OneStart. (Read the original article here) 

With the competition again opening its call for applicants, Eamer looks back at the lessons QSperm learned in last year’s edition. And she talks about the entrepreneurship support her company continues to receive at U of T to help QSperm develop as a business.

How did taking part in an international competition help you develop your entrepreneurship skills?

The OneStart competition had many components which really helped in honing my business skills. The bootcamp in San Francisco was a great opportunity to learn about what makes companies attractive to investors, and how to sell them on your idea.

We also had breakout discussion groups based on our type of technology which made it possible to discuss the challenges specific to our businesses. In our case, there was a lot of discussion surrounding regulatory approval which is definitely something we must understand.

What I liked most about the bootcamp was the speed networking. The organizers set up a speed networking session with serial entrepreneurs, startup CEOs and investment directors. It was a great opportunity to make key contacts that will help us in moving forward. Working closely with a mentor was an invaluable experience which I strongly recommend to all entrepreneurs.

Why did you apply to OneStart?

First, it is geared specifically to startups in the healthcare industry, so it is a great opportunity for medical device companies and therapeutics.

Second, OneStart paired us with a mentor. Our mentor helped us develop a strong business plan and presentation which helped us get into the finals. Although the competition wrapped up in May we are continuing to work with our mentor to engage angel investors and potential partners.

What’s happened with your startup since we last spoke—any major milestones?

We have made some design changes to better meet user needs. We’ve also established some key partnerships that will make it possible for us to move to the next stage of commercialization.

How has U of T continued to support your startup?

Its technology was developed in the Sinton Lab in the department of mechanical and industrial engineering. I would like to acknowledge those that continue to work with me on this project, Professor David Sinton, Dr. Marion Vollmer (MIE) and Reza Nosrati. We have also received unbridled support from the University of Toronto Innovations and Partnerships Office, as well as MaRS Innovation.

What’s next for your company?

In the next year we are working on finalizing the design and conducting the final validation testing. We are of course continuing to develop our network of contacts and mentors in order to continue to hone our business and entrepreneurial skills.

Any advice for aspiring entrepreneurs at U of T?

To aspiring entrepreneurs at U of T, I would strongly recommend making use of the large variety of resources available to budding entrepreneurs at the university as well as through MaRS and the Ontario Network of Entrepreneurs.

It is also of utmost importance to find strong mentors. We have learned a lot from our continued work with various mentors, and they have served as one of the best resources. You should work on continuously growing your network since you never know where you will find someone who can help you advance your business idea.