The Ogata Lab

Dr. Alana Ogata

Dr. Alana Ogata

Read more about Dr. Alana Ogata’s background, career, research interests, and lab at the University of Toronto.

Dr. Alana Ogata

Read more about Dr. Alana Ogata’s background, career, research interests, and lab at the University of Toronto.

Read more about Dr. Alana Ogata’s background, career, research interests, and lab at the University of Toronto.

01.

About Alana

Dr. Alana Ogata obtained her B.Sc. from the College of William & Mary and conducted undergraduate research with Dr. Kristin Wustholz studying electron transfer kinetics in dyes using single-molecule fluorescence microscopy. Thanks to the experience in the Wustholz lab, Alana learned for the first time how research operated and was excited by the ability to solve problems with chemistry. After learning about opportunities in research from Dr. Wustholz, Alana pursued graduate school.

As an NSF GFRP fellow, Alana completed her PhD under Dr. Reginald Penner at UC Irvine focused on the development of simple and rapid biosensors based on polymer nanomaterials. At first intimidated by the new topics of Electrochemistry, Alana continued to find excitement in learning new things, working with advanced analytical instrumentation, and coming up with new research ideas. Through the mentorship of Dr. Penner, Alana also learned about the start-up world and conducted research in collaboration with PhageTech – gaining a new excitement for the translation of chemistries to solve diagnostic problems. During her PhD, she was a visiting scholar at KAIST under Dr. Il-Doo Kim as an NSF GROW fellow and learned the importance of collaboration and hospitality as the Kim group welcomed her in their lab. Throughout her PhD, Alana was set on several career paths, but after realizing that she was equally passionate for research, mentorship, and teaching – she set sights on becoming a professor.

Alana was then a postdoctoral fellow with Dr. Joe Patterson at UC Irvine focused on studying the formation mechanisms of metal-organic frameworks by cryotransmission electron microscopy. Dr. Patterson provided Alana with a front row view of life as a assistant professor and an inclusive experience of setting up a lab and creating a team. Alana’s excitement and joy for mentoring graduate students, leading a project in a new field, and learning new techniques peaked, and the experience in the Patterson lab solidified her decision to pursue faculty positions.

Alana was then a NIH T32 postdoctoral fellow at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, under Dr. David Walt. As the pandemic began, Alana was part of a team of postdocs and grad students (Adam Maley, Tal Gilboa, Maya Kipman) leading COVID19 research using ultrasensitive protein assays to study SARS-CoV-2 antigens in patients, pediatrics, and vaccinated health care workers. Alana gained a new appreciation for team work, as her and her lab mates support for each other was key in conducting rapid research in unprecedently stressful times and was inspired by the multi-institutional collaborations formed to combat the pandemic. Dr Walt and lab members showed Alana how chemistry paired with dedicated leadership, rigor, and collaboration was key in solving global problems.

Alana joined the University of Toronto as an Assistant Professor in the summer of 2021 and is jointly appointed in the Department of Chemistry and the Department of Chemical and Physical Sciences. She is excited to lead a research program that takes inspiration from all stage of her academic career and train the next generation of scientists under a combination of values learnt from her own mentors. The Ogata lab aims to develop new analytical technologies using bioinspired nanomaterials for applications in disease development and solve challenges facing women’s health.

02.

Experience

Assistant Professor

  • Department of Chemistry
  • Department of Chemical and Physical Sciences
  • University of Toronto – Mississauga
  • Potentiostat (PalmSens)

Post Doctoral Fellow

  • 2019-2021
  • T32 NIH Fellow
  • Department of Pathology, Advisor: David Walt
  • Harvard Medical School
  • Brigham and Women’s Hospital

Post Doctoral Fellow

PhD

  • 2014-2019
  • NSF GFRP Fellow
  • Department of Chemistry, Advisor: Reginald Penner
  • University of California – Irvine

Bs in Chemistry

03.

