Daniel Burnside is trained as a molecular microbiologist and has been involved in research and innovation in a variety of different fields over his career. After receiving a B.Sc. with a concentration in Health Science, he later received a PhD from Carleton University. Work during his thesis involved the development and validation computational tools for engineering completely novel synthetic proteins and drugs, the identification of novel DNA repair proteins, and understanding biological pathways in various scenarios such as during HIV and Zika Virus infection. Daniel also worked for a Biotechnology company that evolved out of the research completed during his PhD. Later, he did postdoctoral work at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine investigating the use of patient-derived intestinal organoids for studying Inflammatory Bowel Disease before beginning work in the intellectual property field. He currently works as a patent professional at an intellectual property firm, focusing on securing patent protection primarily in the fields of health, chemical inventions, biotechnology, and bioengineering.
Daniel’s goal is to make science accessible and understandable to anyone. He has taught a variety of undergraduate courses at Carleton University including Microbiology of Health and Human Physiology. His seminars are not only informative, but also entertaining, engaging, and directly applicable to everyday life. He uses simplified explanations, metaphors, and modern examples to impart knowledge that can be translated directly from the classroom to the community. No previous scientific knowledge is needed to enjoy his lecture series.
Read what participants have said they enjoyed most about Dr. Daniel Burnside’s lecture series, “Biological Warfare: Modern Medicine vs. Modern Disease”:
- Dr. Burnside’s amazing expertise & strong communication skills created a warm comfortable educational forum in which every question was welcomed. Each lecture humbled me in terms of what I do not know but consistently inspired me to research further & seek greater insight on my own. I enjoyed the intellectual challenge of this lecture series thoroughly.
- This lecture series was exceptional due to the skill and knowledge of Dr. Daniel Burnside. I was a little hesitant due to my lack of knowledge of the area, but Daniel made the lectures stimulating and fascinating.
- Daniel Burnside is an extremely well-informed lecturer. He delivered the information in a scholarly yet understandable manner. He took questions from the group and responded with respect…every questioner was listened to and no matter what the question, Daniel provided a complete response. When he was not certain, he would say so. I feel grateful for the opportunity to have learned from him. If he were to offer another lecture series, I would be first in line!
- This was my first lecture series in this program. I thoroughly enjoyed it and looked forward to each week’s lecture. The lecturer was excellent, always well-prepared, and always interesting. He had a way of presenting challenging topics that allowed a novice like myself, with little background, to understand the topic.
- Very well presented and interesting. I was particularly impressed by the lecturer’s enthusiasm for his subject.
- [I appreciated] the detail provided on complex science in easy to understand terms with applicable examples. Also the very excellent responses to questions from the class.
- Interesting topics every week; I appreciated that every week Dr. Burnside gave us a balanced blend of (i) the background of the disease and (ii) the current approaches of medicine / research to combat the illness. He was an excellent lecturer: he always repeated the questions to ensure everyone had heard / understood what was being asked. Dr. Burnside provided many details, but always further expanded / clarified such that the “lay person” could understand. Knowledgeable participants added additional value with their questions.
Read what participants have said they enjoyed most about Dr. Daniel Burnside’s lecture series, “Genetically Modified Everything”:
- The lecturer was very passionate and adapted the series as he went along to align to student interests. He also brought lab equipment to show us, so that we could fully understand the small scale of the work. Great series and very well presented.
- I have never taken a Biology course (I’m 70), yet Dan was able to explain the content perfectly. He had slides, videos, and information at his fingertips that increased interest and clarity.
- I LOVED everything about it. Dr. Burnside presented all sides of every argument and encouraged people to make their own choices, also explaining his journey through the decision-making process. The time flew by. Every time he announced break, I wondered why he would stop after only 10 minutes and was stunned when I checked the time.
- Both sides of controversial topics were presented to support students making their own conclusions.
- I was most satisfied with lecturer Dr. Burnside. His enthusiasm for the material content of the series was obvious and it transferred to us. He presented difficult material in a simpler way and answered all questions with knowledge and integrity, no matter how simple or complex the question was. He was very approachable and at home using the technology available to him. I would definitely do another lecture series with him, even though I have no back ground in either science or biology.
- The lectures were topical and informative, and although a somewhat controversial subject, the lecturer gave a balanced point of view.
- This series gave me a glimpse into a domain of human inquiry that amazed me and seemed magical in terms of the insights and capabilities that drive its progress. Dr. Burnside’s excellent lecture skills and ability to communicate his extraordinary expertise introduced me to an exciting transformative science that I understand much too little of. I left the series humbled and hungry for further learning. More please!