The applied sciences – architecture, landscape architecture, engineering, nursing, and planning – change society's conception of what is possible as a matter of course. Applied scientists make dreams real, turn ideas into practice. We embody the interface between present and future.

The Faculty of Applied Science comprises a unique constellation of professional disciplines including; Architecture & Landscape Architecture, Engineering, Nursing and Community & Regional Planning. The core purpose shared across all of our four disciplines is to discover, create and apply knowledge, provide unwavering top-tier education and champion a community of responsible professionals devoted to serving a thriving, sustainable and healthy society. Our work and the professions which our graduates represent span the entire human-centred built environment. 

The disciplines within the Faculty of Applied Science are celebrated for the scope, strength and impact of their research activities. Our Faculty claims the spotlight in the global arena for our research in clean energy, communication and digital technologies, health and health technology among many others. We offer disciplinary-specific research based graduate programs as well as a range of professional graduate programs and pride ourselves on our ability to open doors of opportunity to students beyond their time within our Faculty.

Mission
We shape the people and the professions that shape the world.
 

Research Centres

Applied Science participates in a number of research centres and laboratories at UBC, some of which are inter-faculty collaborations and others of which are within Applied Science and involve inter-departmental collaborations.

Architecture and Landscape Architecture

Community & Regional Planning

Engineering

Nursing

Research Highlights

Through leadership and the relentless charge to improve professional practice, Applied Science researchers – often in interdisciplinary and pan-professional collaborations – advance knowledge, policies and technologies, and solve the global challenges facing society. In any specific year, over 100 leading companies partner with UBC APSC to advance their research agendas. 

The UBC Applied Science research enterprise helps drive the reputation of one of the top research-intensive universities in the world. Our researchers claim the spotlight in the global arena in the following research themes:

