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Our team
The people in the lab
A small group by design. Students here build and align their own instruments, and most leave with their name on a paper.
Principal investigator
Dr Kevin C. Hewitt
Professor in the Department of Physics and Atmospheric Science at Dalhousie University, with over twenty-five years applying Raman spectroscopy across condensed matter physics, materials science and biomedical optics.
He has attracted $2.5M in research grants as principal investigator and $7.3M in joint research grants, and a further $2.2M in science education and outreach grants. He has held visiting professorships at Stanford University and the BC Cancer Agency, and serves as an external grant reviewer for CFI, NSERC and CIHR, and as a referee for the Journal of Biomedical Optics and Optics Express.
He sits on committees concerned with diversity in physics and is a member of the Nova Scotia Institute of Science and the Canadian Association of Physicists.
His public engagement — Imhotep’s Legacy Academy, the Canadian Black Scientists Network, and the participation of Black students in science — has been covered continuously since 1999.
Selected honours
- 2025Robert J Holland Jr Award for Research and Leadership — DalNews
- 2023Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee Medal
- 2021Rosemary Gill Award for Outstanding Service to Students
- 2018Dalhousie President’s Award for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion — the first awarded, to Imhotep’s Legacy Academy
- 2021NSERC Award for Science Promotion (individual)
- 2014Harry Jerome Award for Professional Excellence
- 1990sMultiple NSERC scholarships and awards
Current members
Who is in the lab now
Dr Onur Bulut
Postdoctoral fellow
A biochemist whose research spans molecular biology, biochemistry and nanomaterials, with a particular interest in biomolecular and nanoscale systems. He is developing an aptamer-based biosensor for the detection of vitamin D, aiming at simple, sensitive and practical sensing platforms for biomedical applications. About the vitamin D programme →
We are recruiting. Graduate students, a research assistant and a postdoctoral fellow. See open opportunities and apply →
Alumni
Where people went next
Over 60 trainees have passed through the lab — undergraduate, graduate students and post-docs. Their work is still cited, and several of the instruments in the lab were built by the people on this list.
Showing all 67 trainees.
| Name | Position held | Completed | Currently | Profiles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deniel Cole-Simms | Masters | In progress | MEd, University of Calgary (co-supervised): Improving evaluation in STEM outreach | — |
| Princess Edogiawerie | Masters | In progress | MEd (part-time), York University (co-supervised): pathways into the physical sciences and engineering for Black students in grades 9–12 | — |
| Tomi Adeoye | Undergraduate summer student | 2026 | Project: Optimizing the AuNP-based aggregation assay, including testing probe lengths, aptamer density and experimental conditions to improve assay performance · NSERC USRA | — |
| Namya Mahendru | Undergraduate summer student | 2026 | Project: Refining the fluorescence-based sensing assay, expanding quantitative analysis, sensitivity and reproducibility for 25-OH-D3 detection · NSERC USRA | — |
| Benjamin Hansson | Masters | 2025 | PhD student, Saint Mary’s University (Tokarz lab) | Lab |
| Samantha Kieyele | Undergraduate summer student | 2025 | Project: Point-of-need device for vitamin D detection: optimizing aptamer loading on nanoparticles · NSERC USRA | — |
| Eshaa Amer | Undergraduate summer student | 2025 | Project: Point-of-need device for vitamin D detection: implications for mental health treatment · NSERC USRA | — |
| Hao Guo | Doctoral | 2024 | Medical Physics resident, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York | Residency |
| Dr Alexey B. Tikhomirov | Research assistant | 2024 | Specialist, Optical Sensing, Space Science and Technology, Canadian Space Agency | |
| Ahmed Galal | Undergraduate summer student | 2024 | Project: Aptamer-based biosensing of hydroxyvitamin D3 | — |
| Ty Martin | Undergraduate summer student | 2024 | Project: Vitamin D detection using aptamers · NSERC USRA | — |
| Kate Thomson | Undergraduate summer student | 2023 | Project: Integrating the HeAlZe device into the vitamin D assay · Burgess McKittrick | — |
| Parth Maheta | Undergraduate summer student | 2023 | Project: A surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy-based assay for the detection of vitamin D: nanoparticle synthesis · NSERC USRA | — |
| Ispeeta Ahmed | Undergraduate summer student | 2023 | Project: A surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy-based assay for the detection of vitamin D: nanoparticle functionalization · NSERC USRA | — |
| Jordan Adamski | Undergraduate summer student | 2023 | Project: A surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy-based assay for the detection of vitamin D: optical response · NSERC USRA | — |
| Alex Liaukovich | Undergraduate summer student | 2021 | Project: CW-SESRS to analyze biomolecules | — |
| Teagan Milligan | Undergraduate summer student | 2021 | Project: CW-SESRS to analyze biomolecules | — |
| Xander Gouws | Undergraduate summer student | 2021 | Project: CW-SESRS to analyze biomolecules | — |
| Caleb Galbraith | Undergraduate summer student | 2020 | Project: Optical device for liver fat detection | — |
