Faculty Members
The founding faculty team of CITEch includes UBC researchers from a broad range of disciplinary backgrounds, including Computer Science, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Statistics, Creative Studies, Nursing, and Occupational Science.
CITech continually welcomes new faculty from both UBC campuses as collaborators into the program, with a financial support for their HQPs. For inquires please contact the program coordinator, Dr. Mahdi Takaffoli, at mahdi.takaffoli@ubc.ca.
Dr. Abbas Milani
CITech Director, and Professor
Mechanical Engineering, UBCO
RESEARCH SUMMARY
Textile Composites/Biocomposites; Materials Constitutive Relations; Finite Element Modelling; Robust Inverse Methods; Material Selection for End-of-Life Design Strategies; Multiple Criteria Decision Making; Design and Analysis of Computer & Physical Experiments; Surrogate Models for Process Optimization; Industry 5.0
Dr. Joan Bottorff
Professor
Nursing, UBCO
RESEARCH SUMMARY
Health promotion, health behaviour change, healthy lifestyles, community health, gender influences, cancer prevention, smoking cessation, harm reduction, men’s health, family health, knowledge translation
Dr. John Braun
Professor and Head
Computer Science, UBCO
RESEARCH SUMMARY
Computational statistics, with applications to fire science; statistical process control; statistical education. Most recently, I have been focusing on visualization methodology, using a class of techniques called Data Sharpening.
Dr. Kenneth Chau
Associate Professor
Electrical Engineering, UBCO
RESEARCH SUMMARY
Optics and optical systems, electromagnetic simulation, wearable sensors, immersive visualization.
Dr. Qian Chen
Assistant Professor
Civil Engineering, UBCO
RESEARCH SUMMARY
BIM-ICT enabled digital transformation; Construction supply chain integration; Lean construction and production innovations; Circular Economy in Construction
Dr. Aleksandra Dulic
Associate Professor
Creative and Critical Studies, UBCO
aleksandra.dulic@ubc.ca
Webpage
RESEARCH SUMMARY
Visual art, new media, video, drawing 2D; media for social change; climate change; interactive art; experience design.
Dr. Fatemeh Hendijani Fard
Assistant Professor
Computer Science, UBCO
RESEARCH SUMMARY
Software engineering; machine learning; multiagent systems; data analytics.
Dr. Liane Gabora
Professor
Psychology, UBCO
RESEARCH SUMMARY
Creativity; concepts, especially how they combine and adapt to new contexts; origins of modern cognition.
Dr. Bhushan Gopaluni
Professor
Chemical and Biological Engineering, UBCV
bhushan.gopaluni@ubc.ca
Webpage
RESEARCH SUMMARY
Modeling and experiment design; model predictive controllers; identification for control; iterative identification and control; data analytics; fault detection and diagnosis.
Dr. Khalad Hasan
Assistant Professor
Computer Science, UBCO
RESEARCH SUMMARY
Human-computer interaction, mobile and wearable (e.g., smartwatches, smart glasses) user interfaces, augmented/virtual/mixed reality, information visualization, gesture interaction, computer vision, machine learning, navigation interfaces, input devices.
Dr. Pourang Irani
Professor
Computer Science, UBCO
RESEARCH SUMMARY
Human-computer interaction; information visualization; ubiquitous interfaces; visual analytics; immersive technologies; persuasive health; input devices.
Dr. Patricia Lasserre
Associate Professor
Computer Science, UBCO
patricia.lasserre@ubc.ca
Webpage
RESEARCH SUMMARY
Active learning techniques for computer science; developing tools for learning, computational thinking and design thinking; application of HCI tools and techniques to improve teaching and learning.
Dr. Zheng Liu
Professor
Electrical Engineering, UBCO
RESEARCH SUMMARY
Intelligent sensing, measurement, and instrumentation; Diagnostics, prognostics, and health management; Predictive maintenance; Digital twin; Computational intelligence and data/information fusion; Non-destructive testing & Evaluation; Machine/computer vision; Data analytics and machine learning.
