By: Kirsten Millar
Vahid Adibnia is an Affiliate Scientist with Nova Scotia Health, Assistant Professor, School of Biomedical Engineering at Dalhousie University and Tier II Canada Research Chair in Functional Polymeric Biomaterials.
Dr. Adibnia’s research focuses on developing polymeric biomaterials, which are specific materials designed to interact with living tissues. They can be used in medicine for things like the treatment of early-stage osteoarthritis, bleeding control and medical implants. These include injectable hydrogels, wound healing, hemostatic sponges and drug-carrying nanoparticles. These materials aim to help our bodies to heal faster and recover lost function following injury.
What led you to this field/inspired you to do this work?
As a scientist, I developed a deep understanding of how different materials behave at the molecular scale. I have been especially interested in how nature uses molecular interactions to craft materials with outstanding healing properties. My deep fascination with molecular interactions is the main source of my inspiration for developing therapeutic materials that can solve long lasting and emerging medical problems.
How does your research translate into healthcare solutions for the patient/public?
We conduct translational research, which is research that can be directly translated from academic settings to healthcare. This means that our research can make an immediate impact on patients’ health and well-being. For instance, one product that we have designed is a hydrogel that protects the surface of cartilage in patients with early-stage osteoarthritis to stop further injury and help alleviate pain. It is currently in advanced pre-clinical trials and we have received two years of funding for this project.
What is the biggest challenge/opportunity in your field of research?
Biological systems are complex and encoding any problem requires not only a deep knowledge in biology, but also physics, chemistry, and various fields of engineering. This makes solving medical problems a significant challenge that requires collaboration between scientists from different backgrounds. This challenge is a great opportunity for collaborative research and has led to innovative interdisciplinary solutions that would be otherwise impossible to achieve.
Why is research and participation in research important?
Despite the outstanding progress that has been made by scientists over decades, we still face long-lasting and emerging medical problems which do not currently have solutions. Research allows us to work on these challenges, and it promises a healthier future for our generation and those to come.
What does the ideal future in your field of research look like to you?
The ideal scenario is to reach the point that the biomaterials that we are developing are personalized for various medical problems. There are a lot of individual differences that we are ignoring in delivering products to patients and these could be the difference between an effective treatment and an ineffective one.
There are over 100 affiliate scientists working with various teams across Research, Innovation and Discovery at Nova Scotia Health. The contributions they make to our health care system enables Nova Scotia Health to attract and retain students and future health researchers as well as other leading scientists from across the globe.
Research is care, and clinical studies help translate research into potentially life-changing therapies that can help you, your friends and your loved ones. Want to know more about how to get involved? Visit Nova Studies Connect today: novastudiesconnect.ca
