Our Team
About Us
We are a diverse group of researchers all interested in making advances in science and medical application using responsive polymer-based systems.
If you are interested in joining our group or learning more about what we do, contact us.
Dr. Michael Serpe
Michael J. Serpe received his B.S. at the University of Central Florida in 2000. He received his Ph.D. from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 2004 with Professor Andrew Lyon. There he developed novel polymeric materials for applications in drug delivery, microoptic arrays, and photonics. After a one year conducting research in industry, he joined the group of Professor Stephen Craig at Duke University in 2006. There he used single-molecule force spectroscopy to investigate reversible polymer bridging between surfaces.
He joined the Department of Chemistry at the University of Alberta as an Assistant Professor in 2009 and was awarded early tenure and promoted to Associate Professor in 2013. On July, 1, 2018, Prof. Serpe was promoted to Full Professor.
Prof. Serpe has been named a Grand Challenges Canada Rising Star in Global Health, received the 2013 Petro Canada Young Innovator Award, and has been named one of Edmonton’s Top 40 Under 40 by Avenue Magazine for 2013-2014.
Graduate Students
Completed his B.Sc. Honors in Biochemistry at the University of Alberta. His current research focuses on developing stimuli-responsive polymer-based biomaterials for controlled drug delivery and tissue engineering applications. He enjoys swimming, listening to music, reading and video gaming when not in the lab.
Faisal received his B.Sc. (Honours with distinction) in 2015 and MS in 2016 in Chemistry from the University of Chittagong, Bangladesh. Later he earned an M.Eng. in Materials Chemistry from the Kanazawa University, Japan in 2018. His current PhD research in the Serpe group includes the determination of phosphate and naphthenic acid in water. Faisal enjoys playing cricket and video games.
Completed an Honours B.Sc degree in biochemistry from the University of Alberta in 2019. Her current research project involves the development of an acetylcholine biosensor. The sensors are based upon the surface modification of optical etalon devices, which are fabricated by “sandwiching” a single pNIPAm layer between 2 thin gold layers. When not in the lab she enjoys getting active and spending time with her family.
Nicholas completed his BSc. majoring in Chemistry at the University of Alberta in 2018. His research studies the use of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-based sensor arrays for monitoring ions in water and for detecting hormones such as Progesterone and Estradiol in biological matrices for biomedical applications. Outside of the lab, he is a hockey fan and collects model aircrafts as a hobby.
Xiaochen received his B.Sc. degree in chemistry from the University of Alberta in 2020. He is interested in the sensor projects (designs and applications) based on pNIPAm microgels. He is a big fan of badminton and video games.
Madeline completed a B.Sc in chemistry at Thompson Rivers University in 2020. Her research interest is in the design and applications of pNIPAm microgel sensors for the detection of ions in water. She also enjoys listening to music, reading, and cooking.
Karen completed her BSc. in biological sciences from the University of Alberta in 2021. Her research studies the use of stimuli-responsive microgels for drug delivery applications. Outside of the lab she enjoys knitting, painting, and working out at the gym.
Stephanie received her B.Sc. in Chemistry (2018) and her MSc. (2021) at the University of São Paulo, Brazil.
During her undergraduate studies and her masters, she worked on developing new polymeric systems using a cellulose derivative for the adsorption of an organic water pollutant.
She joined Dr. Serpe´s group in 2022. Her research interests include the development of polymer-based systems focusing on water remediation.
She loves music and making new friends. Outside of the lab, she enjoys playing acoustic guitar, going for a walk, and reading.