
Members

Our philosophy
We are strongly committed to providing a positive, supportive and equitable work place. Our group is composed of researchers from diverse backgrounds and experiences, allowing us to tackle multidisciplinary problems with innovating solutions and rigorous science. We promote an open, fun and creative lab environment. To learn more, read our lab manual.

Matthew Waugh
BSc. (Biochemistry) MSc. (Physics)
MBA
Lab Manager
- GNN070
- (613) 562-5800 x7936
- mwaugh@uOttawa.ca
Role: Laboratory manager
Projects:
Nanopore Fabrication by CBD; Nanopore Instrumentation; 3D printing; Membrane fabrication.

Dr. Erin McConnell
Ph.D. (Chemistry)
Postdoctoral Fellow
- STM485
- (613) 562-5800 x7937
- emcconn3@uottawa.ca
Projects:
Single-molecule assay design; Aptamers and DNAzymes; digital immunoassays; Developing nanopore assays compatible with enzymatic amplification techniques for infectious disease diagnostics.

Dr. Kyle Briggs
Ph.D. (Physics)
Postdoctoral Fellow
- STM485
- (613) 562-5800 x7937
- kbrig035@uOttawa.ca
Projects:
Nanopore Fabrication by CBD; Nanopore Analysis Software; Algorithm for DNA Origami and Nanostructures Design.

Zachary Roelen
BSc. (Physics, McGill)
Ph.D. Student in Physics
- STEM485
- (613) 562-5800 x7937
- zroel034@uOttawa.ca
Projects:
Nanopore integration with microfluidic-based iDEP devices; Synthesis of DNA scaffolds for biosensing; Nanoporous membrane fabrication by CBD.

Liqun He
BSc. (Physics, UofT)
Ph.D. Student in Physics
- STEM485
- (613) 562-5800 x7937
- liqunhe0215@gmail.com
Projects:
Nanopore-based Single-Molecule Immunoassay; DNA origami and nanostructures characterization.

Martin Charon
BSc. (Physics, uO)
M.Sc. (Physics, uO)
Ph.D. Student in Physics
- STEM485
- (613) 562-5800 x7937
- mchar243@gmail.com
Projects:
Dynamics of polymer capture and passage through nanopores; Nanoporous membrane fabrication by CBD; DNA origami and nanostructures characterization; Characterize protein translocations.

Philipp Karau
BSc. (Physics, Freie Universität Berlin)
M.Sc. (Physics, uO)
Ph.D. Student in Physics
- STEM485
- (613) 562-5800 x7937
- pkara031@uottawa.ca
Projects:
DNA nanostructure design; Characterization of synthetic polymer translocations; Nanopore-based decoding of information stored on molecules.

Mohamed Yassine Bouhamidi
BSc. (Electrical Engineering, uO)
Ph.D, Student in Biomedical Engineering
- GNN070
- (613) 562-5800 x7936
- mbouh050@uottawa.ca
Projects:
Developing multi-channel high-bandwidth nanopore measurement platform; Instrumentation for streaming potential measurements.

Dmytro Lomovtsev
B.A.Sc. (Mech. Engineering, uO)
M.A.Sc. (Mech. Eng, uO)
Engineering Research Associate
- GNN070
- (613) 562-5800 x7936
- dlomo006@uottawa.ca
Projects:
Instrumentation development; 3D printing of milli- and micro-fluidic cells; Instrumentation for high-speed nanopore translocation recording with active temperature control.

Alison Nandram
Program of studies: B.A.Sc. in Biomedical Mechanical Engineering and B.Sc. in Computing Technology, uO
Coop Research Student
- GNN070
- (613) 562-5800 x7936
- anand011@uottawa.ca
Project:
3D printing of micro- and millifluidic cells; Instrumentation; Nanopore fabrication by controlled breakdown

Karolina Kropop
Program of studies: B.Sc. in Biochemistry
Coop Research Student
- STM485
- (613) 562-5800 x7937
- kkrop021@uottawa.ca
Project:
Single-molecule assay design; DNA nanostructure assembly.

Breeana Elliott
Program of studies: B.Sc. in Physics with Biological Physics option
Summer Research Student
- STM485
- (613) 562-5800 x7937
- belli081@uottawa.ca
Project:
Fundamentals of DNA translocation through nanopores.

