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Nguyen (Nathan) Vo has a PhD in Biology from the University of Waterloo (UW). He received the W.B. Pearson Medal for creative doctoral research. Following his doctorate, he conducted further scientific research at McMaster University, WLU, UW, and the University of Windsor.
Vo's research activities are interdisciplinary and diverse. He had formal academic training in cell biology and virology. His research portfolio has since expanded to include scholarship in immunology (antiviral immunity), radiation biology (radiation effects on human cancer cells and non-human biota), and forensic science.
In 2021, Vo conducted community-based research at UW where he studied COVID-19 antibody immunity in a campus population and in hospitalized patient cohorts. This project is part of the COVID-19 Immunity Task Force by the Government of Canada.
Vo is an Associate Editor of the In Vitro Cellular and Developmental Biology - Animal journal. He is also a member of the Editorial Boards of Developmental and Comparative Immunology journal, Comparative Immunology Reports journal, and Frontiers in Immunology - section Comparative Immunology journal.
Prior to 2022, Vo taught undergraduate courses in the Faculty of Science and Faculty of Human and Social Sciences at WLU. He also taught a Medical Physics undergraduate/graduate course in the Department of Physics and Astronomy and a Life Sciences undergraduate course in the School of Interdisciplinary Science at McMaster University.
Vo joined the Department of Health Studies at WLU as a full-time faculty member in 2022. He teaches Applied Health Sciences courses and Physical Forensics courses.
Vo is currently providing academic expertise and research support to University of Waterloo's cultivated seafood project that has received a total funding of over $700,000 to generate seed knowledge and develop biotechnologies to make and commercialize cell-based fish products. Check out what we are trying to do and how science leads the way:
https://gfi.org/grants/multi-omic-profiling-cultivated-seafood/
https://uwaterloo.ca/news/leveraging-ai-cultivated-seafood-research
https://cultivated-x.com/seafood/university-of-waterloo-students-700000-cultivated-seafood-ai/
I study animal health at the cellular and molecular levels. A major part of my research approach relies on the development of in vitro methods and novel cell culture systems from lower vertebrate animal models for basic research and applications in cell biology, virology, immunology, radiation biology and environmental toxicology. A particular interest is to develop and characterize hematopoietic cell cultures that have the capacity to generate dendritic cells (a type of immune cells that perform antigen presentation and are essential in the activation of adaptive immune responses).
Dr. Vo supports student research positions. He fosters a stimulating interdisciplinary learning environment in his research group. He welcomes students from different academic and personal backgrounds to develop research projects with him, especially to enrich their studies with further scientific education and training. Highly motivated and scientifically curious students are encouraged to contact Dr. Vo for available research positions. Students can choose to pursue scientific research that involves lab work and data collection or research that focuses on literature-based knowledge inquiry and discovery.
Science students interested in lab-based research projects will learn techniques in cell and tissue culture, cytology, microscopy, immunochemistry, molecular biology, quantitative analyses, and in vitro bioassay development.
Possible opportunities may be available for students to do research via course credits that count towards their degree completion and graduation requirements. Dr. Vo supports student research via a two-semester thesis course (e.g. UU499) and one-semester directed studies courses (e.g. HS412).
Health Studies courses:
Biology courses:
Chemistry and Biochemistry courses:
Health Sciences course:
Law and Society course:
Contact Info:
E: nvo@wlu.ca
Office location: RCE254
Office hours:
By appointment.
Languages spoken: English, Vietnamese