Professor named region’s Engineer of the Year

[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/heathersheardown.jpg” caption=”Heather Sheardown, professor of chemical engineering and associate dean of graduate studies, has been named the 2011 Engineer of the Year for the Hamilton/Halton region. File photo.”]Heather Sheardown, professor of chemical engineering and associate dean of graduate
studies, has been named the 2011 Engineer of the Year for the Hamilton/Halton region.
The award, presented by the Ontario Society for Professional Engineers and the
Hamilton/Halton Engineering Week Committee, celebrates the achievements of local
engineers who have made significant contributions to their profession, excelled as
researchers and mentored youth.
Sheardown was trained as a chemical engineer at McMaster University, where she
became interested in the biological and medical aspects of engineering. After
completing graduate studies in wound healing processes in the cornea, Sheardown's
postdoctoral training in the field of blood-contacting biomaterials brought her back to
McMaster.
Since becoming a professor at the University, she has been immersed in the field of
ocular research and biomedical engineering.
“You do the things you do because you love them, but it's always an honour to be
recognized,” said Sheardown.
Sheardown is currently studying the issue of drug delivery in the eye using smart
biomaterials. The goal is to reduce side effects and improve clinical outcomes for those
with glaucoma, cornea blindness and age-related macular degeneration.
“We're coming up with new ways of delivering drugs to the back of the eye, where the
degeneration occurs,” said Sheardown. “My ultimate goal is to develop new devices that
will treat and prevent retinal diseases.”
Sheardown is the scientific director of the 20/20 Network, which will train nearly 200
students and post-doctoral fellows in her field over a five-year period. The initiative
showcases Canadian research talent in providing new therapies and has been identified
as critical to developing a homegrown industry.
Sheardown is also chair of McMaster's Women in Engineering Committee and was
actively involved in developing the popular province-wide Go Eng Girl event for girls in
grades 7 to 10.
“I think it's important for girls to see how women have succeeded in the industry,” said
Sheardown. “I think all students interested in engineering, whether in university or high
school, should have good role models to look up to.”