Research Seminar: Transport in Mucus in the Bulk and at Interfaces – Dr. Caroline Wagner

Meeting ID: 693 4383 4453
Passcode: 608808

Location:
Lecture Theatre B1001, Gordon B. Shrum Building (SHRM)

The biological complex fluid mucus plays a key role in the transmission of infectious diseases. In-host, mucus serves as a physical and biochemical barrier, hindering pathogens from reaching underlying susceptible cells. Externally, mucosalivary droplets transport pathogens between hosts, and transmission probability is intimately tied to the processes of aerosolization and virus stability in these biochemically rich droplets. In this talk, we will discuss our experimental and theoretical work related to mucosal biophysics in the in-host context. In particular, we explore transport through mucus for a variety of model nanoparticle systems, and how this is affected by aerosol delivery of these particles to complex fluid interfaces. Throughout, we discuss the important implications of these processes for the spread of infectious disease.

Dr. Caroline Wagner’s Biography:

Caroline Wagner is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Bioengineering at McGill University. She holds an MSc and PhD in Mechanical Engineering from MIT, where she used experiment and theory to study the microscopic and macroscopic rheological properties of mucus and how these are altered in disease. She then trained as a postdoctoral fellow in mathematical disease modeling at Princeton University. Her research program focusses on elucidating the nature of biophysical interactions between pathogens and biological fluids and modeling the effect of such interactions on population-level disease transmission and dynamics.