Peter Zandstra graduated with a Bachelor of Engineering degree from McGill University in the Department of Chemical Engineering, obtained his Ph.D. degree from the University of British Columbia in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology and continued his research training as a Post-Doctoral Fellow in the field of Bioengineering at MIT.  He then began his faculty appointment at the University of Toronto’s Institute of Biomaterial and was later appointed University Professor, the university’s highest academic rank. In July 2017, Dr. Zandstra joined the University of British Columbia as the Founding Director of the School of Biomedical Engineering and as the Director of the Michael Smith Laboratories. In these roles, he aims to build programs with deeper interactions between the Faculties of Applied Science, Science and Medicine, especially as related to innovative research and training programs. Dr. Zandstra is the Canada Research Chair in Stem Cell Bioengineering and is a recipient of a number of awards and fellowships. Dr. Zandstra is a fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. His research focuses on understanding how complex communication networks between stem cells and their progeny influence self-renewal and differentiation, and how this information can be applied to the design of novel culture technologies capable of controlling cell fate.