معرفی
Professor Gilbert Walker is a faculty member in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Toronto's Faculty of Arts & Science. He leads the Laboratory for Advanced Nanoscience at Surfaces and BioInterfaces (LANSBI) located at Lash Miller Chemical Laboratories (80 St. George Street, Toronto). His research integrates chemistry, optics, mechanics and biology to investigate fundamental and applied nanoscale phenomena at surfaces and biointerfaces.
Walker's research focuses on four primary areas: Nanoscale Mechanics (force spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, hydrophobic hydration), Nanoscale Infrared Spectroscopy (scanning near-field optical microscopy, boron nitride, surface phonon polaritons), Nanoparticles for Disease Diagnostics (gold nanoparticles, liposomes, cancer cell detection), and Biofouling Control (zwitterionic coatings, block copolymers for marine aquaculture). His work spans from fundamental discoveries about hydrophobic hydration to practical applications in aquaculture anti-fouling technology and cancer diagnostics.
His recent publications reveal a strong trend toward translational research with real-world impact, particularly in developing eco-friendly marine anti-fouling solutions that address 20% of aquaculture production costs, and creating advanced diagnostic platforms for cancer detection. His work combines fundamental physical chemistry with practical engineering solutions across multiple domains.
- NorthMiRs won $250,000 in funding from the Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research's ECHO PITCH 2024
- His lab members have received multiple graduate awards in 2024 including the Irene Miller Graduate Award and David H. Farrar Graduate Scholarship in Chemistry
Professor Walker actively mentors graduate students including Mikhail Nazarov, Irene Miller, Guillermo Lonzano Onrubia, and Nashmia. His LANSBI laboratory works with synthetic polymers, perovskites, 2D materials, cells, and in vivo models to address needs in aquaculture, biomedical diagnostics, and immune-related diseases. The lab recently completed a large-scale field trial involving 100-meter circumference fish cages for their anti-fouling technology.
