Current Postdoctoral Fellows, Visiting Scholars, and Ph.D and M.Sc students/candidates
Adam is a medical doctor currently researching in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, and he also works as a pre-clinical instructor in the College of Medicine. Outside of his research, Adam has numerous interests, but his passions are in STEM promotion, Global Health, entrepreneurship, and interprofessional education. He performs a lot of volunteer work in these areas, including founding Med Hack Enterprises Inc., serves as the president of the Saskatoon Métis Local 126 and a director of the Greater Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce, and is a mentor to Indigenous students. Due to his work, Adam has received numerous Indspire Scholarships, the University of Saskatchewan MSc Devolved Graduate Scholarship, and the Indigenous Graduate Leadership Award. Adam grew up on a small farm in rural Southwestern Saskatchewan.
Artem graduated with a B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Saskatchewan in 2026 and is currently pursuing his master’s degree under the supervision of Dr. Daniel Chen. His research focuses on understanding the mechanics of junctions within tissue scaffolds and how these structures respond to mechanical loading. Outside of research, Artem enjoys cooking and has a strong passion for photography, particularly street and portrait photography.
Kathryn is a PhD student in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Saskatchewan, who started her program in September 2023 under the supervision of Dr. Daniel Chen. She attained her Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Saskatchewan. During her bachelor’s degree, Kathryn worked on machine learning models for predicting the survival outcome of liver cancer patients and on the printability of biomaterial solutions for extrusion bioprinting. Her PhD research is focused on bioink development and in-vitro modelling for respiratory tissue engineering. Separate from research, Kathryn volunteers on many councils at the university including the Engineering Graduate Community Council, University Hiring Committees and on the Student Forum. She is also passionate about teaching and has been a teaching assistant in a variety of undergraduate courses.
Roghayeh (Romia) joined Dr. Daniel Chen's research group at the University of Saskatchewan as a Ph.D. student in Biomedical Engineering in September 2025. She earned her M.Sc. in Medical Nanotechnology from Tehran University of Medical Sciences and brings previous clinical experience to her biomedical research. Her interests lie in biomaterials, nanomedicine, tissue engineering, and regenerative medicine. Her current research focuses on developing functional hydrogel-based biomaterials for neural tissue engineering and peripheral nerve regeneration. Outside her research, she works part-time at the Canadian Light Source (CLS) and enjoys strength training, yoga, and outdoor activities.
Samira is taking her first steps into the world of a Ph.D. program in the Mechanical Engineering Department with the mentorship of Dr. Daniel Chen and Dr. Ning Zhu. Her research is focused on mechanical characterization of tissue scaffolds by means of synchrotron imaging and the finite element method. When she's not knee-deep in research, you'll find Samira in nature, probably hiking with her ever-present companion, her dog, Della!
Xavier is a PhD student in Biomedical Engineering continuing under the supervision of Dr. Daniel Chen at the University of Saskatchewan since completing his MSc in 2024. He also completed his Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering at the University of Saskatchewan. He has experience in agricultural biomass processing for transportation and treatment processes. His current research areas are in biomaterials, tissue scaffold fabrication, and synchrotron-based imaging techniques to characterize tissue scaffolds.