Gengyang (Albert) Mu
B.A.Sc. (Mech. Engineering)
M.A.Sc. (Mech. Eng, uO)
Engineering Research Associate
- GNN070
- (613) 562-5800 x7936
- amu056@uottawa.ca
Project:
Microfabrication of membranes; Nanofabrication of nanopores by controlled breakdown.
Former Graduate Students, Postdocs and Research Associates
Dmytro Lomovtsev
M.A.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering co-supervised with Prof. Raphael St-Gelais – From Winter 2019 to Winter 2022
Thesis title: A platform for high-bandwidth, low-noise electrical nanopore sensing with thermal control.
Now at: Northern Nanopore Instruments
Simon King
M.Sc. in Physics – From Fall 2018 to Fall 2021
Thesis title: Development of Nanopore Sensing Methods for the Detection of PCR-amplified Pathogenic DNA.
Dr. Daniel Tessier
Postdoctoral Fellow and Research Associate (Biology) – From Fall 2016 to Summer 2020
Project: Development of digital immunoassays
Now at: Abbott Point-of-Care
Dr. Autumn Carlsen
Postdoctoral Fellow and Research Associate (Physics) – From Fall 2014 to Fall 2019
Project: Nanopore detection of DNA and proteins.
Now at: Canada Revenu Agency
Dr. Reza Khanbabaie Shoub
Research Associate (Physics) – From Fall 2019 to Spring 2020
Co-supervisor: Prof. Godin (http://godinlab.uottawa.ca)
Project: Nanopore Sensors Integrated with Microfluidics
Now at: UBC Okanagan (lecturer)
Dr. Ali Najafi Sohi
Postdoctoral Fellow (Mech. Eng.) – From Fall 2017 to Fall 2019
Co-supervisor: Prof. Godin (http://godinlab.uottawa.ca)
Project: Nanopore Sensors Integrated with Microfluidics
Now at: Iridia (nanopore start-up)
Martin Charron
M.Sc. student (Physics) – From Fall 2016 to Fall 2019
Project: Precise DNA Concentration Measurements with Nanopores by Controlled Counting
Now at: Ph.D. student in T.-Cossa Lab
Eric Beamish
PhD. student (Physics) – From Fall 2012 to Summer 2019
Co-supervisor: Prof. Godin (http://godinlab.uottawa.ca)
Project: Assay Development for Solid-state Nanopore Biosensors
Now at: Merizzi Ramsbottom & Forster (Technical Advisor – Patents)
Kyle Briggs
PhD. student (Physics) – From Fall 2014 to Summer 2018
Vanier Scholar and Winner of the Pierre Laberge Prize for best doctoral thesis in 2019 in the Sciences and Engineering
Project: Applications of Solid-State Nanopores.
Now at: Postdoctoral Fellow in the T.-Cossa Lab and CEO of Northern Nanopore Instruments
Radin Tahvildari
PhD. student (Physics) – From Fall 2013 to Winter 2017
Co-supervisor: Prof. Godin (http://godinlab.uottawa.ca)
Project: Nanopore arrays integrated with microfluidics
Now at: IMEC
Philipp Karau
M.Sc. student (Physics) – From Winter 2016 to Winter 2018
Project: Translocation characteristics of branched DNA through nanopores
Now at: Ph.D. student in T.-Cossa Lab
Dylan Gunn
Engineer and Project manager (Eng. Physics) – From Winter 2016 to Fall 2017
Project: Productizing nanopore fabrication by controlled breakdown
Now at: Director of Engineering Physics Project Lab (UBC)
Aidan Baker-Murray
Postdoctoral Fellow (Physics) – From Fall 2015 to Fall 2016
Project: Nanopore counting of proxy labels
Now at: Research Associate uOttawa
Matthew Waugh
M.Sc. student (Physics) – From Fall 2013 to Fall 2015
Project: DNA translocations through nanopores interfaced with gel media.
Now at: Lab manager of T.-Cossa Lab and COO of Northern Nanopore Instruments
Benjamin Watts, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow (Physics) – 2014-2015
Co-supervisor: Prof. Godin
Project: Custom Membrane Fabrication and Microfluidic Integration
Now at: ArtIC Photonics
Jose Bustamante
M.Sc. student (Physics) – From Fall 2012 to Summer 2014
Project: Simultaneous Single-Molecule Fluorescence and Electrical Detection of DNA through Nanopores.
