You are invited to attend the Biotechnology PhD Dissertation Defense of Mahsa Jahed.

Title: Experimental and Numerical Investigation of Multi-phase Multicomponent Drug Delivery through a Patient-specific Respiratory Airway using Pressurized Metered-dose Inhalers (pMDIs)

This research study advances the fundamental understanding of aerosol drug delivery in pressurized metered-dose inhalers (pMDIs)—commonly known as puffers—by examining how device design, inhalation airflow dynamics, and patient-specific airway morphology collectively influence particle transport and deposition. Using an integrated experimental–computational framework, anatomically realistic airway replicas were evaluated alongside high-fidelity CFD simulations to capture transient plume evolution, droplet breakup and coalescence, wall interaction behavior, and multiscale deposition mechanisms under clinically relevant inhalation conditions. The findings show that even subtle changes in device nozzle geometry, plume temperature, aerosol momentum, airway compliance, or non-ideal breathing patterns can lead to significant shifts in regional deposition throughout the respiratory tract. These insights are especially relevant for improving puffer performance for individuals with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), offering critical guidance for next-generation pMDI design and providing evidence-based recommendations for optimizing patient inhalation techniques. Ultimately, this work enhances the reproducibility, efficiency, and therapeutic effectiveness of pulmonary drug delivery.

Friday, January 16, 2026
10:00 am
FB 2023 and zoom

Committee Members: Drs. Leila Pakzad and Janusz Kozinski (co-supervisors), Dr. Francisco Ramos Pallares, Dr. Muhammad Khalid and Dr. Zahra Keshavarz-Motamed (external)

Everyone is welcome

Please contact Brenda Magajna at phd.ses@lakeheadu.ca for more information.

Have an innovative idea that could help the planet? Whether you're a student or a member of the community, this free event is your chance to pitch your bioeconomy business idea for a chance to win part of $1,500 in cash prizes!

Bioeconomy startups use renewable biological resources to create sustainable solutions in sectors like energy, agriculture, food, forestry, and waste reduction.

How to Win

• Apply by February 2, 2026
• Attend the Pitch Workshop on February 11
• Pitch your idea on February 18 (4:30 to 7:00pm)

Interested in launching a forest-based business? Join us on Thursday, Jan. 22 from 12 to 1 p.m. at the Ingenuity Atrium (CASES Building) for a free event (lunch included!) where you can explore how the Boreal Springboard Accelerator can help bring your business idea to life.

Whether you have a new idea, technical or business skills, or just want to learn about opportunities in the forestry sector — this session is for you! Learn how you can access up to $20,000 in funding, mentorship, industry connections, and technical supports to build an innovative startup.

Covidence is a web-based tool that streamlines the screening and data extraction steps of an evidence synthesis project, such as a systematic or scoping review. Lakehead now has an institutional subscription to Covidence.

Attend this session to learn:

• how to join Lakehead's institutional Covidence account.
• the steps to starting a review in Covidence.
• how Covidence helps with the screening and data extraction process.
• where to find learning resources for Covidence.

Note: This session will be held online via Zoom. A confirmation with a link to the session will be emailed to you after registration.

Register at: https://libcal.lakeheadu.ca/event/3979741

Open access (OA) is imperative for ensuring free and unrestricted access to scientific knowledge. It can help increase the visibility of research and improve the impact and citation of researchers. Funding agencies (e.g., Tri-Council) are now requiring that research funded by them should be published OA, either through OA journals or post-prints deposit in institutional repositories. This makes OA publishing a pivotal part of the research cycle for Lakehead University faculty, postdoctoral researchers, and graduate student researchers.

By the end of this workshop, you will be able to:

• understand OA publishing routes
• identify the pros and cons of OA publishing
• understand how to retain copyright while publishing in non-OA journals (if necessary)
• identify resources available for publishing OA, article processing charges waivers and discounts for Lakehead University faculty, researchers, and students
• locate quality OA journals in your discipline

Note: This session will be held online via Zoom. A confirmation with a link to the session will be emailed to you after registration.

Register at: https://libcal.lakeheadu.ca/event/3978449

For anyone doing internet-based research. How can we create reliable, permanent copies of social media, websites, and other documents only found online? This 1-hour workshop explores tools you can use yourself, and how you can make use of web archiving projects worldwide, to carry out research, or to preserve copies of ephemeral digital material to be studied or referenced. (Chrome browser recommended.)

By attending this workshop you will:

• understand the challenges of preserving digital material on the web;
• know how to use and contribute to Internet Archive collections;
• explore other free tools to preserve social media content for later reference.

Note: This session will be held online via Zoom. A confirmation with a link to the session will be emailed to you after registration.

Register at: https://libcal.lakeheadu.ca/event/3979624

This workshop will introduce you to AI concepts, and together we will explore several AI tools for academic work. You’ll learn key terminology, discover different types of popular AI tools, including text generators, research assistants and see how AI is embedded in some library databases. This session will also cover essential skills like fact-checking GenAI outputs and employing "lateral reading" techniques to verify sources.

Learning Outcomes:

• Clear understanding of AI fundamentals and terminology
• Exposure to AI tools relevant to academic work
• Foundation for responsible AI use
• Evaluate / Fact Checking AI Output

This session will be held online via Zoom. A confirmation with a link to the session will be emailed to you after registration.

Register at: https://libcal.lakeheadu.ca/event/3979751