Schools / Departments

School

Department

Graduate Degree Programs

Research Supervisors in Faculty

or browse the list of faculty members in various academic units. You may click each unit to view faculty members appointed in that unit. View the full faculty member directory for more search and filter options.
Name Academic Unit(s) Research Interests
Aamodt, Tor Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering computer architecture, optimizing compilers, Computer architecture, Microarchitecture and programming models for energy efficient computer accelerators
Abdin, Yasmine Department of Materials Engineering
Abolmaesumi, Purang Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering Electrical engineering, computer engineering, and information engineering; Medical and biomedical engineering; Artificial Intelligence; Biomedical Engineering; Biomedical Technologies; Cancer Imaging; Computer Assisted Interventions; Image Guided Surgery; Machine Learning; Medical Imaging; Surgical Robotics; Ultrasound Imaging
Adebar, Perry Erwin Department of Civil Engineering Concrete structures, seismic design, high-rise buildings, shear design, evaluation and repair of structures
Altintas, Yusuf Department of Mechanical Engineering Virtual Machining, Computer Control of Manufacturing Systems, CAD/CAM, CNC Design, High Speed Feed Drive Control, Real Time Interpolation and Trajectory Generation for Machine Tools, Adaptive Control, Sensor Fused Intelligent Machining, Metal Cutting Mechanics, Chatter Vibrations in Machining, Piezo -Actuator Based Precision Machining, High Speed Milling, Optimal Machining of Aerospace Parts, Dies and Molds, Automation, Precision Engineering, Electro Mechanical Systems, Modeling and Analysis of Machining Processes, Mechanics, dynamics and control of micro-machining operations
Angeles, Leonora School of Community and Regional Planning Gender analysis, gender mainstreaming and other gender planning related tools, including feminist critiques and perspectives on the intergration of gender and other social axes of difference and diversity in community planning and international development work
Asselin, Edouard Department of Materials Engineering Hydrometallurgy (including leaching, electrometallurgy and residue characterization), Electrochemistry (including high temperature electrochemistry and sensors)
Bacca, Mattia Department of Mechanical Engineering Mechanical engineering; Medical and biomedical engineering; Adhesion and fracture; Biophysics; Soft materials; Solid Mechanics
Baldwin, Susan Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering Bioprocess engineering, bioremediation, biomedical reaction modelling
Banthia, Nemkumar Department of Civil Engineering Materials engineering, concrete, advanced composite materials, shotcrete, fibre reinforcement, rebound mechanics, kinamatic studies, optimization, supplementary cementing materials in concrete
Bass, John School of Architecture & Landscape Architecture Constested landscapes Globalization and Contested Territory, Infrastructure, Social Equity, Visualization and Community Engagement
Baumbusch, Jennifer School of Nursing long-term residential care, family caregiving, Intellectual Disability, nursing care of older adults
Berube, Pierre Department of Civil Engineering Water treatment, trace organic contaminants, membrane and advanced oxidation technologies., Drinking water treatment, filtration/membrane processes for water and wastewater treatment, distribution system water quality, advanced oxidation, wastewater reuse
Beznosov, Konstantin Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering Electrical engineering, computer engineering, and information engineering; computer security and privacy; mobile security and privacy; online social networks security and privacy; usable security and privacy
Bhargava, Vijay Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering Green communications, cognitive and cooperative wireless systems, MIMO-OFDM systems, cross-layer analysis
Bi, Xiaotao Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering Chemical engineering; Biomass and Bioenergy; Electrostatics of Powders; Fluidization; Fuel Cells Water Management; Green Engineering; Industrial Symbiosis; Life Cycle Analysis; Multiphase Chemical Reactors; Particle technology
Bigazzi, Alex Department of Civil Engineering, School of Community and Regional Planning Civil engineering; Urban and regional planning; active transportation; Air quality; bicycles; motor vehicle emissions; Transportation Systems; travel behaviour
Boschma, Geertje School of Nursing History of nursing and health care, with special emphasis on mental health and mental health nursing
Britton, Thomas Benjamin Department of Materials Engineering
Brown, Helen Jean School of Nursing Maternal-infant and women
Browne, Annette School of Nursing Health inequalities, indigenous peoples, women's health, cultural safety, primary health care interventions to improve health outcomes, marginalized populations, health policy
Bungay, Victoria School of Nursing sexuality, sex work, harm reduction, drug use, intersectionality, ethnography, communication technologies, community based research, Health inequities affecting men and women working in the commercial sex industry and people who are street-involved, leadership, public health nursing, mental health, sexual health, HIV, and harm reduction programming
Bushe, William Kendal Department of Mechanical Engineering Numerical modelling and mechanical characterisation; Automotive combustion and fuel engineering (including alternative and renewable fuels); Hypersonic propulsion and hypersonic aerodynamics; Aerospace engineering, n.e.c.; Numerical Simulation of Turbulent Combustion; Reacting Flows; Energy Conversion Systems; clean energy
Byrne, Fionn School of Architecture & Landscape Architecture Landscape architecture; Design innovation; Landscape studies (except architecture); Landscape design; Landscape ethics
Campbell, Suzanne School of Nursing Nursing; Community Health / Public Health; Health Promotion; Interpersonal Communication; Educational Technologies; Health Care Technologies; Modelization and Simulation; social determinants of health; Global Health and Emerging Diseases; Adult Education and Continuing Education; global maternal-infant-child health; health communication; interprofessional health professional education; lactation support; leadership in nursing; simulation nursing education

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Open Research Positions

This list of possible research projects is non-exhaustive. It only shows positions that are specifically advertised in the G+PS website.

Graduate Student Stories

Bingxin Zhou

Doctor of Philosophy in Chemical and Biological Engineering (PhD)

Development of High Energy Density Anodes for Lithium Metal Batteries

Pan Deng

Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering (PhD)

Neutrophil inflammatory responses: neutrophil reverse migration and NETosis

Megha Kalia

Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD)

Making Augmented Reality Feasible for Robot Assisted Surgery

Preetish Kakoty

Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering (PhD)

Impacts of M9 Cascadia Subduction Zone Earthquakes and Basin Amplification on the Seismic Risk of Vancouver’s Tall Reinforced Concrete Shear Wall Buildings and Implications on Community Resilience

Pranav Shrestha

Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering (PhD)

Affordable and portable microscopy for screening sickle cell disease in rural/remote communities

Arman Hejazi

Master of Applied Science in Chemical and Biological Engineering (MASc)

Development of a point-of-use water treatment system for organic contamination removal, powered by the combination of UV-LEDs and in-situ generation of hydrogen peroxide

Athanasios Kritharis

Doctor of Philosophy in Chemical and Biological Engineering (PhD)

A new technological paradigm for low-cost, decentralized vaccine manufacture

Hiroshan Gunawardane

Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering (PhD)

A Novel Microscale Soft Actuator for Medical Applications
All Student Stories

Alumni on Success

Michel AlSharidah

Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) [2013]

Job Title
Assistant Professor

Employer
Public Authority for Applied Education and Training

Michael Wrinch

Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) [2008]

Job Title
President

Employer
Hedgehog Technologies Inc.

