Dr. Kyla Sask – Faculty of Engineering
Kyla Sask

Dr. Kyla Sask

Expertise

Biomaterials, surface modification, protein and cell interactions, blood contacting medical devices, polymers

Areas of Specialization

Research Clusters

Current status

  • Accepting graduate students

  • Assistant Professor

    Materials Science and Engineering

  • Associate Member

    McMaster School of Biomedical Engineering

Other roles:
Associate Member, Department of Pathology & Molecular Medicine
McMaster University

Overview

When materials come in contact with biological fluids such as blood, protein adsorption occurs rapidly and influences subsequent interactions with cells. For medical devices and implants, these adverse reactions lead to serious complications including thrombosis, inflammation and infection. My research is aimed at achieving a deeper understanding of the mechanisms involved in protein and cell interactions at material surfaces for the development of advanced devices. Chemical, biological and topographical surface modification strategies are used to control and analyze surface properties. We use sophisticated characterization techniques and new methods in nanotechnology, surface patterning, 3D printing, microfluidics, and proteomics. The main focus is on improving polymeric materials for blood contacting devices, and we have an interest in pediatric applications. Our work on protein-material interfaces also has the potential to impact a breadth of areas including tissue engineering, drug delivery, nanomaterials, membranes and biosensors.

We are currently accepting applications for future MASc and PhD positions to work on various projects related to biomaterials and biointerfaces. Please see the posting for further details here.

Did you know?

Dr. Sask worked at Interface Biologics Inc., a company that develops transformative biomedical polymer technologies to improve the safety and effectiveness of medical devices.

Dr. Kyla Sask obtained her B.Sc. in Chemical Engineering from Queen’s University in 2006 and her Ph.D from the School of Biomedical Engineering at McMaster University in 2012. Her Ph.D research was supervised by Dr. John Brash (Biomedical Engineering) and Dr. Anthony Chan (Pediatric Hematology) and focused on the development of antithrombogenic biomaterials. She joined Dr. Brian Amsden’s Advanced Biomaterials Laboratory (ABiL) at Queen’s University for a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in 2018.

Dr. Sask worked at Interface Biologics Inc. (IBI) for several years as an Associate Research Engineer. IBI develops transformative biomedical polymer technologies that improve the safety and effectiveness of medical devices. During her time with IBI she worked on Endexo™, a platform technology utilized for its antithrombogenic properties in various medical device applications and Epidel™, an anti-infective polymer coating technology for sustained release. She has given guest lectures in Regenerative Medicine at the University of Toronto and taught Statistics for Engineers at McMaster University as a Sessional Instructor.

  • B.Sc. (Eng), Chemical Engineering, Queen’s University
  • Ph.D., Biomedical Engineering, McMaster University
  • Faculty of Health Sciences Graduate Programs Excellence Award
  • PolyMAC Oral Presentation Award (voted by peers at PolyMAC conference)
  • Dave Williams Graduate Scholarship in Biomedical Engineering
  • Oral Presentation Award – 28th Annual Meeting, Canadian Biomaterials Society (CBS)
  • NSERC Postgraduate Scholarship (PGS)
  • Ontario Graduate Fellowship – McMaster Prestige Award
  • E.C. Joyce Memorial Award (voted as outstanding graduate in Chemical Engineering)
  • Dean’s Scholar recognition and Dean’s Award
  • Charles Allan Thompson Summer Research Award

Selected:

Sask, K.

Publications on Google Scholar.