Big Ideas on Tiny Chips: Highlights from the 2026 CRAFT Research Symposium
Article written by Alaa Alsaafin
On June 18–19, nearly 200 scientists, clinicians, engineers, trainees, and industry partners gathered for the 2026 CRAFT Research Symposium at the Schwartz Reisman Innovation Campus at the University of Toronto.
Photo by Aaron Demeter
The two-day CRAFT Research Symposium showcased the latest advances in microfluidics research while fostering new collaborations across academia, healthcare, government, and industry. The symposium kicked off with opening remarks by Unity Health Toronto President and CEO Altaf Stationwala which emphasized the power of bringing technologies to solve real-world problems in healthcare – collaborations which make Canada a great country for research. Through keynote lectures, spotlight presentations, workshops, panel discussions, and more than 35 trainee poster and podium presentations, attendees explored emerging technologies that are shaping the future of diagnostics, therapeutics, and biomedical research.
Scientific excellence was showcased through five keynote lectures delivered by internationally recognized leaders in academia. Dr. Bruno Sarmento (Universidade do Porto) opened the symposium with advances in microengineered three-dimensional multicompartmental platforms for drug and nanomedicine screening. Dr. Abraham (Abe) Lee (University of California, Irvine) highlighted innovations in microfluidic cell engineering for personalized medicine, while Dr. David Juncker (McGill University) demonstrated how light-based 3D printing, capillarics, and microscopy are expanding the capabilities of microfluidic assays and point-of-care diagnostics.
Dr. Abramham (Abe) Lee, University of California, Irvine. Photo by Mike Dryden.
Multi-sectoral panel discussion on New Approach Methodologies (NAMs). Left to right panelists Prof. Milica Radisic (UofT), Prof. Alison McGuigan (UofT), Dr. Margaret Magdesian (CEO Founder, Ananda Devices), Dr. Luchino Cohen (Canada Space Agency), Abigail Harrison (Starlab OSU). Photo by Mike Dryden.
On the second day, Dr. Milica Radisic (University of Toronto) discussed organs-on-a-chip and new approach methodologies (NAMs) as promising alternatives to animal testing. This set the stage for our workshop co-organized with Humane World for Animals Canada, setting the stage for panel discussions led by leaders in the field and trainees on the future of NAMs. Our final academic keynote, Dr. Petra Dittrich (ETH Zürich), showcased microfluidic model systems for investigating bacterial infections and developing next-generation therapeutics.
The symposium also provided valuable opportunities for attendees to connect with industry partners developing the next generation of microfluidic technologies and research tools. Through exhibitor booths, participants engaged with representatives from Datron, Anton Paar, Qiagen, Sci-Bots, Dax Research, and Institutional Core Facilities to explore emerging technologies, discuss potential collaborations, and learn about new products supporting translational research.
Photo by Mike Dryden.
The breadth and diversity of research across the CRAFT community were on full display through more than 35 trainee poster and podium presentations. Awards for Best Trainee Talks, sponsored by Lab-on-a-Chip were presented to Amid Shakeri (1st), Bhaskar Yechuri (2nd), and Kimia Abedi (3rd), while Best Poster Presentation awards sponsored by Inertia Product Development were presented to Dhana Abdo (1st), Jennifer Kieda (2nd), and Karen Shen (3rd). These presentations highlighted the innovative work being conducted across CRAFT’s partner institutions and reflected the strength of the centre’s highly collaborative research community.
CRAFT Symposium Trainee Presentation prize winners. Photo by Mike Dryden.
With more than $50 million in research infrastructure and a growing network of over 350 users, CRAFT continues to serve as a national leader in microfluidics innovation. The 2026 CRAFT Symposium celebrated not only scientific discovery but also the partnerships, interdisciplinary collaboration, and shared vision that continue to accelerate the translation of microfluidic technologies into real-world healthcare solutions.