Principal Investigator
Postdoc, Wyss Institute at Harvard (2015-2017)
Ph.D. Chemical Engineering, MIT (2015)
B.A.Sc. Chemical Engineering, University of Ottawa (2010)
B.Sc. Biochemistry, University of Ottawa (2010)
Noémie-Manuelle Dorval Courchesne, ing., Ph.D.
Canada Research Chair in Biologically-Derived Materials
Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering, McGill University
After earning a double degree in Biotechnology (Chemical Engineering & Biochemistry) from the University of Ottawa, Prof. Dorval Courchesne spent a few years in Boston to pursue graduate studies. She completed her Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), in the groups of Paula Hammond and Angela Belcher. She then worked as an FRQNT postdoctoral fellow at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University. She joined the Department of Chemical Engineering at McGill University in August 2017. Since 2021, she holds the Canada Research Chair in Biologically-Derived Materials.
Prof. Dorval Courchesne authored several publications and hold patents in the fields of nanotechnology, biotechnology and materials science. She believes that biologically-derived materials have a tremendous potential to improve the functionalities of various devices for environmental and biomedical applications. She aims at developing novel methods for engineering and assembling functional protein-based materials and devices. She is also broadly interested in composite materials, sustainable material alternatives and bio-inspired technologies.
Prof. Dorval Courchesne is a member of the Québec Center for Advanced Materials (QCAM/CQMF); the Research Center for High Performance Polymer and Composite Systems (CREPEC); the Quebec Network for Research on Protein Function, Engineering, and Applications (PROTEO); the McGill Institute for Advanced Materials (MIAM); the McGill Sustainability Systems Initiative (MSSI); and the Trottier Institute for Sustainability in Engineering and Design (TISED). She is also part of an NSERC CREATE program in Sustainable Electronics and Eco-Design (SEED).
Recent honours to Prof. Dorval Courchesne include: the Christophe Pierre Award for Research Excellence (Early Career) in the Faculty of Engineering at McGill (2020), an Emerging Leader in Chemical Engineering title by the Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering (2020), a Johnson & Johnson WiSTEM2D Scholars Award in the Engineering category (2022), and a Prix du Québec (Prix Hubert-Reeves, Relève Scientifique) (2024).
Lab Group
December 2024
Aug 2024
December 2024
Postdoctoral Researchers
Dr. Julia Maria
de Medeiros Dantas
Postdoc
Julia completed her PhD in Chemical Engineering at the Université de Sherbrooke with focus in the development of large-scale storage techniques for bioethanol feedstock. During her PhD, she also worked with the production of lignocellulosic ethanol and biogas production. She did her Bachelor and Master’s degree in the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. During her bachelor, she worked with the production of bioactive oligomers of chitosan by chitosanases and her Master’s thesis was on the immobilization of those enzymes. Now, during her postdoc she will be working with the bioeletronic team to improve the production of conductive proteins. Her areas of expertise are fermentation optimization, purification of biomolecules and scaling-up fermentative processes. When not in the lab, she loves to cook for her loved ones, practicing/watching sports and all kinds of art.
E-mail: julia.demedeirosdantas(at)mcgill.ca
Office: Wong 6130
Dr. Mario Alfonso Arenas Garcia
Postdoc
Mario recently finished his PhD with us, which consisted in the synthesis and integration of nanomaterials in curli fibers for the enhancement of electrical conductivity and antimicrobial properties. He has worked on many different elements which include genetic engineering, protein expression/purification, electrical conductivity, composite formulation, and material assays. As a postdoc, he will be focused on the generation of new curli-based composites and aid new graduate students gain their foot in our lab. Previously, he did a B.Sc. in Biotechnology in Mexico and his M.Sc. in Biochemical Engineering in England. He (still) enjoys spending his time trying out new foods and attending concerts!
E-mail: mario.arenasgarcia(at)mail.mcgill.ca
Office: Wong 6080
PhD Students
Daniel Modafferi
Daniel joined the group as a PhD student in Chemical Engineering. He is the recipient of an FRQNT Doctoral Research Scholarship and a Vadasz Scholar MEDA Award. He obtained a bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry as a member of the Co-op program, and an M.Sc. in Physics at Concordia University, in Montreal. He continues to dismiss barriers between classical scientific disciplines and fields, as he applies his interdisciplinary knowledge to develop new bioelectronic materials from proteins, for the application of wearable or implantable electronic devices. His interests include, but are not restricted to, piano playing, the outdoors, and baking (eating).
