Heather Canavan

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Prof. Heather Canavan is a Professor in the Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering at the University of New Mexico. She earned her Doctorate and MPhil from The George Washington University in Physical Chemistry, with a minor in Forensic Chemistry. She earned her Bachelors from the University of California at Santa Barbara in Biology. She has worked at Los Alamos National Laboratory and the Naval Research Laboratory, and did her postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Washington in Seattle. Her research focuses on cell/surface interactions, bioactive polymers and biocompatibility, and the design of adaptive tools and devices for enhanced mobility. She is also extremely active in engineering and scientific education. Her funding is primarily from the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health.

Professional Experience 

• 2019 Professor, Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering* and Department of Chemistry • University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM.
• 2014-2016: Director, Biomedical Engineering Graduate Program, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM.
• 2014: Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, UNM • established
• 2012: Visiting Associate Professor, Industrial Research Institute Swinburne (IRIS) • Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia.
• 2011 - Present: Associate Professor, Department of Chemical & Nuclear Engineering* and Department of Chemistry • University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM.
• 2005 - 2011: Assistant Professor, Department of Chemical & Nuclear Engineering and Department of Chemistry • University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM.
• 2002 - 05: Senior Postdoctoral Fellow, Departments of Chemical & Bioengineering, National ESCA & Surface Analysis Center for Biomedical Problems (NESAC/BIO) • University of Washington, Seattle, WA.
• 2000-2002: Chemist, Center for Corrosion Science and Engineering, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC
• 1994 - 97: Chemist, Chemistry Science and Technology Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM.
• 1991-94: Staff Research Assistant, Chemistry Science and Technology Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM.
  * July 1, 2014 • Chemical and Nuclear Engineering became 2 separate departments - Chemical & Biological Engineering and Nuclear Engineering

Awards and Honors:

• 2018 • Pilot Award, UNM’s Clinical & Translational Sciences Center
• 2009 • UNM School of Engineering Harrison Faculty Excellence Award
• 2008 • Apple Polisher Award, recognition from Chi Omega sorority members for outstanding contribution to higher
• 2006 • Untenured Faculty Award, 3M Corporation

Selected Publications:

• WIP: Adaptive Design Engineering to Enable People With Disabilities in the University Setting, TD Martin, V Mitchell, HE Canavan, 2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access (2021).
• Design Challenges as a Spine to Engineering Courses, A Datye, M Miletic, J Gomez, E Chi, SM Han, C Hubka, Y Chen, V Svihla, 2020 Gulf Southwest Section Conference (Virtual).
• Diverse by Design: Increasing the Representation of People with Disabilities in STEM through Community Engagement, V Mitchell, T Matheson, Benjamin: Martin, PA Nguyen, V Svihla, E Chi, 2020 Gulf Southwest Section Conference (Virtual).
• How to select the appropriate method (s) of cytotoxicity analysis of mammalian cells at biointerfaces: A tutorial, PAH Nguyen, ER Clark, S Ananthakrishnan, K Lenz, HE Canavan, Biointerphases 15 (3), 031201 (2020).
• Exploring the anomalous cytotoxicity of commercially-available poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) substrates, PAH Nguyen, L Stapleton, A Ledesma-Mendoza, DL Cuylear, Biointerphases 13 (6), 06D406 (2018).

Selected Patents: