Cellular therapy may revolutionize the treatment of degenerative diseases such as diabetes. Several stem cell-based cellular therapy products are already used to treat a limited number of severe diseases. The broad clinical application of cell-based products would require significant advances in process optimisation to reduce production costs. The research in the Hoesli lab focuses on designing novel bioprocesses and bioreactors to manufacture cell-based therapeutic products. A highly scaleable cell encapsulation process was developed to culture stem cells in 3D hydrogels. Screening platforms were used to systematically optimize stem cell culture media and biomaterials by applying statistical design of experiments. Her laboratory is now investigating the interactions between biomaterials and stem cells to control stem cell fate decisions and produce therapeutic cells in a robust and reproducible manner.

Prof. Corinne Hoesli joined the Department of Chemical Engineering of McGill University as an Assistant Professor in August 2014. She is a biochemical engineer with expertise in bioprocess development, high‑throughput screening and stem cell culture optimization. In 2014, she received the Martin Sinacore Outstanding Young Investigator Award conferred by Engineering Conferences International and Biogen Idec in recognition of her leadership in bioprocess engineering.