Marc-André Fortin leads the Biomaterials for Imaging Laboratory (BIM) at the CHU de Québec– Université Laval Research Centre and is a Full Professor in the Department of Mining, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering at Université Laval. He also founded and directs the Small Animal Imaging Platform at the CHU de Québec Research Centre, which brings together magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography (PET), and computed tomography (CT) capabilities and is largely dedicated to in vivo research on nano(bio)materials.

He obtained his PhD from INRS–Énergie, Matériaux et Télécommunications in Montréal before completing postdoctoral training in biomedical imaging at Uppsala University and Linköping University in Sweden. His contributions to the field have been recognized twice through the Fonds de recherche du Québec – Santé (FRQS) Research Scholar Program, as a Junior 1 Scholar in 2008 and a Junior 2 Scholar in 2016.

Professor Fortin’s research focuses on nano(bio)materials for imaging, novel approaches for tracking the in vivo biodistribution of nanomaterials, additive manufacturing of biomedical polymers to enhance imaging contrast, and new methods for synthesizing radioactive nanoparticles. He has authored more than 70 articles in leading journals, including ACS Nano, Nanoscale, Advanced Materials, Chemistry of Materials, and the Journal of Controlled Release, as well as three book chapters and three review articles on nanomaterials for imaging.

His research has also led to several patents related to plasma-based nanoparticle synthesis methods. His research program is funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI), the Fonds de recherche du Québec – Nature et technologies (FRQNT), and Natural Resources Canada (NRCan). He also serves on the CIHR College of Reviewers for the Pharmaceutical Sciences committee. He has taught at Université Laval since 2007, offering courses in materials analysis, biomedical imaging, and nanotechnology for biomedical applications, and serves as Director of the undergraduate Materials Engineering program. In 2022, he chaired the International Gold Conference, a scientific forum dedicated to gold-based nanomaterials for advanced technological applications. In 2026, he was elected President of the Canadian Biomaterials Society (CBS).

Dr. Afsaneh Lavasanifar is a Professor in the Pharmaceutical Sciences division of the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Alberta, with a joint appointment in the Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering in the Faculty of Engineering. Her expertise lies in pharmaceutics and drug delivery, with research focused on the design and development of polymer-based delivery systems to improve drug solubility, optimize pharmacokinetics, reduce toxicity, and enhance therapeutic efficacy. She is also Chief Scientific Officer and Vice President of Meros Pharma, a spin-off company established around technology developed in her laboratory.

Dr. Lavasanifar earned her Pharm.D. from the Faculty of Pharmacy at Tehran University of Medical Sciences and her Ph.D. in Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of Alberta. Her research has been supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI), Alberta Innovates Health Solutions (AIHS), and the Alberta Cancer Foundation (ACF).

She has authored more than 160 peer-reviewed publications in leading pharmaceutical sciences journals, as well as three book chapters, numerous conference abstracts, and presentations at national and international conferences. Her contributions to pharmaceutical research and innovation have been recognized through several awards, including the 2007 GlaxoSmithKline/CSPS Early Career Award, the 2009 Sanofi-Aventis/AFPC Award for outstanding research in pharmacy, and the TEC Edmonton Innovation Makes Sense Prize in 2013 and 2016.

Dr. Lavasanifar is the inventor or co-inventor on 12 issued or pending patent applications, reflecting the translational focus of her research. She currently serves as Associate Editor of Molecular Pharmaceutics and ACS Bio & Med Chem Au.