OUR TEAM

Our interdisciplinary team of scientists and trainees have expertise in polymer and biomaterial engineering, chemistry, pharmaceutical formulation and drug delivery, animal/ex-vivo/in-vitro models of drug delivery, early stage material design and synthesis, and synthetic method scalability optimization.

Dr. Fran Lasowski
Chief Executive Officer

Frances Lasowski Ph.D. is a Chemical Engineer with expertise in biomaterials and drug delivery and training in commercialization. As Executive Director of the C20/20 Innovation Hub, she has an extensive network of ophthalmic contacts.  A former Vanier scholar, Lasowski completed her PhD at McMaster University within the NSERC 20/20 Network and has been involved in the ophthalmic space for over 12 years. 

Lasowski has entrepreneurial experience with the commercialization of the micelles for ocular applications.  As a co-founder and CEO of 20|20 OptimEyes Technologies, she brings an entrepreneurial understanding to the team. Lasowski is an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Booth School of Engineering Practice and Technology and an Innovation Consultant and Coach with the Michael G. DeGroote Initiative for Innovation in Healthcare at McMaster University.

Dr. Heather Sheardown
Chief Scientific Officer

Heather Sheardown Ph.D. is the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and a Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at McMaster University. She is also the Scientific Director of the C20/20 Innovation Hub and holds a cross-­appointment with the School of Optometry at the University of Waterloo.

Sheardown is a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering, the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineers, and the International Union of Societies of Biomaterials and Engineering. She holds a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Ophthalmic Biomaterials and Drug Delivery Systems. She has gained an international reputation for her research on ophthalmic biomaterials, including her innovative work on the development of new materials for artificial cornea and ophthalmic drug delivery.

Dr. Renaud Jacquemart
Chief Operating Officer

Renaud Jacquemart Ph.D. M.B.A is a purpose-driven, strategic, global business leader with a 20+ years track record of driving scientific and commercial operations to lead early-stage companies towards achieving their commercial goals. Jacquemart has dual expertise in international business and biopharmaceutical products development, with special focus on corporate development, innovation management, business operations and strategic marketing. Jacquemart is an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Booth School of Engineering Practice and Technology and the Entrepreneur In Residence for Engineering and Health Sciences at McMaster University.

 

McMaster Research Team

  • Talena Rambarran Ph.D. is the Synthetic Lead Postdoctoral Fellow in the Sheardown Lab of the C20/20 Innovation Hub. Talena completed her graduate work in the area of polymer chemistry while holding three prestigious NSERC awards. During her Postdoctoral work, she previously held an OCE TalentEdge Fellowship and currently holds an NSERC Postdoctoral Fellowship. Her expertise in synthetic polymer chemistry and training in drug delivery and numerous analytical and material characterization techniques allows her to work in both early stage material design and synthesis and synthetic method scalability optimization.

  • Ben Muirhead Ph.D. is the Retinal Lead Postdoctoral Fellow in the Sheardown Lab of the C20/20 Innovation Hub. Ben obtained a PhD in Biomedical Engineering, producing several peer-reviewed papers on ocular drug delivery. He has specialized in animal modelling and in-vivo biomaterial assessment, which he employs to create and evaluate preclinical animal models being treated with different technologies. Ben has worked on internal and external projects both in the anterior and posterior segments of the eye.

  • Lina Liu M.Sc. is the Engineering Lead in the Sheardown Lab of the C20/20 Innovation Hub. Lina’s educational background is in the field of polymer and biomaterial engineering. She has extensive knowledge and work experience in designing novel biomaterials, performing synthesis experiments, and evaluating new materials using different characterization methods. Lina has ongoing collaborations with many leading industry partners. Her expertise includes contact lens surface modifications, nanoparticles for drug delivery, and various material characterizations, including mechanical and morphological property tests. Lina is also responsible for training students and trainees in lab techniques, equipment use and maintenance, and SOP best practices.