| Emily Butler | Undergraduate summer student | 2020 | Project: Optical device for liver fat detection | — |
| Diana Adamo | Undergraduate summer student | 2020 | Project: Optical device for liver fat detection | — |
| Dr Yashar E. Monfared | Postdoctoral fellow | 2019 | Research Consultant and Training Specialist, ACENET Canada | |
| Lexie Mitchell | Honours student | 2019 | — | — |
| Lucie Maarek | Undergraduate summer student | 2019 | Project: Optical technology for fat detection · French internship | — |
| Lexie Mitchell | Undergraduate summer student | 2019 | Project: Liver steatosis detection · NSERC USRA | — |
| Ravi Rai | Honours student | 2017 | — | — |
| Joshua Sampson | Honours student | 2017 | — | — |
| Mathilde Lusseau | Undergraduate summer student | 2017 | Project: SE-stimulated Raman spectroscopy · French internship | — |
| Dr Chris Lee | Doctoral | 2016 | — | — |
| Joshua Sampson | Undergraduate summer student | 2016 | Project: Silver nanoprobes for EGFR · NSERC | — |
| Allan Hupman | Honours student | 2015 | Assistant Professor, Radiation Oncology and Physics & Atmospheric Science, Dalhousie University | Profile |
| Allan Hupman | Undergraduate summer student | 2014 | Project: Core-shell silver-gold nanoparticles · NSERC USRA | — |
| Samia B. Fashir | Undergraduate summer student | 2014 | Project: EGF nanoprobes and immune response in mouse models · ILA-FoS | — |
| Dr Maiara Lima Castilho | Doctoral | 2013 | Professor and coordinator of the Bionanotechnology Laboratory, University of Vale do Paraíba, Brazil | |
| Leanne Lucas | Masters | 2013 | Safety Advisor, Science Activities, Saint Mary’s University | Profile |
| Dr James A. Rioux | Doctoral | 2013 | Assistant Professor, Diagnostic Radiology and Physics & Atmospheric Science, Dalhousie University | Profile |
| Ivan Kostylev | Undergraduate summer student | 2011 | Project: High-throughput resistivity | — |
| Adam Forget | Undergraduate summer student | 2011 | Project: Raman spectroscopy and rotating AFM · Burgess McKittrick | — |
| Javad Ghassemi | Undergraduate summer student | 2011 | Project: Raman spectroscopy of liver · NSERC | — |
| Starla Talbot | Undergraduate summer student | 2011 | Project: SERS and glutamate release · NSERC | — |
| Mehran Saadat | Masters | 2010 | — | — |
| Ivan Kostylev | Honours student | 2010 | — | — |
| Leanne Lucas | Undergraduate summer student | 2010 | Project: Imaging EGFR | — |
| Peter Smith | Undergraduate summer student | 2010 | Project: Spectrometer construction · Burgess McKittrick | — |
| Adam Forget | Undergraduate summer student | 2010 | Project: Spectrometer construction · Burgess McKittrick | — |
| Elizabeth Orton | Masters | 2009 | — | |
| Ishrat Jalal | Undergraduate summer student | 2009 | Project: SERS detection of neurotransmitter release | — |
| Leanne Lucas | Undergraduate summer student | 2009 | Project: Imaging EGFR distribution with SERS | — |
| Aaron Smith | Honours student | 2008 | — | — |
| Dr Robert J. Sanderson | Doctoral | 2008 | Data Systems and Infrastructure Specialist, Wind Energy Institute of Canada | Profile |
| Jalianne Li | Undergraduate summer student | 2007 | Project: SERS of blood disorders | — |
| Mark Maillet | Undergraduate summer student | 2007 | Project: Tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy | — |
| Dr Joël St-Aubin | Honours student | 2006 | Clinical Associate Professor of Radiation Oncology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa | Profile |
| Mehran Saadat | Undergraduate summer student | 2006 | Project: La2-xSrxCuO4 synthesis by SCSA · NSERC USRA | — |
| Philip Casey | Honours student | 2005 | — | — |
| Chelsea Nisbett | Undergraduate summer student | 2005 | Project: Synthesis of gold nanoparticles · Burgess McKittrick | — |
| Joel St. Aubin | Undergraduate summer student | 2005 | Project: SERS of AA and hemoglobin · NSERC USRA | — |
| Aaryn Tonita | Undergraduate summer student | 2004 | Project: Triple grating spectrometer · NSERC USRA | — |
| Shoan Kale | Honours student | 2003 | Family doctor, Ontario | — |
| Greg MacDonald | Honours student | 2003 | — | — |
| Philip Casey | Undergraduate summer student | 2003 | Project: Combi-resistivity apparatus · NSERC USRA | — |
| Bradley Beaver | Undergraduate summer student | 2003 | Project: NaxCoO2·yH2O synthesis · NSERC USRA | — |
| Ryan Lewis | Undergraduate summer student | 2003 | Project: NaxCoO2·yH2O synthesis · Burgess McKittrick | — |
| Benjamin Turnbull | Undergraduate summer student | 2003 | Project: Synthesis of Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8 | — |
| Shoan Kale | Undergraduate summer student | 2002 | Project: Preparation of thin-film LixBC · NSERC USRA | — |
| Jamie Cordes | Undergraduate summer student | 2002 | Project: 200-channel resistivity probe · NSERC USRA | — |
| Mark Sunderland | Undergraduate summer student | 2002 | Project: Preparation of bulk LixBC | — |
Former group members: update your own entry. If you trained here, send your current role, institution and city — and your LinkedIn or Google Scholar profile if you would like it linked — and we will keep this table current. It is the part of the site prospective students read most closely.
Beyond the lab
We work with other groups
Much of the applied work depends on clinical and optical collaborators in the Netherlands, British Columbia, Brazil and the Caribbean.
Transplant surgery, biomedical optics and photodynamic therapy partners.
Student awards, scholarships and media coverage.
Open positions at every stage, reviewed on an ongoing basis.