Skip to main content

Research

Our Faculty

Faculty members in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry are recognized for both their teaching and research excellence. The faculty are funded through the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), Canada Foundation for Innovation, the Ontario Ministry of Research, Innovation and Science, and other national and international sources.

Faculty members have won external awards for their excellence in both research (e.g. Ontario Early Research Award) and teaching (e.g. Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations Award).

If you are a senior undergraduate student thinking of doing a thesis, or a graduate student or prospective graduate student looking for a supervisor, see Faculty Research Interests.

Need Access to a Building?

If you're a graduate student, research assistant, doing a thesis, or otherwise need access to Faculty of Science buildings outside regular hours, please contact Jayne Eudemoni.

Research Facilities and Collaborations

The department of Chemistry and Biochemistry is well-equipped in research infrastructure and has access to modern research facilities such as the Centre for Cold Regions and Water Science on the Laurier campus. Researchers in the department have several collaborations with other colleagues regionally in Canada and abroad, and are internationally recognized for their research.

Research Strengths

Environment and Health

The environment and health area encompasses research directed at issues affecting the environment that may ultimately impact global health on a broader scale. Fundamental and applied research from various perspectives in both biology and chemistry are required to address the increasing concerns surrounding environmental and human health. Research in this area may focus more specifically on the environment itself, related health issues, or aspects of their complex relationship.

Biotic Interactions

Research in this area focuses on the biotic interactions that occur at all levels of biological organization and how such interactions influence biochemical and cellular processes, and the fitness and survival of individuals, populations, and entire ecosystems. Research in this area may focus on theoretical and/or experimental skills needed for asking basic and applied questions in areas ranging from biophysics, chemical biology, biochemistry, molecular biology, genetics, cell biology and microbiology, to physiology, toxicology, and ecology and evolution.

Structure and Reactivity

Chemical and biological reactivity of molecules and supramolecular assemblies is tightly interrelated to their structure. Many areas in chemical and biological sciences, ranging from organic and organometallic chemistry to polymer and materials science, biochemistry and structural biology can be interconnected by studying the structure and function of molecules. The objective of research in this area is to understand how the structures of chemical and biological molecules influence function. Students will develop an understanding of the theoretical and/or experimental methods used for structure determination and explore the ways in which structure influences chemical and biochemical reactivity and/or biological processes.

Research Centres