About Our Speakers

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Dr. Michael  Woodside
Dept of Physics, University of Alberta

Michael Woodside is a Professor of Physics at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada. He obtained Physics Specialist and Music Major degrees from the University of Toronto, followed by a PhD in Physics from UC Berkeley, where he studied electron transport in nanostructures with scanned probe microscopy. He trained in single-molecule biophysics during a postdoc in the Biology Department at Stanford University before moving to Edmonton in 2006. His research interests cover the intersection of physics, chemistry, biology, and medicine, centering on how individual biomolecules like proteins, DNA, and RNA self-assemble into complex structures. His work focuses on three themes: the fundamental physics of folding reactions, the relationship between folding and function in viral RNAs, and protein misfolding that causes disease.

Dr. Damian Pope
Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics

Damian Pope, PhD, coordinates educational content and teaches programs to students, teachers, and the general public. He combines his background as a researcher in the areas of quantum information theory and quantum foundations with a passion for communicating ideas to the wider community. His development of products and programs involves extensive collaboration with, and participation by, PI's many international researchers