Highlighted Accolades

Funding
  • National Women’s Health Research Initiatives – Translational and Implementation Science Grant, Canadian Institute of Health Research (2024)
  • XSeed Fund (2024)
  • Research Scholarly Activity Fund, UTM OVPR (2024)
  • NSERC CREATE (2023)
  • Ontario Research Fund, Government of Ontario (2023)
  • Canada Innovation Foundation JELF (2022)
  • NSERC Discover Grant (2022)
  • NSERC Discovery Launch Supplement (2022)
  • XSeed Fund (2022)
  • NSERC Research Tools and Instrument (2022)
  • University of Toronto Mississauga Research and Scholarly Activity Fund (2021)
Highlighted Awards and Honors
  • CNC-IUPAC Travel Award (2023)
  • John Polanyi Prize in Chemistry (2022)
  • Connaught New Researcher Award (2022)
  • National Institute of Health T32 Training Grant- Vascular, Pulmonary, and Renal Injury (2020)
  • National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (2015-2018)       
  • NSF-Graduate Research Opportunities Worldwide Fellowship, KAIST, South Korea (2017)
  • Virginia Space Grant Consortium – NASA Undergraduate Research Scholarship (2014)
  • Friends of TODAI Inc Scholarship -University of Tokyo Research Internship Program (2013)
Conference Presentations/Invited Talks
  • European Congress on Biotechnology (2024) Invited Speaker
  • Bioanalytical Sensors Gordon Research Conference (2024) Invited Speaker
  • Canadian Chemistry Conference & Exhibition (2024) Invited Speaker
  • 9th Annual Biophysical Society of Canada Meeting (2024) Invited Speaker
  • 20th Chemical Biophysics Symposium (2024) Invited Keynote Speaker
  • Department of Chemistry, University of Saskatchewan (2024) Invited Speaker
  • Department of Chemistry, University of Winnipeg (2024) Invited Speaker
  • Simoa Success Seminar: North America, Quanterix Corp, Virtual (2023) Invited Speaker
  • Canadian Chemistry Conference & Exhibition (2023) Invited Speaker
  • Department of Chemistry, University of British Columbia (2022) Invited Speaker
  • Department of Chemistry, Biology & the Molecular Sciences, Toronto Metropolitan University (2022) Invited Speaker
  • PRIME Annual Symposium (2022) Invited Speaker
  • Bioanalytical Sensors Gordon Research Conference (2022) Discussion Leader
  • Canadian Materials Science Conference (2022)
  • Canadian Chemistry Conference & Exhibition (2022) Invited Speaker
Trainings/Certifications
  • On the Land Indigenous Education Program
  • CIHR Sex and Gender in Biomedical Research
  • Unconscious Bias 101 ( Toronto Initiative Diversity and Excellence)
Teaching
  • Analytical and Physical Chemistry Instrumentation Laboratory I
  • Advanced Topics in Analytical Chemistry

04.

Follow Alana on X/Twitter

Alana frequently posts on X/Twitter and provides her insights on research, chemistry, DEI, and current political issues. Click the button below to be directed to her account, and consider following her on X/Twitter.

05.

Podcast

Listen to Alana’s interview on the Chemistea Podcast.

08.

Science As Art

Alana is also passionate for science in art. Check out our science art of materials synthesized and imaged by Ogata Lab members! Images taken on an Hitachi SU3500 SEM in the Core Instrument Facility at UTM, training thanks to Peter Mitrakos.

MOF Candy

By Advikaa Dosajh

Building Blocks

By Justin Van Houten

Steps On Steps

By Jared King

MOF Candy

By Christine Gaoiran

Glow

By Gurjap Bhullar

A Crystal Garden

By Shriya Gulati

A ZIF8 Sky

By Ruben Castillo Barberi

Edge Of The World

By Alana ogata

Hot Rocks

By alana ogata

A MOF Garden

By alana ogata

2010 – 2014

Dr. Alana Ogata

Dr. Alana Ogata obtained her B.Sc. from the College of William & Mary and conducted undergraduate research with Dr. Kristin Wustholz studying electron transfer kinetics in dyes using single-molecule fluorescence microscopy. Thanks to the experience in the Wustholz lab, Alana learned for the first time how research operated and was excited by the ability to solve problems with chemistry. After learning about opportunities in research from Dr. Wustholz, Alana pursued graduate school.