Principal Investigator

Dr. Emily D. Cranston
Professor
Department of Wood Science,
and Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering
University of British Columbia, Canada
Office: FSC 4036
Phone: 604-827-0627
Email: emily.cranston@ubc.ca
Lab Manager

Behzad Zakani
Lab Manager (Foster & Cranston groups)
PhD Mechanical Engineering
UBC (2022)
Office: PPC 305
Postdoctoral Research Fellows

Marcus Johns
Post-Doctoral Fellow
PhD Chemical Engineering
University of Bath, UK (2017)
Office: FSC 4033
Autofluorescence of cellulose nanomaterials & enzymatic synthesis of polysaccharides
UBC Graduate Students


Elizabeth Dobrzanski
PhD Student
Chemical and Biological Engineering
Office: PPC 311
High solid content wood-based foams for thermal insulation

Madeleine Hallman
MASc Student
Chemical and Biological Engineering
Office: PPC 311
Carboxylated cellulose nanocrystals as rheological modifiers and lubricants

Runru (Tristan) Liu
PhD Student
Chemical and Biological Engineering
Office: PPC 311
Liquid crystal properties and autofluorescence of carboxylated CNCs

Anderson Veiga
PhD Student
Wood Science
Office: FSC 4301
Labelled cellulose fibres for micro-CT analysis


Giuliana Thalina Franco
Visiting PhD Student (2023-2024)
Physical Chemistry, Federal University of São Carlos
Co-supervisor: Caio Gomide Otoni
Office: FSC 4301
Physicochemical Understanding of Multilayer Biopolymeric Films

Cameron King
MSc Student
Wood Science
Office: FSC 4301
Surface modification of cellulose nanocrystals through controlled precipitation

Alexandra Rousseau
PhD Student
Chemical and Biological Engineering
Office: PPC 311
Electrochemical applications of cellulose
Undergraduate and Co-op Students


Jonas Schnell
Technical University of Munich
Hybrid feedstocks for high solid content wood-based foams for thermal insulation
Recent Cranston Group Alumni

Jude Abu-Namous
NSERC USRA Researcher, Chemical & Biological Engineering
UBC, Canada
Currently: Research Assistant at UBC
Effect of sulfate content on autofluorescence of nanocellulose
Currently: EA Sports

Julia Antoniw
MSc Student
Chemical and Biological Engineering
Currently: UBC Industry Liaison Office
Incorporation of carboxylated cellulose nanocrystals in latex-based pressure-sensitive adhesives

Gwendoline Delepierre
Visiting PhD Student (2019-2020)
Chemistry, Adolphe Merkle Institute
Co-supervisors: Justin Zoppe/Christophe Weder
Currently: Michelin Research and Technology
Symmetric and asymmetric cellulose nanocrystals

Urooj Gill
MSc (2015-2017)
(Dr. Moran-Mirabal and Dr. Cranston)
Chemical Biology
McMaster University, Canada
Currently: Piramal Healthcare Ltd.

Erik Joy
MASc Student
Chemical and Biological Engineering
New production routes for CNCs and their biocompatibility

Michael Kiriakou
MASc Student (2018-2020)
Chemical Engineering, McMaster
Co-supervisor: Todd Hoare
Improving CNC compatibility for latex synthesis through controlled radical polymerization
Currently: Anomera Inc.

Daniel Levin
Co-op Student (2017-2018)
(Dr. Moran-Mirabal and Dr. Cranston)
Chemical Biology
McMaster University, Canada
Currently: Medical School, McMaster

Lingli (Lily) Liu
Visiting PhD Student (2016-2018)
McMaster University, Canada
Currently: Transfar Zhilian Co.

Heera Marway
MASc (2014-2016)
Chemical Engineering
McMaster University, Canada
Currently: Research Engineer in MMRI, McMaster

Blair Morgan
PhD (2016-2021)
Chemical Engineering, McMaster
Co-supervisor: Michael Thompson
Thermally stable powders containing viral vectors for vaccines
Currently: Canadian Intellectual Property Office

Tyler Or
Summer and Thesis Student (2016-2018)
(Dr. Moran-Mirabal and Dr. Cranston)
Chemical Biology
McMaster University, Canada
Currently: Graduate Studies, Waterloo

Cynthia Pham
BEng BioSciences Student (Level IV)
Chemical Engineering & Bioengineering, McMaster
Co-supervisor: John Frostad
Currently: Graduate Studies, UBC
Nanocellulose emulsion processing

Tiinamari Seppänen
Visiting PhD Student (2022-2023)
Chemical Engineering, Aalto University (Finland)
Co-supervisor: Monika Österberg
Adsorption, retention and detection of additives in fiber-based materials

