Guyanese Dr Suresh Narine, Director of the Trent University Centre for Biomaterials Research, is one of “Canada’s top 40 under-40″awardees for 2011, heralded a national report in the Globe and Mail on April 28th.
Dr Suresh Narine
According to a release from the university, the top 40 under-40 awards recognise Canada’s most innovative and visionary young leaders. Recipients are selected for their outstanding vision and leadership, innovation and achievement, impact, community involvement and development strategy. Past winners of the top 40 under-40 awards now represent a “who’s who” of leaders in business, science and social organisations.
A Trent University alumnus, Professor Narine, originally from Guyana, is an internationally-renowned expert in biomaterials, whose work focuses on the utilisation of plant oils to create “environmentally-friendly” materials such as polymers, lubricants, adhesives, and drug delivery matrices for everyday use. He is the author of two seminal textbooks in the area of lipid crystallisation, and co-author of numerous scientific publications and patents.
“I had an opportunity to meet and learn about the other 39 recipients of this award, and am overwhelmingly humbled to be included in such an accomplished group,” said Prof Narine. “I am also deeply honoured to be so recognised in Canada – a country which seems to have equally adopted me as I have adopted it. I believe that my being chosen as one of the award recipients is an endorsement of the value of global citizenship and of the kind of multi-stakeholder approaches to harnessing science for sustainable development that I have been involved with throughout my career. I feel privileged to enjoy this type of recognition in Canada, whilst still being actively committed to, and involved in, the promulgation of science and technology solutions for development in my home country of Guyana.”
Professor Narine was awarded a CD$1.25 million Ontario Research Chair in Green Chemistry and Engineering from the Council of Ontario Universities, in collaboration with the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, at Trent University in February 2010.
In November of that same year, he was awarded a Cdn$3 million Senior Industrial Research Chair in Biomaterials from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) in partnership with Elevance Renewable Sciences Inc and the Grain Farmers of Ontario.
Professor Narine completed both his BSc and MSc in Chemistry and Physics at Trent University, and his PhD in Food Science at the University of Guelph. After graduating and working as a research scientist with M&M Mars in New Jersey, Professor Narine was recruited to the University of Alberta, appointed professor, and named Alberta Value Added Corporation (AVAC) Research Chair by the age of 27. He went on to become the founding director of the Alberta Lipid Utilisation Research Program.
In 2005, he was awarded the prestigious “Growing Alberta Leadership Award” for Innovation. In 2006, he was honoured by his alma mater with the Trent University Distinguished Alumni Award.
In his native Guyana in 2005, Prof Narine accepted a presidential appointment as the director of Guyana’s Institute of Applied Science and Technology. There, he introduced biodiesel technology and established a commercially-viable biodiesel production facility in the North West District of Guyana (Region One) – a boost to Guyana’s development – creating employment for 180 people.
The Institute of Applied Science and Technology is now, six years later, among the leading applied science institutes in the region. Prof Narine was recognised by the Guyanese diaspora in Canada for his efforts, being awarded the Special Achievement Guyana/ Canada Award in 2007. Professor Narine continues his volunteer work with the institution today.
In his current position at Trent University as the director of the Trent Centre for Biomaterials Research, Prof Narine’s work involves the research and commercialisation of green chemistry and engineering, while building networks with other researchers and research bodies in Canada and abroad, including industry and non-governmental organisations.
Prof Narine contributes to public understanding and policy development in the area of toxic reduction, and trains highly-qualified personnel while teaching undergraduate and graduate students.
