Suresh Neethirajan, Ph.D., P.Eng

Associate Professor, Bioengineering

Suresh received his Ph.D in Biosystems Engineering from the University of Manitoba, where he developed biosensors, and image processing algorithms for quality monitoring of food. He completed his Post-doctoral fellowships at the Nanobiotechnology Laboratory, National Food Research Institute, Japan and also at the Biological and Nanoscale Systems Group at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, USA. During his research tenure in USA and Japan, Suresh developed nanostructured microfluidic platforms for studying bacterial chemotaxis, and biological systems. He has also developed nanoscale analytical techniques for understanding biofilm formation, adhesion kinetics of bacteria, biosensors and in characterizing biomaterials and imaging cytogenetics. (Biosketch / Citation) (Picture 1, Headshot, Picture 3)

 

 

Academic Employments

• Area Head (2017 ~ Current), Biological & Biomedical Engineering, University of Guelph
• Program Leader (2015 - 2017), Biological & Biomedical Engineering, University of Guelph
• Associate Professor (2017 - Current), School of Engineering, University of Guelph
• Assistant Professor (2011- 2016), School of Engineering, University of Guelph

Education and Training

• Research Engineer / NSERC Post-doctoral Fellow  (2010 – 2011), Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Tennessee, USA
• JSPS Research Fellow (2009 - 2010), National Food Research Institute, Tsukuba, Japan
• CIM, Certificate in Management and Administration (2009), Canadian Institute of Management
• PhD in Biosystems Engineering (2009), University of Manitoba, Canada
• M.Sc in Biosystems Engineering (2005), University  of Manitoba, Canada
• B.Tech in Agricultural Engineering (2002), Tamilnadu Agricultural University, India

Awards and Fellowships

2017  President Elect, Canadian Society for Bioengineering

2016  New Holland Young Researcher Award Nomination

2015  Young Engineer of the Year, Canadian Society for Bioengineering

2015  Young Engineer of the Year, NABEC- American Society for Agricultural and Biological Engineers

2015  Young Engineer Achievement Award, Engineers Canada (link)  (PEO Engineering Dimensions) (File) 

2014  Premier's Early Researcher Award, Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation

2010  Innovation Challenge Award (for novel sensor development), NSERC Canada

2010  Armand Blanc Award for Best Paper, International Commission of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering - CIGR

2010  Best PhD Dissertation Award, The Canadian Society for Bioengineering

2010  Nominated for ‘Howard Alper Postdoctoral Prize’ by NSERC's Life Sciences Committee

2010  NSERC Postdoctoral Fellowship, NSERC, Canada

2010  Obei-Tanki Postdoctoral Fellowship, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science

2009  Competent Communicator Award, Toastmasters International, California, USA

2009 Second Place Winner, International Speech Contest, District 64, Toastmasters International

2009  First Place Winner, Junior Speech Contest, District 64, Toastmasters International

2008  Toporeck Graduate Fellowship in Engineering, University of Manitoba

2007  Nano Innovation Platform Award, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)

2007  Canada Graduate Scholarship (CGS-D2), NSERC

2007  Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Fellowship (JSPS)

2007  NSERC Summer Internship Supplement Award

2007  Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Fellowship (JSPS)

2006  Muir Award for Academic Excellence in Biosystems Engineering, University of Manitoba; and UMSU-GSA Scholarship, University of Manitoba

2006  The Canadian Wheat Board (CWB) Graduate Fellowship, CWB, Canada; UMSU Scholarship, University of Manitoba

Professional Memberships

• Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO)
• Canadian Institute of Management (CIM)
• American Society for Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE)
• The Canadian Society for Bio Engineering (CSBE)

Scholarly Activities

• Reviewer for numerous research journals including Lab on a Chip, Analytical Methods, Advanced Materials Letters, Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, Sensors, Microscopy Research and Technique, Post Harvest Biology and Technology, Sensing and Instrumentation for Food Quality and Safety, Agricultural Engineering International: The CIGR Journal, Journal of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, Journal of Food Science, Transaction of ASABE, Analytical Biochemistry, Applied Engineering in Agriculture of ASABE, Biomicrofluidics, Biosensors and Bioelectronics, Food Control, Food Measurement, Materials Today, Microbial Pathogenesis, Sensing and Bio-sensing Research, Sensors and Actuators B Chemical, Critical Reviews in Food Science, Critical Reviews in Microbiology, Food and Nutrition Research, Nanomedicine, Nanoscale, Polymer International, ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, ACS Combinatorial Science, IEEE Sensors Letters, Journal of Food Science, Nano Micro Letters, Trends in Analytical Chemistry, Trends in Food Science and Technology, Food Analytical Methods, Journal of Food Engineering, PLOS One, RSC Analytical Methods, MDPI Sensors, Food Engineering Reviews.  
• Reviewer for funding agencies including the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), Department of Energy (DOE) - USA, Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment - New Zealand, MITACS Canada, US-ISRAEL Binational Agricultural Research and Development Fund, Canada Foundation for Innovation, Cystic Fibrosis Canada, European Union Development Programme, Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency Ltd, European Commission, Agence nationale de la recherche (ANR, France), Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC, United Kingdom), Nardowe Centrum Nauki (National Science Centre of Poland), Ontario Centres of Excellence and Bill and National Science Foundation (NSF, United States), Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA), Ontario Ministry of Environment and Climate Change.