Leading hydrodynamics researcher, Dr. Borries Demeler, earns Speaker Research Award

trevor.kenney — Wed, 13 May 2026 16:23:54 +0000

A research scientist of the highest calibre, Dr. Borries Demeler established the Canadian Center for Hydrodynamics at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, a world-leading research institute for the study of nanoscale materials, while excelling as an exemplary educator, researcher and mentor to students from high school to post-secondary levels.

Demeler has been named the winner of the 2026 ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Speaker Research Award.

Dr. Borries Demeler champions the idea of mentoring at all levels.

“Dr. Demeler’s arrival as a Canada 150 Research Chair was a massive win for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and opened an entirely new area of expertise within our research program,” says Dr. Dena McMartin, ULethbridge Vice-President (Research). “By establishing the Canadian Center for Hydrodynamics, expanding his research group and mentoring and training students at all levels, Dr. Demeler epitomizes the ideals of the Speaker Research Award.”

The Speaker Research Award recognizes the importance of research, scholarship and performance to the philosophy and goals of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ.

Demeler will be presented with the Speaker Research Award at Spring 2026 Convocation, Ceremony I, on Thursday, May 28, at 9 a.m. in the Co-op Centre for Sport & Wellness gymnasium.

Dr. Borries Demeler

Dr. Borries Demeler is regarded as a world leader in the field of hydrodynamics, excelling as a distinguished professor, researcher and mentor whose contributions to biophysics, analytical ultracentrifugation (AUC) and computational biology are unparalleled. That he found his calling and became an international expert in such a highly specialized discipline only after he could not find enough work as a carpenter is similarly remarkable.

Born and raised in Germany, Demeler first came to North America as a teen, visiting an exchange student from Toronto he’d met earlier. Determined to get back to Canada, he began building staircases and sailboats to fund his eventual return. While he did get back to Canada, he ended up living in Butte, Montana but could not find enough work as a carpenter. His focus turned to school and with the help of his father, he attended the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Montana where he studied chemistry, physics and mathematics.

To say that Demeler excelled is an understatement and before long, he narrowed his focus on biophysics and AUC. During graduate school at Oregon State ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, Demeler tackled the challenge of digitizing an aging AUC instrument so that it could be read by a computer. What ensued was the development of UltraScan, a revolutionary software package that has become the worldwide standard of data analysis for hydrodynamic data from AUC experiments.

First released in 1990, UltraScan established Demeler as an emerging innovator whose expertise would revolutionize research in biochemistry and biophysics performed with AUC. As his research group grew, the funding and partnerships followed and in 2018 he earned a prestigious Canada 150 Research Chair appointment at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge. His was one of only three Canada 150 Chairs in Western Canada.

His work at ULethbridge began by establishing the Canadian Center for Hydrodynamics. Since joining the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, he has published more than 70 research articles, trained and mentored countless researchers and collaborated with research programs and industry partners throughout the world. His cross-disciplinary work continues to engage the pharmaceutical industry, health and virus research and biotech companies. Demeler’s success at securing external funding has exceeded $6.5 million, of which more than $5 million has been earned at ULethbridge.

Keenly focused on his students, Demeler champions the idea of mentoring at all levels, helping train students from high school to PhD levels. He actively supports giving opportunities to underrepresented and minority populations and has worked extensively with Blackfoot students on both sides of the Canada/U.S. border.

Demeler was named the 2018 Fulbright Specialist Scholar, the 2023 Erskine Visiting Professor Award from New Zealand’s ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Canterbury and the 2019 Svedberg Prize lifetime achievement award by the AUC community.

UNews - Canadian Center for Hydrodynamics

Leading hydrodynamics researcher, Dr. Borries Demeler, earns Speaker Research Award

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