Dr. Aicheng Chen
To Dr. Aicheng Chen, Canada Research Chair in Materials and Environmental Chemistry, the green applications of chemistry are truly endless.
From employing nanomaterials to clean up organic pollutants to producing green fuels through biorefinery to developing electrochemical tools for wastewater analysis and treatment, Dr. Chen has been a true catalyst for a series of incredible advances in his field, particularly with regards to innovative environmental applications.
To carry out this rash of research initiatives, Dr. Chen has established an active research team, which employs the diverse talents of promising students throughout the MSc in Chemistry, MSc in Environmental Engineering, PhD in Chemistry and Materials Science, and PhD in Biotechnology programs. These students have played a dynamic role in several of their supervisor's major undertakings including the development of various nanomaterials and their employment in a wide range of applications from fuel cell fabrication to wastewater remediation.
As well, students were highly involved in Dr. Chen's research on lignin development through which they endeavored to convert the by-products of pulp and paper industries into value-added projects. With a number of mills in Ontario facing closure, this research strategy has the potential to provide a significant boost to the industry, allowing mills to stay competitive.
Dr. Chen even collectively applied for patent protection with his students and postdoctoral fellows, after they successfully developed a unique electrochemical glucose sensor. They believe their innovation, which can be used to monitor and treat diabetes, will prove attractive to the multi-billion dollar glucose monitor industry and used to benefit health care on a large scale.
Besides participating in the lab work, students on the Chen Research Team are also actively involved in publishing journal articles, conference papers, and reports. Dr. Chen emphasizes the importance of graduates "getting their feet wet" in major projects so they may grow to be competitive and independent scientists. For graduates looking to plunge into green, groundbreaking research with electrifying results, Lakehead is the place to be.