Now at: Ph.D. student McGill
Harold (Wing Hei) Kwok
Ph.D. student (Physics) – From Fall 2010 to Winter 2014
Project: Nanopore Fabrication by Controlled Dielectric Breakdown.
Former Undergraduate Students
Mohamed Yassine Bouhamidi
Undergraduate Student COOP and part-time (Electrical Engineering, uO)
May 2021 – April 2022
Lucas Philipp
Undergraduate Student COOP (Biophysics, UBC)
May 2019 – April 2020
Ahmed Rezk
Undergraduate Student 4th year Honours Project (Physics, uO)
January – April 2020
Dmytro Lomovtsev
Undergraduate Student COOP, USRA and part-time (Biomed. Eng, uO)
September 2018 – December 2019
Marie-Pier Laberge
Undergraduate Student COOP (Biomed Eng., uO)
September – December 2019
Guillerme Roballo
Undergraduate Student Exchange program (Electrical Eng, Brazil, Military Engineering Institute)
September – December 2019
Matthaios Tsangaris
Undergraduate Student Honours Project BCH4040 and part-time (Biochemistry, uO)
May 2018 – December 2019
Derek Boase
Undergraduate Student summer research part-time (Physics and EE, uO)
May 2018 – December 2019
Chelsea Leung
Undergraduate Student COOP (NanoScience, uWaterloo)
January – August 2019
Smile (Xi Man) Peng
Summer Researcher (Engineering Science, University of Toronto)
May – August 2019
Guillaume Pregliasco
Undergraduate Student COOP (Chem. Eng, uO)
September – December 2018
Nathaniel Leslie
Undergraduate Student COOP (Chemistry, uO)
September – December 2018
Quinn Ingram
Undergraduate Student COOP (Biochemistry/Chem. Eng, uO)
January – December 2018
Michelle Vandeloo
Undergraduate Student COOP (Biochemistry, uO)
January – April 2018
Michelle Lam
Undergraduate Student COOP (Biophysics, UBC)
September 2017 – April 2018
Melissa Jimenez
Undergraduate Student COOP (Biomed. Mech. Eng, uO)
September 2017 – April 2018
Amanda Alain
Undergraduate Honours Thesis (Biochemistry, uO)
July 2017 – March 2018
Mohammed Sayeem
Undergraduate Student COOP (Biopharmaceutical Science)
September – December 2017
France Manigat
Undergraduate Student COOP (Biopharmaceutical Science)
January – August 2017
Samuel Berryman
Undergraduate Student COOP (Mech. Eng, UBC)
January – August 2017
Giulio Pregnolato
Undergraduate Student COOP (Mech. Eng, UBC)
September – December 2016
Caroline Tippins
Undergraduate Student COOP (Physics, uO)
May – August 2016
An Duong
Undergraduate Student COOP (Biology, uO)
May – August 2016
David Gregory Hobson
Undergraduate Student NSERC URSA (Physics-Math, uO)
May – August 2015
Erick Rene Espindola
Undergraduate Student Mitacs (Physics, Mexico)
May – August 2015
Sanmeet Chahal
Undergraduate Student NSERC URSA (Physics, uO)
May – August 2014
Timothea (Betty) Le
Undergraduate Student UROP, NSERC URSA (Biochemistry, uO)
January 2014 – August 2014
Pierre Janusz
Undergraduate Exchange Student (Physics, France)
September 2013 – April 2014
Nick Yelle
Undergraduate Student COOP (Biochemistry, uO)
September – December 2013
Julie Montgomery
Undergraduate Honours Thesis (Physics, uO)
September 2012 – April 2013
Julien Thibert-Leduc
Undergraduate Student COOP (Physics, uO)
January – August 2012
Matthew Windeler
Summer Researcher (Physics, uO)
May – August 2012
Chris Wlodarczyk
Undergraduate Honours Thesis (Physics, uO)
September 2011 – April 2012
Jean Luc Rukundo
Summer Researcher (Physics, McGill University)
May – August 2011
Edward Percy
Summer Researcher (Physics, Queen’s University)
May – August 2011
Matthew Rigby
Undergraduate Honours Thesis (Physics, uO)
September 2010 – April 2011
Contacts
Dr. Vincent Tabard-Cossa
Associate Professor
Department of Physics
STEM Complex
University of Ottawa
Ottawa ON, K1N 6N5, Canada