Regular Member

Principal Investigator Training

• Ph.D. in Chemistry, Université Laval, 1990 (Michel Pézolet)

• Postdoctoral Researcher, Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC), Valcartier, 1990–1992 (Jean-Marc Garneau)

  
  

Laboratory Name

Surface Engineering Laboratory (LIS)

Affiliated Department

Department of Mining, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering

Other Affiliations

• Quebec Centre for Functional Materials (CQMF)

• Research Centre – Centre hospitalier universitaire de Québec – Regenerative Medicine

  
  

Funding Agencies

• Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)

• Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)

• PRIMA Québec

• Fonds de recherche du Québec – Nature et technologies (FRQ-NT)

• Ministère des Relations internationales et de la Francophonie

  
  

Laboratory Research

• Surface engineering

• Characterization of the physicochemical properties of biomaterials for medical applications

• Study of cell–material surface interactions

• Development of technological applications based on surface modification of materials

  
  

Areas of Expertise

Prof. Gaétan Laroche's research group specializes in solving problems related to interactions between material surfaces and their surrounding environments. The laboratory focuses on modifying the surfaces of existing materials, particularly biomaterials intended for medical applications (vascular and bone prostheses, heart valves, etc.), to optimize their performance for applications requiring specific surface and interfacial properties, such as hydrophilicity, chemical or biological compatibility, and cellular or mechanical adhesion.

Research projects focus on modifying material surfaces to depths ranging from a few nanometers to a few micrometers, followed by physicochemical characterization and evaluation of interactions with biological environments. The strategies developed may involve modification of the material's internal surface or deposition of thin films on its surface. At the Surface Engineering Laboratory, these treatments can be performed using both conventional chemical approaches and more innovative plasma-based technologies.

Teaching

• GML-4150 — Surface Engineering

• GML-7000 — Special Topics

• GML-7013 — Scientific Research Methodology

• GML-8000 — Doctoral Examination

  
  

Research and Development (R&D) Services

Scientific consulting, surface and interface problem-solving, small-scale proof-of-concept studies and development support, determination of physicochemical properties of materials, and evaluation of cellular responses to materials.

Industrial Research Collaborations

• Past: Abbott

• Active: Bodycad and two other confidential partners