Mehrdad Fatourechi

Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) [2008]

Job Title
Chief Technology Officer (CTO)

Employer
BroadbandTV Corp

Mohamed Sultan Mohamed Ali

Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) [2012]

Job Title
Associate Professor

Employer
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

Samer Al-Kiswany

Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) [2013]

Job Title
Assistant Professor

Employer
University of Waterloo

Jasna Jankovic

Doctor of Philosophy in Chemical and Biological Engineering (PhD) [2011]

Job Title
Assistant Professor

Employer
University of Connecticut

Bernard Ng

Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) [2011]

Job Title
Research Associate

Employer
Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics

Arash Takshi

Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) [2007]

Job Title
Associate Professor

Employer
University of South Florida
All Alumni Stories

Recent Publications

This is an incomplete sample of recent publications in chronological order by UBC faculty members with a primary appointment in the Faculty of Applied Science.

 

Recent developments in colorimetric and optical indicators stimulated by volatile base nitrogen to monitor seafood freshness
Publication: Food Packaging and Shelf Life
UBC Author(s): Orlando Rojas Gaona (Chemical & Biological Engineering / Faculty of Applied Science)
ISSN: 22142894
Volume: 28
Publication Date: June 2021

View Publication
An analytical correlation for conjugate heat transfer in fin and tube heat exchangers
Publication: International Journal of Thermal Sciences
UBC Author(s): Seyed Ghoreishi-Madiseh (Mining Engineering / Faculty of Applied Science)
ISSN: 12900729
Volume: 164
Publication Date: June 2021

View Publication
Removal of fluoride from sodium sulfate brine by zirconium pre-loaded chelating resins with amino-methyl phosphonic acid functionality
Publication: Desalination
UBC Author(s): David Dreisinger (Materials Engineering / Faculty of Applied Science)
ISSN: 00119164
Volume: 505
Publication Date: 1 June 2021

View Publication
Bidirectional Resonant CLLC Charger for Wide Battery Voltage Range: Asymmetric Parameters Methodology
Publication: IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics
UBC Author(s): Martin Ordonez (Electrical & Computer Engineering / Faculty of Applied Science)
ISSN: 08858993
Volume: 36
Page Range: 6662-6673
Publication Date: June 2021

View Publication
PFAS removal by ion exchange resins: A review
Publication: Chemosphere
UBC Author(s): Madjid Mohseni (Chemical & Biological Engineering / Faculty of Applied Science)
ISSN: 00456535
Volume: 272
Publication Date: June 2021

View Publication
Circumneutral electrosynthesis of ferrate oxidant: An emerging technology for small, remote and decentralised water treatment applications
Publication: Current Opinion in Electrochemistry
UBC Author(s): David Wilkinson (Chemical & Biological Engineering / Faculty of Applied Science)
ISSN: 24519103
Volume: 27
Publication Date: June 2021

View Publication
A reliability-based approach to determine the minimum detectable damage for statistical damage detection
Publication: Mechanical Systems and Signal Processing
UBC Author(s): Carlos Estuardo Ventura (Civil Engineering / Faculty of Applied Science)
ISSN: 08883270
Volume: 154
Publication Date: 1 June 2021

View Publication
Inactivation of microorganisms by newly emerged microplasma UV lamps
Publication: Chemical Engineering Journal
UBC Author(s): Fariborz Taghipour (Chemical & Biological Engineering / Faculty of Applied Science)
ISSN: 13858947
Volume: 413
Publication Date: 1 June 2021

View Publication
A variational interface-preserving and conservative phase-field method for the surface tension effect in two-phase flows
Publication: Journal of Computational Physics
UBC Author(s): Rajeev Jaiman (Mechanical Engineering / Faculty of Applied Science)
ISSN: 00219991
Volume: 433
Publication Date: 15 May 2021

