The LIAB is the Laboratory of Innovation and Analysis of Bioperformance. It is a multidisciplinary laboratory which brings together researchers from at the Biomedical Engineering Institute of the École Polytechnique of Montreal (EPM), the Montreal Heart Institute (MHI) and the Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM). The core laboratory is located at the Pavillon J.A. Bobmardier (Biomedical Engineering Institute of EPM).
Grants provided by the Canadian Foundation for Innovation (CFI) and the Ministery of Health and Social Services of Québec permitted Professor Yahia's research group to create the LIAB in June 1999. The LIAB operates under the direction of Professor L'Hocine Yahia, the director of the Group of Research in Biomechanics/Biomaterials (GRBB).
This laboratory network provides a unique platform for researchers working in the fields of biomaterials/ biomechanics and medical devices. It facilitates access to powerful installations and contributes to the ongoing collaborations between groups having different specialities and expertises; areas of study include physicochemical characterization of biomaterials, electrochemistry studies, biocompatibility studies, sterilization of medical devices, design of prosthesis and medical devices, therapeutic molecule delivery systems, and bioperformance analysis.
Most research activities of the LIAB are concentrated at the EPM, MHI and CHUM. Some collaborations have also been established with the Jewish General and Ste-Justine hospitals for the management of specific projects.
In addition to engineers the LIAB involves clinicians, physicians, interventional radiologists, biologists, biochemists, chemists and materials scientists, which ensures that the work is not approached from a narrow, limited viewpoint. Rather, the LIAB has a genuine interdisciplinary base that is supported by in-house facilities for bioperformance analysis and external collaborations for clinical studies.
