Co-Leads: Milica Radisic and Teodor Veres
Aim: to deploy organ-on-chip technologies that will transform drug discovery and development and disease modelling in biomedical research.
The most commonly used model systems to study human physiological processes are cell lines and animals. However, it is becoming increasingly clear that both of these model systems fall far short in accurately predicting drug efficacy in humans, personalized drug sensitivities and off-target drug toxicity. New approach methodologies (NAMs) are transforming preclinical drug development by replacing or reducing reliance on animal models with human-relevant, mechanistically informative platforms that better predict clinical efficacy and safety. Organ-on-a-chip technologies are engineered, microfluidic devices that recapitulate key structural, mechanical, and biochemical features of human tissues within controlled, perfusable environments.
Recent advances in microfabrication, microfluidic devices and stem cell biology have enabled the miniaturization of 3D tissue models, more commonly known organ-on-a-chip models. These organ-on-a-chip models, developed by our affiliates below, have demonstrated how living human cells can be integrated into biomimetic chips that recapitulate organ-level functions, including barrier integrity, contractility, vascular perfusion, and immune interactions, enabling dynamic modelling of physiology and disease in ways that static 2D cultures cannot achieve. Organ-chip models can better recapitulate the hallmarks of human physiology and disease in vitro. These models hold much promise and could revolutionize drug discovery and development by improving drug safety and efficacy, helping to bring personalized and more beneficial drugs to the market, and reducing the time and expenditure associated with drug development.
Image by Alaa Alasafin
Importantly, NAM-aligned organ-on-a-chip technologies address longstanding limitations of animal models, which may include species differences, low yield, and poor predictivity for human adverse events, while offering scalability and compatibility with high-content imaging and omics analyses. As regulatory agencies demonstrate growing openness to data generated from validated NAM platforms, organ-on-a-chip technologies are positioned not merely as complementary tools, but foundational approaches that prioritizes predictive accuracy, mechanistic insight, and reduction of animal use to accelerate drug discovery and applications.
Research Affiliates - Organ-on-a-chip
| Researcher | Afiliation(s) | Research Summary | Link to Research Page | Contact email |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Milica Radisic | Professor in the Institute of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Toronto; Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Functional Cardiovascular Tissue Engineering; Senior Scientist at the Toronto General Research Institute | She is internationally recognized for pioneering organ-on-a-chip technologies and developing biomaterials that promote tissue regeneration and reduce scarring. Her lab engineers microenvironments for cardiovascular and multi-organ models, integrating microfabrication, stem cell biology, and bioinspired materials to advance drug discovery and regenerative medicine. | Radisic Lab Webpage | m.radisic@utoronto.ca |
Teodor Veres | Director Research and Development in the Bio-Analytical MicroNano Devices section (BioAMND) at the National Research Council of Canada; Adjunct Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto; Adjunct Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, McGill University; Adjunct Professor in the Faculty of Medicine, Laval University; Co-Director of the Centre for Research and Applications in Fluidic Technologies (CRAFT) | Dr. Veres leads the Bio-Analytical MicroNano Devices section (BioAMND) at the National Research Council of Canada in Boucherville, Quebec. Under his leadership, the BioAMND has filed over 135 patent applications, 37 of which were granted, and licensed 8 of its technologies. Dr. Veres pioneered the use of thermoplastic elastomeric materials (TPEs) for the rapid, low-cost fabrication of lab-on-chip microfluidic devices with scalable methods and materials. These advances are paving the way for the mass production and broad deployment of low-cost complex microfluidic devices. His team at NRC developed the PowerBlade, a microfluidic technology that will soon be deployed to the International Space Station through a collaboration between Canadian Space Agency and the Canadian space industry. | NRC Medical Devices Research Centre | teodor.veres@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca |
Hagar Labouta | Keenan Professor of Medical Discovery at Unity health Toronto; Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto at the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy and the Institute of Biomedical Engineering | Her team uses microfluidics to design nanoparticles for biomedical applications, including unmet clinical challenges related to Women’s Health, and evaluate them using organ-on-a-chip models. She has won several awards including Rising Women in Science Award and Member of the Year Award from the Controlled Release Society (USA), Interstellar Award from New York Academy of Sciences (USA), Innovation and Career Development Award by the Biomedical Engineering Society (USA), Apotheker Jacob Prize (Germany). | Labouta Lab Website | hagar.labouta@unityhealth.to |
Edmond Young | Professor in the Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering and the Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering (IBBME) at the University of Toronto; Associate Chair, Undergraduate Curriculum (MIE); Dean’s Catalyst Professor | He develops microscale technologies to study cell biology, with a particular focus on engineered microenvironments and microfluidic systems for cancer research. His lab integrates microfabrication, fluid mechanics, cell imaging, and computational analysis to create high-throughput, physiologically relevant platforms for probing cell behaviour and advancing diagnostic and screening applications in modern biology. | Young Lab Website | edmond.young@utoronto.ca |
Kebin Li | Senior Research Officer at the National Research Council of Canada | Dr. Kebin Li is a Senior Research Officer at the Medical Devices Research Center, National Research Council Canada, specializing in bioanalytical micro-nano devices and microfluidic systems. His work centers on developing advanced organ-on-a-chip platforms and related microfluidic technologies for biomedical applications. Li holds multiple patents on microfluidic valves, peristaltic pump separators, and 3D microfluidic devices, underscoring his role in translating microfluidic innovations into scalable technologies. | Kebin Li's Publications | kebin.li@cnrc-nrc.gc.ca |
Recent Publications and Research Achievements:
- Prof. Milica Radisic (UofT) with Keith Morton (NRC) and Teodor Verest (NRC) found that specialized kidney cells (podocytes) grown on organ-on-a-chip technologies showed stronger functional markers, matured more fully, and formed architectures closer to those seen in humans. Read the full paper from Nature Communications here
- Collaborative work from Prof. Edmond Young (UofT), Teodor Veres (NRC) and Kebin Li (NRC), has advanced thermoplastic elastomer-based microfluidic platforms that generate injectable, perfusable 3D microvessel networks in organ-on-a-chip devices, addressing key challenges in fabricating robust vasculature and expanding applications for tissue regeneration and disease modeling. Read the full paper from Lab on a Chip here
- Prof. Hagar Labouta is developing a breakthrough drug delivery system with a placenta-on-a-chip model that targets treatment to pregnant women only, shielding the baby from potential unknown side effects. She pitched the technology at Angel’s Den 2025, Canada’s largest medical research competition, leading to her receiving the E. & G. Odette Momentum Award.
Interested in becoming a CRAFT Research Affiliate? Please inquire below or reach out to partnerwithCRAFT@utoronto.ca
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