Biomedical Engineering Research Day

Jacqueline Hebert is a professor at the University of Alberta and a physiatrist with the Adult Amputation Rehabilitation program at the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital in Edmonton. As a clinical investigator, her goal is to facilitate the implementation of rehabilitation technology to maximize function and quality of life after amputation, and to create a sound evidence base to assist with clinical decision making. She leads the Bionic Limbs for Improved Natural Control (BLINC) Lab at the University of Alberta, an interdisciplinary lab exploring sensory-motor integration for advanced prosthesis systems and the use of technology for training and measurement of outcomes.

Hebert was instrumental in starting the first program for Targeted Reinnervation for upper limb amputation in Canada, and the Alberta Limb Osseointegration multi-disciplinary team providing Bone-Anchored Prostheses for limb amputation. She has been recognized for her innovative research and clinical programs with the Major Sir Frederick Banting Award for Military Health Research in 2012, a 2017 University of Alberta Excellence in Leadership Award, celebrating her ability to lead an effective interdisciplinary research team, and a 2019 Tier I Clinical Science Award for Excellence in Mentoring.

Dan Romanyk is an Associate Professor in Mechanical Engineering, cross-appointed in Biomedical Engineering, and holds an Adjunct appointment in the Mike Petryk School of Dentistry at the University of Alberta. He received his BSc (2008) and PhD (2014) in mechanical engineering from the University of Alberta before completing a postdoctoral fellowship in the Mike Petryk School of Dentistry. Outside of academia, Romanyk coached hockey for over 14 years and enjoys getting out to golf and ski.

Romanyk's research team, The Craniofacial Biomechanics and Biomaterials Research Group (CBBRG), focuses on investigating the biomechanics, responses, and applications of craniofacial structures in a broad effort to refine clinical applications. Primary topics of interest include natural biomaterials (cranial sutures, periodontal ligament, and bone), orthodontic biomechanics, and synthetic dental restorative materials. Romanyk's group utilizes a combined approach through numerical modelling and experimental methods to investigate relevant problems pertaining to mechanobiology and clinical interventions in the craniofacial region.

Maral Aminpour is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Alberta, with an adjunct appointment in the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. She received her PhD in physics in the United States and subsequently pursued postdoctoral training in chemical and materials engineering, oncology, and physics before joining biomedical engineering. This trajectory has given her a strongly interdisciplinary background spanning computational science, molecular biophysics, and biomedical applications.

Her research focuses on computational biophysics and AI-driven drug discovery, with an emphasis on physics-informed machine learning methods for modeling biomolecular interactions. Her work addresses problems in rational drug design, molecule optimization, and translational applications, including studies related to cancer therapeutics, Alzheimer’s disease, and drug repurposing. She also develops computational approaches for patient stratification and toxicity assessment to improve the translational success of candidate drugs.

Aminpour’s group develops ProteinScanner, an AI-based software platform for analyzing protein–ligand and protein–protein interactions, building on her earlier work on protein surface geometry and molecular recognition. Her research combines methodological development with close integration of experimental feedback and collaborations across engineering, medicine, and pharmaceutical sciences

Richard Thompson is a professor in the Departments of Radiology and Diagnostic Imaging and Biomedical Engineering at the University of Alberta. He received his BSc in engineering physics and PhD in biomedical engineering from the University of Alberta, followed by a PostDoctoral Fellowship at the National Institutes of Health, in Bethesda, Maryland.

Thompson’s research program focuses on the development and translation of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) methods that target unresolved challenges in physiology and clinical medicine, with a focus on innovation from first principles. Targeted areas include imaging of fibrosis, adipose tissue (fat), structure and function of the heart, blood flow, oxygen consumption, muscle structure and function, lung structure and function and exercise MRI. He collaborates with numerous clinical and basic science groups and with industry, translating new methods to a wide international audience