Dr. Soha Ahmadi is a postdoctoral fellow working in the Thompson Research Lab at U of T Chemistry. She has recently been featured in two Chemistry Stories articles, “Thompson Group wins Pitch at SICIEEIL,” and Sensing Opportunity: Two CHM414 teams publish papers in 2025. In this Synergy in Science profile, Ahmadi tells us about studying Chemistry at UTSC, her journey from student to teacher to entrepreneur, and a history of inspiring and successful teaching projects.
Bio: I moved to Canada with my family in 2013, unsure whether I should try to enter the workforce or pursue my long-held dream of doing a PhD. Like many newcomers, I was trying to rebuild my life; finding a home, supporting my daughter, and navigating a new system.
A few fortunate encounters, including meeting Prof. Bernie Kraatz and attending a friend’s PhD defence at Lash Miller, helped me regain my confidence. After months of hard work preparing my application, I applied to the Department of Chemistry. To my surprise, as this is a very competitive department, I received early admission. I joined Bernie’s group in 2014, where my PhD research focused on investigating the role of biometals and tau protein interactions in Alzheimer’s disease. This work introduced me to electrochemical biosensor technology, led to several collaborations, and resulted in four first-author publications.
As much as I loved research, I found myself equally passionate about teaching and creating learning experiences that felt meaningful, hands-on, and empowering. During my PhD, supported through the Chemistry Teaching Fellowship Program (CTFP), I designed an undergraduate lab experiment where students used pencil lead to build an electrochemical biosensor to monitor UV-induced DNA damage. Watching students use such simple, everyday material to create something powerful reminded me of how innovative and joyful learning can be.
That experience sparked my interest in pedagogy and in exploring new, creative approaches to teaching scientific concepts. Later, with support from CTFP and the Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences (DPES), I redesigned the content for a fourth-year advanced lab-based course that had previously focused on organic synthesis. For the first time, undergraduate students fabricated several electrochemical biosensors in a research-like environment.
What happened after you completed your PhD?
After my PhD, I joined Prof. Kagan Kerman’s group as a postdoc, where I developed a 3D in vitro neuronal system by differentiating neuroblastoma cells into functional neurons. Although the project was paused due to the pandemic, the experience was incredibly rewarding. I gained valuable leadership and mentorship skills, including supervising two undergraduate students remotely in Summer 2020, which resulted in two high-quality review articles.
And now you are in the Thompson Research Group, is that right?
Winning the Faculty of Arts & Science Postdoctoral Fellowship brought me to the Prof. Michael Thompson group, where I shifted toward developing a biosensor for early detection of ovarian cancer, work I am now taking toward commercialization with the support of U of T accelerators.
I won a Pitch Competition hosted by the Sam Ibrahim Centre for Inclusive Excellence in Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Leadership (SICIEEIL) in 2025. Now the group's startup for ovarian cancer biosensors, Farname‑Diagnosis, has been selected as an Early Stage finalist in the 2026 Desjardins Startup Prize Pitch Competition.
Entering the entrepreneurship world has been challenging, but rewarding, and it has deepened how I think about solving problems.
Entrepreneurship aside, your focus is teaching?
Yes. Teaching in the Department of Chemistry has been one of the most joyful and meaningful experiences of my career. My first teaching experience was as the lab instructor for CHM217 in Fall 2023. I quickly realized how time-consuming lab report grading could be for TAs and how delayed feedback affected student learning. After discussions with the TAs, two of them initiated to solve this issue and applied for CTFP, co-supervised by Prof. David Stone and me. Phoebe Tsz Shan Chan developed an autograding system so students could immediately see mistakes in their calculations, and Amanda Kwan designed a lab session to teach fundamental lab skills and an Excel tutorial to help students in lab reports. Both were piloted in Summer 2024, when I taught CHM217, and were later implemented in Fall 2024 and Summer 2025.
I also created a new CHM217 assignment called “My Dream Analytical Chemistry Lab,” in which students worked in groups to design experiments they wished were part of the course and presented their ideas in a poster format. This assignment gave students a chance to read a research article, practice teamwork, and communicate science while enjoying the learning process. For TAs, it offered a more engaging grading experience, and for me, it became an opportunity to meet every student as they consulted with me about their projects. The students voted on the top posters, and I professionally printed the winning ones and hung them on the wall next to the LM6 lab, where CHM217 lab takes place, so future students could be inspired by the creativity of their peers.
One teaching experience I am especially proud of is initiating the development of an asynchronous EDI training for undergraduates in our department, supported by CTFP and Prof. Andy Dicks, with guidance from Dr. John De Backere and Chemistry Librarian Madeline Gerbig. The training went through extensive review by experts and was piloted in Summer 2022. It has since been implemented in CHM151 and CHM135, with more than 5000 students completing it. The Department of Chemistry and Physical Sciences (UTM) adapted it for their TAs and undergraduate students. Also, in collaboration with Prof. Shadi Dalli, I tailored it for TAs and undergraduate students at DPES (UTSC) through the Pedagogies of Inclusive Excellence (PIE) funding, where over 1500 students have completed it so far.
Some of the CHM414 students who recently published papers are also embarking on the pitch process, with your help. How do you see your role in mentoring students not only as chemists but entrepreneurs?
It’s a great question and not an easy one. I’m still relatively new to the world of entrepreneurship myself, so I approach this role with both humility and enthusiasm. Transitioning from an academic and research-focused mindset to one that also considers commercialization, market needs, and business strategy is challenging. There is so much to learn beyond the science: customer discovery, value proposition, intellectual property, funding pathways, and how to communicate ideas in a way that resonates outside of academia.
Because I’m navigating that transition myself, I try to mentor students by sharing what I’ve learned, both the successes and the struggles. In many ways, my role becomes dual: helping them strengthen the science behind their sensor, while also encouraging them to think about feasibility, user needs, and real-world impact. Balancing both sides is critical when students begin to see their ideas as more than class projects.
What I love most is that mentorship is never one-directional. Just like in teaching, you grow alongside your students. As I guide them through early entrepreneurship, they push me to think differently too; to see new applications, new challenges, and new possibilities. We learn together, and that growth is one of the most rewarding parts of the entire experience.
At its core, my journey through research, teaching, and entrepreneurship has been about problem-solving, creativity, and helping students see their own potential. Whether I’m designing a biosensor or designing a new assignment, I approach both with the same goal: identify a need, remove barriers, and create something that helps others learn, grow, and succeed.
Watching students use such simple, everyday material to create something powerful reminded me of how innovative and joyful learning can be. -Dr. Soha Ahmadi