Dr. Maria DeRosa is a professor in the Department of Chemistry at Carleton University in Canada. Her research examines synthetic nucleic acids known as aptamers to better understand these molecules. This information could be used to design nanotechnology, including biosensors, components for nanomedicine and smart delivery devices. This research takes place in the Laboratory for Aptamer Discovery and Development of Emerging Research (LADDER), a facility funded by the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) Leaders Opportunity Fund and the Ontario Research Fund. DeRosa received her BSc and PhD in Chemistry from Carleton University in 1999 and 2003, respectively, and was awarded an NSERC Postdoctoral Fellowship to conduct research at the California Institute of Technology from 2004 to 2005.  After completing the fellowship, she returned to Carleton University as a faculty member in the Chemistry Department. Dr. DeRosa received recognition for her research, namely, the John Charles Polanyi Research Award in 2006 and an Ontario Early Researcher Award in 2010.