Professor Rafik Naccache
Professor Naccache (Chemistry and Biochemistry, Concordia University) is a materials scientist and a strategic hire in nanomedicinal chemistry. His experience in nanomaterials spans lanthanide-doped, plasmonic, metallic and carbon dot nanoparticles. His interests revolve around the design of novel biocompatible luminescent materials for applications in imaging and drug delivery. He also possesses 10 years of experience in pharmaceutical R&D (Merck Frosst Canada) and is a co-inventor of 2 drug-discovery patents.
Prof. Naccache carried out his NSERC-funded doctoral thesis at Concordia University (with Prof. J. A. Capobianco) where his research revolved around the synthesis and chemical surface modification of upconverting nanoparticles and their integration in bioimaging applications. During this time, he developed a robust and highly controllable thermal decomposition synthetic route to prepare lanthanide-doped fluoride nanoparticles. The investigations allowed for the reproducible synthesis of these materials in the range of 10-80 nm with uniform morphology and crystal phase. Moreover, it led to the development of surface ligand exchange protocols to achieve water dispersibility in studies of optical and magnetic resonance imaging, in vitro and in vivo (in collaboration with Professor M.-A. Fortin at Université de Laval and Professors D. Jaque and J. G. Solé at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid).
Following his doctoral studies, he was an NSERC postdoctoral fellow at l’Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique – Centre Énergie Matériaux Télécommunications working at the interface of Chemistry, Physics, Materials Science and Biology (with Professors Roberto Morandotti and Fiorenzo Vetrone) where his research focused on luminescent and metallic nanoparticles for photothermal and terahertz imaging/nanothermometry applications, as well as NIR-triggered imaging and delivery of biomolecules.
Postdocs and Research Associates
Miguel Rodriguez, Research Associate
Research Interests: Clean energy applications.
Graduate Students
Jun-Ray Macairan, Ph.D. Candidate
Research Interests: Bioimaging probes.
Tayline de Medeiros, Ph.D. Candidate
Research Interests: Hybrid nanoparticles.
Adryanne Clermont-Paquette, M.Sc.
Research Interests: Nanomaterials in biology.
Diego Mendoza, M.Sc.
Research Interests: Carbon dots in Biosensing.
Undergraduate Students
Vance Alvarez Laprade, B.Sc.
Tarik Basic, B.Sc.
Evelyne Jury, B.Sc.
Nicole Paredes Vegas, B.Sc.
Abdelrahman Elmanzalawy, B.Sc.
Past Members
Dr. John Manioudakis
Dr. Juan Sebastian Pappalardo
Dr. Mohammad Sharif Askari
Florence Victoria (M.Sc.)
Alexia Macina (M.Sc.)
Farah Noun (M.Sc.)
Emma Nounke (Undergraduate)
Tolotriniaina Randriamialison (Undergraduate)
Adryanne Clermont Paquette (Undergraduate)
Eden Almakias (Undergraduate)
Merna Georgui (Undergraduate)
Miguel Rodriguez (Undergraduate)
Michael Movsum (Undergraduate)
Michael Lesko-Krleza (Undergraduate)
Francisco Yarur (Undergraduate)