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NINT Principal Investigator, Nano Life Sciences and Director General
Professor, Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta
Dr. Petersen's current research focuses on intermolecular interactions in biological membranes, particularly the study of the dynamics and distribution of molecules within the membrane as a means of understanding cell-cell communication, signal transduction, adhesion and locomotion of cells. His work spans a range of disciplines from Computation to Biology. Dr. Petersen will continue to participate fully in academic pursuits at the University of Alberta through a joint-appointment as a Professor in the Department of Chemistry.
After teaching positions at Cornell University and Washington University Medical School, he returned to The University of Western Ontario's Department of Chemistry as a faculty member in 1981.
He was Chair of the Department of Chemistry from 1995 to 1999. From 1993 to 1995, he was Associate Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies; from 1999 to 2000 he was Associate Vice-President (Research); and for a two-month period in 2000, he was Western's Acting Vice-President (Research). Dr. Nils Petersen joined the NRC in 2004 after three years as Vice-President (Research) at the University of Western Ontario.
Dr. Petersen was a member of the College of Reviewers for the Canada Research Chairs Program and Board Chair of SHARCNET (Shared Hierarchical Academic Research Computing Network), a network of high-performance Beowulf computer clusters in Southwestern Ontario. He also served as Chair of the Canada Foundation for Innovation Expert Committee for Science Facilities and as a member of the Board of Trustees for the Canadian Institute of Synchrotron Radiation.
Employment
- Director General, NINT, National Research Council, Edmonton, Alberta. 2004-Present.
- Professor, Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta. 2004-Present.
- Vice-President (Research), The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario. 2002-2004.
- Associate Vice-President (Research), The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario. 1999-2000.
- Chair, Department of Chemistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario. 1995-1999.
- Associate Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario. 1993-1995.
- Professor, Departments of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario. 1980-2004.
Education
- PhD, Chemistry, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California. 1978.
- B.Sc. (Honours), Chemistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario. 1972.
Highlights
- Awards
Herbert Newby McCoy Award for best Chemistry PhD thesis, Faculty Association Alumni Award, Edward G. Pleva Award for Excellence in Teaching, Lieutenant-Governor's Laurel Award for Teaching, A teaching award from the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations. - Fellow of the Chemical Institute of Canada
- Distinguished Research Professorship from UWO's Faculty of Science.
Contact Information
11421 – Saskatchewan Drive
NINT, Room 1-070F
Edmonton, AB T6G 2M9
Phone:780-641-1610
Fax: 780-641-1601
E-mail: Nils.Petersen@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca
