A U of G postdoctoral student was recognized today for his research that may help cure a skin disease.

Oualid Haddad, Department of Integrative Biology, was one of five researchers honoured during a ceremony in Ottawa hosted by Mitacs, an agency that works with federal and provincial governments to co-ordinate industry-university research projects and promote academic-industrial research and development.

Mitacs highlighted five of the most meritorious among the thousands of young researchers who take part in its programs each year.

Haddad is a participant in the Mitacs Elevate Postdoctoral Fellowship program, which is supported by the Government of Ontario and the Federal Development Agency of Canada.

He received the Mitacs Postdoctoral Award for Outstanding Research Achievement. It was presented by Ed Fast, minister of international trade, and Gary Goodyear, minister of state.

Haddad was recognized for creating a novel cell stretcher/incubator device that could be used to study the response of live cells to large-scale mechanical strain. It enables researchers to observe live cells for days at a time as they are stretched under a microscope. The research may help to cure epidermolysis bullosa simplex, a skin blistering disease.