Kristina Diane Rinker

Kristina Diane Rinker serves as a Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the Schulich School of Engineering, University of Calgary. She holds dual appointments as a Full Member of the Calvin, Phoebe and Joan Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases and the Libin Cardiovascular Institute, while also contributing as a Child Health & Wellness Researcher at the Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute and a Member of the Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute.

Her research focuses on fluid flow effects on cellular and nanoparticle behavior with direct applications to cardiovascular disease and cancer. Key areas include diagnostics and therapeutics development, transcriptional regulation under fluid forces, and biomarker expression. Dr. Rinker directs the Centre for Bioengineering Research and Education and leads the Early Cancer Detection Initiative through the Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute.

She actively participates in university strategic initiatives including Child Health and Wellness (2020-2025), Engineering Solutions for Health (2015-2021), and Infections, Inflammations and Chronic Diseases (2015-2021). Her work emphasizes technology commercialization through spin-off companies and partnerships with industry/government agencies.

Dr. Rinker maintains active collaborations locally and internationally, with research translating into molecular diagnostics, tissue models, drug target identification, and testing of pharmaceuticals and nanoparticles. She previously served as Associate Professor in Chemical and Petroleum Engineering at the University of Calgary (2005-2019), Assistant Professor at Colorado State University (2000-2005), and Research Assistant Professor at Duke University (1998-2000).