Varsha Singh
PhD Student
Chemical Engineering, McMaster
Co-supervisor: Michael Thompson
Engineering spray-dried vaccines for enhancement in inhalation delivery

Taylor Stimpson
MASc (2018-2020)
Chemical Engineering, McMaster
Co-supervisor: Jose Moran-Mirabal
Structure-function relationships of plant cell wall components
Currently: Academy for Sustainable Innovation

Oriana Vanderfleet
PhD Student (2016-2021)
Chemical Engineering, McMaster
Understanding and improving thermal stability of CNCs
Currently: Natural Resources Canada

Steven Toniolo
MSc (2016-2018)
(Dr. Thompson and Dr. Cranston)
Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering,
McMaster University, Canada
Currently: Zimmark Inc.



Gili Bar
MASc student
Chemical and Biological Engineering
Biomimetic crosslinked cellulose nanocrystal microbeads for personal care products

Kevin De France
PhD (2014-2019)
(Dr. Hoare and Dr. Cranston)
Chemical Engineering
McMaster University, Canada
Currently: Assistant Professor, Queen’s University

Elisa Ferreira
Post-Doctoral Fellow
PhD Physical Chemistry
UNICAMP, Brazil (2020)
Currently: LNNano/CNPEM Brazil
Lightweight bulky fibre-based materials

Zhen (Justin) Hu
PhD (2011-2015)
(Dr. Pelton and Dr. Cranston)
Chemical Engineering
McMaster University, Canada
Currently: Sanofi

Stephanie Kedzior
PhD (2013-2017)
Chemical Engineering
McMaster University, Canada
Currently: Postdoctoral researcher, University of Calgary, Canada


Dan LeClair
MASc (2013-2016)
(Dr. Thompson and Dr. Cranston)
Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering
McMaster University, Canada
Currently: Pfizer

Xiran Li
BSc Researcher (2019-2020)
Food Science, UBC
Co-supervisor: John Frostad
Characterization of interfacial activity and stability of CNC stabilized emulsions
Currently: Graduate Student, UC Davis

Myla Manser
MASc Student
Chemical Engineering & Bioengineering, McMaster
Co-supervisor: Michael Thompson
Thermally stable powders containing viral vectors for vaccines

Marc Massicotte
MASc
Chemical and Biological Engineering
Spray drying and fibre spinning multiphase nanocellulose formulations
Currently: BC Ministry of Forests

Ivan Quevedo
Visiting Professor
IBERO University, Mexico
Production and physicochemical characterization of colloidal encapsulated agrochemicals (CEAs) with biopolymeric materials.

Elina Niinivaara
DSc (Tech.) Bioproduct Technology
Aalto University, Finland (2016)
Tuning cellulose-water interactions using designer oligosaccharides
Currently: BC Research Inc

Daniel Osorio
PhD (2018-2021)
Chemical and Biological Engineering, UBC
Co-supervisor: Charles De Lannoy
Multiscale mechanical testing of CNC nanocomposites

Michael Reid
PhD (2013-2017)
Chemical Engineering
McMaster University, Canada
Currently: RISE, Sweden


Jason Sugiharto
Material Engineering
Co-supervisor: Mark Martinez
Creating bulky fibres with surface modification
Current Collaborators outside UBC

Tiffany Abitbol
Assistant Professor
Nanocellulose Fundamentals and Applications
EPFL, Switzerland

Marc A. Dubé
Professor
Chemical and Biological Engineering
Polymer Reaction Engineering
University of Ottawa, Canada

Todd Hoare
Associate Professor
Chemical Engineering
Engineered Smart Materials
McMaster University, Canada

Jose M. Moran-Mirabal
Associate Professor
Chemistry and Chemical Biology
Micro and Nanostructured Environments
McMaster University, Canada

Michael R. Thompson
Professor
Chemical Engineering
Polymer, Particle & Pharmaceutial Processing
McMaster University, Canada

Charles De Lannoy
Assistant Professor
Chemical Engineering
Environmental Applications of Nanomaterials
McMaster University, Canada

John Frostad
Assistant Professor
Chemical & Biological Engineering and Food Science
Interfacial Phenomena & Functional Foods
UBC, Canada

Eero Kontturi
Associate Professor
Bioproducts and Biosystems
Nanocellulose
Aalto University, Finland

Camila Rezende
Associate Professor
Chemistry
Fibre Technology and Biomass Fractionation
Unicamp, Brazil
iqm.unicamp.br/institucional-departamentos/camila-alves-de-rezende

Jaana Vapaavuori
Assistant Professor
Chemistry and Materials Science
Functional Nanomaterials
Aalto University, Finland
www.aalto.fi/en/department-of-chemistry-and-materials-science