Dr. Bill Miller
Professor
Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, UBCV
RESEARCH SUMMARY
Wheeled mobility devices; determinants of wheelchair use; measurement tools (development and evaluation), balance and ambulation confidence; assessment of assistive technology (e.g. wheeled mobility devices) used to enable mobility disabled adults (e.g. individuals with lower limb amputation, spinal cord injury, and stroke).
Dr. Homayoun Najjaran
Professor
Electrical & Computer Engineering, University of Victoria
RESEARCH SUMMARY
Unmanned aerial and ground vehicles; robotics; industrial automation; Applied artificial intelligence; machine learning; computer vision; control systems.
Dr. Sepideh Pakpour
Assistant Professor
Engineering, UBCO
sepideh.pakpour@ubc.ca
Webpage
RESEARCH SUMMARY
Engineering the human microbiome; Advanced statistical methods for analysis of big data (health sciences); Biology of built environment
Dr. Charlene Esteban Ronquillo
Assistant Professor
Nursing, UBCO
charlene.ronquillo@ubc.ca
Webpage
RESEARCH SUMMARY
Health informatics; nursing; health equity; implementation science.
Dr. Brodie Sakakibara
Assistant Professor
Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, UBCV
RESEARCH SUMMARY
Chronic disease self-management and prevention, with a particular interest in the secondary prevention of stroke, cardiovascular disease, and multimorbidity; Telehealth, with a particular interest in the delivery of chronic care health services and supports using accessible technologies; Measurement of chronic disease self-management and prevention outcomes; Complex behavioural intervention development and clinical trial methodologies
Participatory and patient-oriented research.
Dr. Julia Schmidt
Assistant Professor
Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, UBCV
RESEARCH SUMMARY
Changes in self-identity and self-awareness, changes in the brain, and rehabilitation strategies following traumatic brain injury; determining effective rehabilitation strategies and mechanisms of recovery for people with brain impairment.
Dr. Rudolf Seethaler
Associate Professor
Mechanical Engineering, UBCO
rudolf.seethaler@ubc.ca
Webpage
RESEARCH SUMMARY
Mechatronics for automobiles; sensor less control of piezoelectric actuators, machine tool process control; optimisation of carbon nanotube reinforced composite materials.
Dr. Mohamed Shehata
Associate Professor
Computer Science, UBCO
mohamed.sami.shehata@ubc.ca
Webpage
RESEARCH SUMMARY
Computer vision; video and image processing; intelligent cameras; biomedical applications; new algorithms for emerging industrial applications and software design of video surveillance systems.
Dr. Megan Smith
Associate Professor
Creative and Critical Studies, UBCO
RESEARCH SUMMARY
New media art, virtual reality, physical computing, critical design, geo location, visual art, interactive art.
Dr. Laura Struik
Assistant Professor
Nursing, UBCO
RESEARCH SUMMARY
Nicotine dependence; cancer prevention; tobacco control; youth and young adults; health promotion and gender-sensitive approaches; behavior change using digital technologies.
Dr. Miles Thorogood
Assistant Professor
Creative and Critical Studies, UBCO
miles.thorogood@ubc.ca
Webpage
RESEARCH SUMMARY
Music information retrieval; Interactive sound art; Sound design
Dr. Annie Wan
Associate Professor
Creative and Critical Studies, UBCO
RESEARCH SUMMARY
Innovating artistic and socially motivated design through creative media by means of gamification in digital heritage preservation, museums archives and digital conservation; Employing creative media for the socially disadvantaged by means of adopting extended realities and intelligence technologies for well- being.
Dr. Zhengbo Zou
Assistant Professor
Civil Engineering, UBCV
RESEARCH SUMMARY
Advance automation and intelligence in the construction and maintenance of civil infrastructures.