Simon Fraser University engineering science professor Bozena Kaminska has been elected to the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) College of Fellows.

The College of Fellows comprises the top two percent of medical and biological engineers in the country, recognizing excellence in the fields of medical and biological engineering for the advancement of society.  

“We are extremely proud to have professor Kaminska join this esteemed group of individuals at the highest level of their profession on a global scale,” says Faculty of Applied Sciences dean pro tem Uwe Glässer.

Kaminska was nominated, reviewed and elected by peers and members of the College of Fellows for outstanding technology leadership in microelectronics and nanoscale optics for human benefit in healthcare, security, commerce and art.

“Professor Kaminska is a thought-leader in her disciplines with a record of outstanding innovation and visionary leadership in both academic research and commercialization,” says Glässer. “She has made extraordinary efforts to improving quality of life and we are honoured to share in her success.”

Kaminska develops tiny yet powerful nanotechnologies, integrated systems and powering solutions.

A prolific inventor, her many innovations include wearable wireless biosensors to detect early signs of heart disease, and a new generation of nanotechnology to combat counterfeiting. The technology could replace holograms on a number of security applications, including banknotes and passports.

Kaminska, who holds a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in wireless sensor technologies, is also a seasoned businesswoman and entrepreneur holding more than 30 patents and five successful spin-off companies.

At SFU, she leads a team of researchers focused on micro- and nanosystems, from developing the fundamental materials to their application in the real world.

Nanostructures, patterns of tiny perforations, interact with light by selecting certain wavelengths to create vibrant full-colour images that shift when viewed from different perspectives.

Manufactured at the nanoscale (a nanometre is equal to one-billionth of a metre) the colour-shifting images are not only impossible for counterfeiters to reproduce; they are also visually appealing.

Kaminska and her team have been exploring this feature since 2013, and recently collaborated with artists and media researchers for nano art expositions in both Toronto and New York.

Kaminska will be formally inducted to the AIMBE at the National Academy of Sciences Great Hall in Washington, D.C. on April 4, alongside 160 colleagues who make up the AIMBE College of Fellows Class of 2016.

ABOUT THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE FOR MEDICAL AND BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING (AIMBE):

AIMBE’s mission is to recognize excellence in, and advocate for, the fields of medical and biological engineering in order to advance society. Since 1991, AIMBE‘s College of Fellows has led the way for technological growth and advancement in the fields of medical and biological engineering. Fellows have helped revolutionize medicine and related fields in order to enhance and extend the lives of people all over the world. They have also successfully advocated for public policies that have enabled researchers and business-makers to further the interests of engineers, teachers, scientists, clinical practitioners, and ultimately, patients. 

BACKGROUNDER: ABOUT BOZENA KAMINSKA

Originally from Poland, professor Kaminska moved to Canada in 1986 and held a professor position at Polytechnique de Montréal for 14 years, before moving to the United States with her start-up company OPMAXX.  After the company’s acquisition, she returned to Canada and has been a professor with Simon Fraser University’s School of Engineering Science since 2005.

Throughout her 30-year research career, Kaminska has actively worked on the commercialization of her laboratory research and has successfully developed five ventures from her scientific work. She is currently a founder and CEO of NanoMedia Solutions Inc., and serves as director for NanoTech Security Corp. She also serves on the board of numerous organizations and companies in Canada and the U.S., including CMC Microsystems, and as a Council Member of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).