View Publication
Mussel-inspired reinforcement of a biodegradable aliphatic polyester with bamboo fibers
Publication: Journal of Cleaner Production
UBC Author(s): Orlando Rojas Gaona (Chemical & Biological Engineering / Faculty of Applied Science)
ISSN: 09596526
Volume: 296
Publication Date: 10 May 2021

View Publication
Deformation mechanics of self-expanding venous stents: Modelling and experiments
Publication: Journal of Biomechanics
UBC Author(s): Srikantha Anasavarapu (Mechanical Engineering / Faculty of Applied Science)
ISSN: 00219290
Volume: 120
Publication Date: 7 May 2021

View Publication
Engineered biochars from catalytic microwave pyrolysis for reducing heavy metals phytotoxicity and increasing plant growth
Publication: Chemosphere
UBC Author(s): Naoko Ellis (Chemical & Biological Engineering / Faculty of Applied Science)
ISSN: 00456535
Volume: 271
Publication Date: May 2021

View Publication
Dual-Electric-Port Bidirectional Flux-Modulated Switched Reluctance Machine Drive with Multiple Charging Functions for Electric Vehicle Applications
Publication: IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics
UBC Author(s): Yu Christine Chen (Electrical & Computer Engineering / Faculty of Applied Science)
ISSN: 08858993
Volume: 36
Page Range: 5818-5831
Publication Date: May 2021

View Publication
Active learning with online video: The impact of learning context on engagement
Publication: Computers and Education
UBC Author(s): S Sidney Fels (Electrical & Computer Engineering / Faculty of Applied Science)
ISSN: 03601315
Volume: 165
Publication Date: May 2021

View Publication
Supply reliability assessment of a gas pipeline network under stochastic demands
Publication: Reliability Engineering and System Safety
UBC Author(s): Yankai Cao (Chemical & Biological Engineering / Faculty of Applied Science)
ISSN: 09518320
Volume: 209
Publication Date: May 2021

View Publication
Mapping frailty concepts to SNOMED CT
Publication: International Journal of Medical Informatics
UBC Author(s): Sabrina Wong (School of Nursing / Faculty of Applied Science)
ISSN: 13865056
Volume: 149
Publication Date: May 2021

View Publication
Men’s sexual help-seeking and care needs after radical prostatectomy or other non-hormonal, active prostate cancer treatments
Publication: Supportive Care in Cancer
UBC Author(s): John Oliffe (School of Nursing / Faculty of Applied Science)
ISSN: 09414355
Volume: 29
Page Range: 2699-2711
Publication Date: May 2021

View Publication
A clean and efficient approach for recovery of vanadium and tungsten from spent SCR catalyst
Publication: Minerals Engineering
UBC Author(s): David Dreisinger (Materials Engineering / Faculty of Applied Science)
ISSN: 08926875
Volume: 165
Publication Date: 1 May 2021

View Publication
Pyrometric imaging of soot processes in a pilot ignited direct injected natural gas engine
Publication: International Journal of Engine Research
UBC Author(s): Patrick Kirchen (Mechanical Engineering / Faculty of Applied Science)
ISSN: 14680874
Volume: 22
Page Range: 1605-1623
Publication Date: May 2021

View Publication
A multi-scale attention neural network for sensor location selection and nonlinear structural seismic response prediction
Publication: Computers and Structures
UBC Author(s): Carlos Estuardo Ventura (Civil Engineering / Faculty of Applied Science), Clarence Wilfred de Silva (Mechanical Engineering / Faculty of Applied Science)
ISSN: 00457949
Volume: 248
Publication Date: May 2021

View Publication
Effect of graphene oxide on single fiber pullout behavior
Publication: Construction and Building Materials
UBC Author(s): Nemkumar Banthia (Civil Engineering / Faculty of Applied Science)
ISSN: 09500618
Volume: 280
Publication Date: 19 April 2021

View Publication
Roadmap on quantum nanotechnologies
Publication: Nanotechnology
UBC Author(s): Joseph Salfi (Electrical & Computer Engineering / Faculty of Applied Science)
ISSN: 09574484
Volume: 32
Publication Date: 16 April 2021