E-mail: daniel.modafferi(at)mail.mcgill.ca
Office: Wong 6130
Xin Xiao
Xin is the recipient of a MEDA award and a CREATE SEED scholarship. She completed her Bachelor's degree in Polymer Material Science and Engineering in Shanghai, China and her Master's degree in Medical Materials in London, UK. After university, Xin has worked in the medical device and pharmaceutical industry for 7 years, and she is determined to pursue further her PhD in Chemical Engineering at McGill University. She is co-supervised by Prof. Dorval Courchesne and Prof. Moraes. Her project involves the design and biosynthesis of tissue-adhesive protein fibers, for the application of ultra-soft self-healing bioactive microelectrode arrays for brain organoids. Outside the lab, she enjoys acrylic painting, swimming, and traveling. She has a 3-year old cat (British short hair) and a 1-year old dog in China, hopefully she can bring them here someday!
E-mail: xin.xiao2(at)mail.mcgill.ca
Office: Wong 6080
David Uriel Zamora Cisneros
Born and raised in Mexico City, where he completed his bachelor’s degree and M.Sc. in Chemical Engineering at UNAM (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México) and UAM (Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana), respectively, David was awarded a CONACYT scholarship to pursue his doctoral studies abroad. Now he is a Ph.D. candidate in the Materials Modeling Research Group and in the Dorval Lab in the Department of Chemical Engineering, and in the Harrington Lab in the Department of Chemistry at McGill University. His project involves the in-silico study of liquid crystals, their presence in biological systems just as the one seen in the mussel byssus, and the founding principles that lead them to their transformation into materials with remarkable properties. When not involved in research or at McGill, you can find him at some cafe/food places trying out new food or enjoying a cup of coffee while he lurks through the immeasurable music realm looking for new songs/bands or the next concert in town. His interests besides music are drawing, reading, and long walks.
E-mail: david.zamoracisneros(at)mail.mcgill.ca
Office: Wong 6190
Xinxin Hao
Xinxin is a PhD student in Chemical Engineering, focusing on the fabrication of soft electrodes for tissues. In his undergrad, he worked on developing composite bioinks for living cells and composite conductive biomaterials. He completed his bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering from McGill University in May 2023. He is the recipient of MEITA award and a CREATE SEED scholarship.
Email: xinxin.hao(at)mail.mcgill.ca
Office: Wong 6130
Master Students
Rebecca Yan
Rebecca is a Master of Science student in Chemical Engineering and is working on the fabrication of bio-based fibres for the synthesis of textile yarn. She has received a scholarship from the CREATE SEED (Collaborative Research and Training Experience in Sustainable Electronics and Eco-Design) for her master’s degree. During her BSc in Chemistry, she worked on synthesizing aqueous nanoclusters for photodynamic therapy (PDT) and optimizing the synthesis of deuterated dopamine. Outside of the lab, Rebecca likes to listen to podcasts, read fiction books, watch new movies, and spend time with her friends and family!
Email: rebecca.yan(at)mail.mcgill.ca
Office: Wong 6290
Jing Yang
Jing is a MEng student in Chemical Engineering. She completed her bachelor’s degree in ChemBio from McMaster University in May 2024. During her undergraduate studies, she helped design a new chemical sensor which can help monitor alkalinity in water and could be a potential candidate for water quality testing. In her free time, she enjoys walking, museums and nature.
E-mail: jing.yang6(at)mail.mcgill.ca
Office: Wong 6080
Weijia Zhang
Weijia is a Master of Science student in Chemical Engineering, working on characterizing charge transport mechanisms in different types of conductive protein fibers. She completed her BASc in Chemical Engineering at the University of British Columbia in May 2024. During her undergraduate studies, she contributed to developing wood foams with increased bio-based components by partially or completely replacing the polymer binder (PVA) with pulp fibers. Outside the lab, Weijia enjoys reading detective novels, hiking, and spending time with dogs and cats.
E-mail: weijia.zhang(at)mail.mcgill.ca
Office: 6290
Undergraduate Students
Henry Stephenson
Henry is a bioengineering undergraduate student working on a project to develop responsive textiles. His research background is primarily in immunology and synthetic biology, though he’s excited to expand his skills with biologically derived materials. He is part of the McGill iGEM undergraduate research team in addition to his work at Dorval Lab. Henry hopes to leverage his research background and a minor in Management to benefit the world through the innovations of biotechnology and molecular biology. Beyond research, Henry loves practicing piano (especially Chopin), linguistics and language learning, and playing pickup soccer with friends.
Beyza Ozbaran
Beyza is a chemical engineering undergraduate student currently working on the production and testing of conductive proteins derived from M13 bacteriophage. She is one of the recipients of a scholarship from the CREATE SEED (Sustainable Electronics and Eco-Design) program for the summer 2024. She’s hoping to use her passion for bioelectronics to create a more sustainable future. In her free time, she likes to go on long walks, read, and draw while listening to music.
