IBBME announces a number of staff transitions this month. Sandy Walker, IBBME’s inestimable Director of Operations, will officially take up a new term position as Director for the Office of the Dean, Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering (FASE). Dayle Levine, who brings years of experience from the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute (TRI), has answered the challenge of this Secondment position during Sandy’s absence. Dayle can be reached via email at manager.ibbme@utoronto.ca or at her RS407 phone number: (416) 978-4801.
During the month of March, the IBBME community will be seeing a new face in the halls. John de Haan will replace Derek Boodoosingh in the role of IT Systems Coordinator while Derek enjoys a new and challenging role: fatherhood. The Institute’s technology will be in good hands over the duration: John spent over ten years at IBM before starting his own IT company, TN Management. While Derek is away John can be reached at: helpdesk.ibbme@utoronto.ca or at (416) 946-0942.
The Institute is also very proud to welcome Rhonda Marley into the role of Clinical Engineering Program Assistant. Rhonda, who has been with the Institute since April 2011, and acting as the Clinical Engineering Program Assistant since August of that year, brings to this role her years of experience working in the not-for-profit and education sector.
Finally, the Institute is also delighted to announce three new cross-appointments to our growing Faculty. Josh Milstein joins IBBME from the Department of Physics and the Department of Chemical and Physical Sciences (UTM), where he is an Assistant Professor. Dr. Milstein, whose highly interdisciplinary research focuses on the biomechanical and dynamical properties of DNA, will round out the Nanotechnology, Molecular Imaging & Systems Biology theme.
Assistant Professor Tom Willett joins IBBME from Mount Sinai Hospital and the Department of Surgery in the Faculty of Medicine, where he studies the mechanics and material science of musculoskeletal tissues. As part of the Biomaterials, Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine research theme, Dr. Willett will further his research on how to improve the mechanical properties of bone tissue that undergoes irradiation-sterilization before becoming structural graft material used in orthopaedic reconstructive surgeries.
Assistant Professor Ben Hatton is developing novel nano- and microstructured surfaces to control surface properties such as wettability, adhesion, surface reactions, cell and bacterial attachment, for biomaterial and biomedical applications. Newly appointed to the Department of Materials Science Engineering this fall, Dr. Hatton’s research bridges the gap between IBBME’s Biomaterials, Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine and Nanotechnology, Molecular Imaging & Systems Biology themes.