Grants and Contributions:

Grant or Award spanning more than one fiscal year. (2017-2018 to 2022-2023)

The dream of biomedical device industries is to provide patients and clinicians with a new generation of implants that can perform its function then dissolve in the host body, eliminating the harmful effects of current permanent implants. Biodegradable metals, having the combination of strength, ductility and degradability, have been viewed as the ideal materials for making those dreamed implants. Published works on biodegradable metals have been significantly increasing from less than 50 papers in 2005 to more than 2,000 over 10 years. These metals have been attracting researchers in academia and industries alike as they can potentially revolutionize the medical products. The future trend goes toward adding bioactivities and exploring new clinical applications that require a temporary presence of load bearing implants. One of the latest development is the introduction of its porous structure for bone scaffolds. I am among the first to introduce porous biodegradable metal scaffolds with the works on new composites of porous iron-poly(lactic- co -glycolic acid) as reported in Nature’s Scientific Reports .

Having worked independently in biodegradable metals research in the past 6 years, I defined my long-term objective to develop world-recognized expertise in novel innovative biomaterials with fundamental understanding of their material-process-corrosion relationship . Within 5 years, I will address the current challenge and need for bioactive biomaterials and explore new applications of biodegradable metals. At one direction, I will develop new class of bioactive iron-based porous metals in view of bone scaffold applications. The porous iron will be the backbone for incorporating bioactive compounds like Ca-P and Ag ions via conversion coating technique. Another direction is on developing novel biodegradable metals in view of new application in urology. Having discussed with urologists, I understood there is an unfulfilled need for strong temporary ureteral stents where engineering should take the role. Magnesium and zinc alloys are the ideal materials to make the stent with superior mechanical property than that made of polymers. The works in both directions are intended to make a lasting effect by understanding process-structure-property relationship of the developed materials.

I will bring valid evidence of the optimum mechanical and corrosion properties of bioactive porous iron and novel alloys as new technological platform applicable to scaffold and ureteral stents, respectively. I will both advance knowledge and train high qualified personnel to acquire expertise in the key areas of science and engineering for Canada. Four graduate students were recruited and have been initiating works planned in this program with some preliminary results. The support from NSERC plays an important role to the continuation of their training and the establishment of our young research group.