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Dalia Saldanha, PhD 2024. in
Masoud Aminzare, PhD 2024. in
Omar Jimenez Castaneda, MSc (thesis) 2024. in
Slah Hidouri, Postdoc 2024. in
Kingsley Wong, MSc (thesis), 2023. in
Simon Rowat, MSc (thesis), 2023. in
Zahra Abdali, PhD 2022, Postdoc 2023. in
Angie Cai, MSc (thesis), 2022. in
Amy Chow, MEng (project), 2022. in
Catrina Huyer, MEng (thesis), 2021. in
Raed Gharbi, MEng (thesis), 2020. in
Jiawei Yan, MEng (project), 2020. in
Saadia Wasim, MEng (thesis), 2019. in
Bita Janfeshan, Postdoc, 2018. in
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Reefah Kabir, NSERC USRA/SURE and BIEN 471 projects, McGill University, Summer-Fall 2024 in
Elsa Baxter, NSERC USRA/SURE project, McGill University, Summer 2024 in
Yolanda Zheng, SURE/EUL and CHEE 495 research projects, McGill University, Fall 2022-Winter 2024 in
Ghia El-Zoubeir, UG research project (CHEE 494), McGill University, Winter 2024 in
José Moro Gutierrez, UG research project (CHEE 494), McGill University, Winter 2024 in
Matthew Pyo, UG research project (CHEE 495), McGill University, Fall 2023-Winter 2024 in
Sharon Wu, UG research project (CHEE 494), McGill University, Fall 2023 in
Juliana Ferraro, SURE/EUL & CHEE 494 projects, McGill University, Winter 2020-Fall 2023 in
Leila Megevand, UG research project (CHEE 495), McGill University, Fall 2022 - Winter 2023 in
Jennifer Jiang, NSERC USRA/SURE & BIEN 471 projects, McGill University, Summer 2021-Winter 2023 in
Graham Townsend, SURE/EUL and CHEE 494 projects, McGill University, Fall 2020 - Summer 2022 in
Riley Sun, UG research project (CHEE 495), McGill University, Winter 2022 - Summer 2022 in
Alina Yuan, UG research project (CHEE 494), McGill University, Winter 2022
Dukun Zhao, UG research project (CHEE 494), McGill University, Winter 2022 in
Hajar Diouri, UG research project (CHEE 494), McGill University, Winter 2022 in
Sophia Roy, SURE/EUL & UG research projects, McGill University, Winter 2019 - Winter 2022. in
Pew Dey, UG research project (BIEN 471), McGill University, Summer 2021. in
Coralie Jabra Khabbaz, UG research project (CHEE 494), McGill University, Winter 2021. in
Gregory Brock, NSERC USRA/SURE project, McGill University, Summer 2020. in
Ziqi Zheng, UG research project (CHEE 494), McGill University, Summer 2019 - Fall 2020.
Armita Amini, NSERC USRA/SURE & CHEE 494 projects, McGill University, Summer 2018 - Fall 2020. in
Robert Chen, UG research project (CHEE 494), McGill University, Winter - Fall 2020. in
Lei Wang, UG research project (CHEE 494), McGill University, Winter - Summer 2020.
James Li, NSERC USRA/SURE project, McGill University, Summer 2020.
Oliver Xie, NSERC USRA/SURE & CHEE 494 projects, McGill University, Fall 2017 - Summer 2020. in
Yangshixing Li, UG research project (CHEE 494), McGill University, Winter 2019 - Spring 2020. in
Cathy Zhou, UG research project (CHEE 494), McGill University, Winter-Fall 2019. in
Xiaodan Zhu, UG research project (CHEE 494), McGill University, Fall 2018-Fall 2019. in
Liam Curtis, UG research project (CHEE 494),McGill University, Fall 2019. in
Aastha Goyal, UG research project (CHEE 494), McGill University, Fall 2019. in
Johan Alberti, Visiting student, Institut National des Sciences Appliquées de Toulouse, Summer 2019. in
Alexander Bevacqua, NSERC USRA/SURE project, McGill University, Summer 2019. in
Elia Benchekroun-Jolicoeur, UG research project (CHEE 494), McGill University, Summer 2019. in
Shurui Feng, Visiting student, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Summer 2019. in
Scott Jiang, UG research project (CHEE 494),McGill University, Fall 2018-Winter 2019 in
Alexandra Jacobson, UG research project (CHEE 496), McGill University, Winter 2019. in
Jonathan Ong, UG research project (CHEE 494), McGill University, Fall 2018-Winter 2019. in
Jessica Tian, UG research project (CHEE 494), McGill University, Winter 2018-Winter 2019. in
Nolwenn Cousineau, NSERC USRA/SURE project,McGill University, Summer 2018. in
Alexander Lambert, SURE project,McGill University, Summer 2018. in
Nidhi Kamath, Visiting student, Manipal Institute of Technology, January-June 2018.
Honghan Zhu, UG research project, McGill University, Fall 2017-Winter 2018 in
Esther Xu, UG research project (CHEE 494), McGill University, Fall 2017-Winter 2018