The members of the Photonic Biosensing Laboratory create optical systems that can detect minute quantities of specific molecules in samples from patients, animals, plants or the environment. Our goal is to create point of care rapid diagnostic technologies and highly sensitive systems for environmental sensing.
We are located in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering of McGill University.
Developing new techniques to maximise information from SPR and LSPR measurements
Using laser light to destroy tumours
We are developing techniques to interrogate these devices in the time domain, opening the way to portable biosensors
Accelerating the polymerase chain reaction using light for rapid detection of bacterial and viral infections.
Optical biosensors, Point of care/point of use medical diagnostics and environmental sensors, Integrated optics and nanophotonics
Optical & Electrical Biosensing, Point of Care (Medical diagnostics & environmental), Photonics and Plasmonics, Optoelectronics
Nanophotonics, Medical application of optics lasers, Experimental and numerical modeling of light propagation for medical diagnostics
Whispering gallery mode sensing, Integrated silicon photonic devices, Sensor array design
Andrew Kirk is a professor of electrical and computer engineering at McGill University. His research interests include optical biosensors for point of care medical diagnostics and environmental sensing, and integrated and nanophotonic devices for sensing and communications. He leads the Photonic Biosensors group, which develops low cost and rapid solutions for healthcare and the environment.
PhD in Physics, 1992
King's College, London
BSc (Hons) Physics, 1989
Bristol University, UK
Every year we recruit new students for Masters and PhD degrees who are keen to apply their photonics expertise to the exciting and multidisciplinary problem of biosensing. We seek students who enjoy hands-on experimentation and who also have good theoretical skills and the ability to undertake numerical modeling. Students must also be willing to engage with biologists, medical researchers and chemists. Most new students start in September each year, but we also sometimes take new students on in January. Departmental deadlines and application information are available here. If you are interested please send an email to the laboratory director with your CV and a recent transcript.