View Publication
Nonlinear transient thermoelastic response of FGM plate under sudden cryogenic cooling
Publication: Ocean Engineering
UBC Author(s): Jasmin Jelovica (Mechanical Engineering / Faculty of Applied Science)
ISSN: 00298018
Volume: 226
Publication Date: 15 April 2021

View Publication
Associative structures formed from cellulose nanofibrils and nanochitins are pH-responsive and exhibit tunable rheology
Publication: Journal of Colloid and Interface Science
UBC Author(s): Orlando Rojas Gaona (Chemical & Biological Engineering / Faculty of Applied Science)
ISSN: 00219797
Volume: 588
Page Range: 232-241
Publication Date: 15 April 2021

View Publication
A model to unravel the beneficial contributions of trace Cu in wrought Al–Mg alloys
Publication: Acta Materialia
UBC Author(s): Chadwick Sinclair (Materials Engineering / Faculty of Applied Science)
ISSN: 13596454
Volume: 208
Publication Date: 15 April 2021

View Publication

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Recent Thesis Submissions

Doctoral Citations

A doctoral citation summarizes the nature of the independent research, provides a high-level overview of the study, states the significance of the work and says who will benefit from the findings in clear, non-specialized language, so that members of a lay audience will understand it.
Year Citation Program
2020 Dr. Ma studied wavelength and polarization control for on-chip communication systems such as mobile network servers. He presented novel silicon photonic integrated circuit designs, from components to sub-systems, as well as intelligent control techniques. His studies facilitate developing fully integrated, high-speed, data-processing systems. Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD)
2020 Dr. Sun investigated energy storage applications. She developed a privacy protection solution for end consumers, a frequency regulation scheme for system operators, and a market participation strategy for storage owners. Her algorithms provide meaningful insights for the application of energy storage to support the paradigm shift to smart grids. Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD)
2020 Dr. Mitelman developed an analogous method for solving ground-support problems, having an impact on the obligation for civil and mining engineers to ensure the stability of underground excavations. His proposed method requires less simplifying assumptions than analytical solutions and less computational resources than numerical methods. Doctor of Philosophy in Mining Engineering (PhD)
2020 Dr. Paterson explored and modelled the dynamic response of papermaking fibre suspensions undergoing compressive dewatering operations. His research advanced traditional deformable porous media models by including effects of the fibres' complex structure. The findings are valuable for optimizing designs of pulp and paper industrial equipment. Doctor of Philosophy in Chemical and Biological Engineering (PhD)
2020 Dr. Mirazimi studied the dissolution of arsenic from mine waste materials and investigated the key factors that control arsenic release from arsenic bearing minerals to the environment. His study provides key information for the prevention and management of waste rock drainage containing arsenic. Doctor of Philosophy in Materials Engineering (PhD)
2020 Dr. Yang investigated the interdependency analysis and modelling among critical infrastructures. He optimized the preparation and restoration processes at both the pre- and the post-disaster phase. This research increases the resilience of critical infrastructure systems for disaster response. Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD)
2020 Dr. Daniel studied the interfaces between layers in the multilayer structure of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell. His work resulted in an integrated multilayer architecture that eliminates detrimental gaps around the catalyst layer to improve the performance and operational flexibility of fuel cells, critical for automotive applications. Doctor of Philosophy in Chemical and Biological Engineering (PhD)
2020 Dr. Zhou studied 3D interactions and spatial perception for Virtual Reality displays. She created techniques to generate realistic visualization on 3D displays. This research paves the way for future VR studies and applications. Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD)
2020 Dr. Nguyen developed efficient algorithms for pricing and resource allocation in edge computing. This research assists service providers and network operators to optimize the operation and planning of edge networks. It also facilitates the development of new marketplaces for fair and efficient allocation and trading of edge resources. Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD)
2020 Dr. Esfandiari developed a system that uses medical image processing algorithms and artificial intelligence to enable surgeons to more clearly and accurately see where spine implants have been placed during a surgery, rather than waiting for a postoperative assessment. His system will reduce the re-operation rate for spine surgery patients. Doctor of Philosophy in Biomedical Engineering (PhD)

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Interesting Links

https://apsc.ubc.ca/research-industry/faculty-experts