Education & Academic Positions
Biography
Kevin De France (he/him) is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Queen’s University in Canada, where his lab focuses on the development of sustainable materials from natural building-blocks like cellulose and protein. Kevin grew up in Waterdown, Ontario, and studied at McMaster University, receiving his Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering and Biosciences in 2014, and his Ph.D. (also from McMaster) in Chemical Engineering in 2019. His thesis work entailed the design of structured cellulose nanocrystal composite hydrogels for biomedical applications, under the co-supervision of Dr. Emily Cranston and Dr. Todd Hoare. Kevin then joined the Cellulose & Wood Materials Lab at Empa – Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology as an NSERC Postdoctoral Fellow under Dr. Gustav Nyström. In his free time, Kevin loves spending time outdoors, hiking, running, playing squash, or enjoying some good food.
Our research program explores the design of sustainable bio-based materials and their application in fields spanning the biomedical, coatings & packaging, and environmental sectors. Specifically, we focus on cellulose- and protein-based nanomaterial ‘building blocks’ such as cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs), cellulose nanofibers (CNFs), and protein amyloid fibers and their use in the fabrication of structures including hydrogels, aerogels, emulsions, and films. We aim to understand and leverage structure-function relationships within our nanomaterial building blocks to precisely tailor material performance for targeted applications. The work in our lab is interdisciplinary, spanning materials chemistry, engineering, and biotechnology, with the end goal of replacing petroleum-based products with high-performance renewable materials for a greener future.
For a complete list of publications,
Please see Kevin’s Google Scholar Profile: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=Oe2clE4AAAAJ&hl=en
While we do not currently have any open positions, applications from highly motivated students and post-doctoral fellows are welcomed. The De France Lab is committed to Equal Opportunity and Diversity. All suitable applicants are encouraged to apply. Applicants should have experience in biomaterials science, macromolecular chemistry, or a related discipline, and a familiarity in a chemical laboratory setting. Prospective candidates are encouraged to email kevin.defrance@queensu.ca for more information. Please include your CV, academic transcript, and a brief description of research interests. Additional information can be found below based on applicant level.
Undergraduate Positions
Canadian undergraduate students interested in performing summer or thesis-based research projects in the De France Lab should email kevin.defrance@queensu.ca to discuss potential opportunities. Students seeking a summer position are encouraged to apply for the NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Award (USRA) program (applications are typically due in early February).
Graduate Positions
We are always interested in recruiting highly motivated graduate students for both Master and Ph.D. degrees, working in the area of sustainable materials from nanocellulose and protein amyloids. Please email kevin.defrance@queensu.ca with your CV, transcript, and letter of intent to learn more about the opportunities in our group. For more information on grad school at Queen’s University, please see the following links:
How to apply for graduate studies at Queen’s
Graduate Studies in Chemical Engineering at Queen's
International Students - School of Graduate Studies
Postdocs
We currently have no funded postdoctoral positions. However, self-funded prospective candidates are encouraged to apply. For more information about postdoctoral studies at Queen’s and funding opportunities, please see the following links:
Office of Post-Doctoral Training
Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships