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
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, Alexander York 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
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, Heather School of Community and Regional Planning Urban and regional planning; how academics can work more effectively with non-academics to enhance impact of research; how academics can work more effectively with non-academics to enhance the relevance of research; how ethical values can be incorporated into public policy relating to city and regional planning
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
Cao, Yankai Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering Chemical engineering; Optimization, Control and Operations Research; Solar and Wind Energy; Artificial Intelligence; Large Scale Optimization

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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

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

Eric Lees

Doctor of Philosophy in Chemical and Biological Engineering (PhD)

Electrolytic Conversion of (Bi)carbonate Carbon Capture Solutions into Value-added Products

Elizabeth Straus

Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing (PhD)

Exploring well-being with young people living with home mechanical ventilation: A critical narrative inquiry
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

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

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

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.

 

UV photoelectrochemical process for the synergistic degradation of total ammonia nitrogen (TAN)
Publication: Journal of Cleaner Production
UBC Author(s): Fariborz Taghipour (Chemical & Biological Engineering / Faculty of Applied Science)
ISSN: 09596526
Volume: 289
Publication Date: 20 March 2021

View Publication
Effect of surfactants on the formation of oil-wicking aqueous gel for the remediation of oil spilled into surface water
Publication: Chemical Engineering Science
UBC Author(s): John Frostad (Chemical & Biological Engineering / Faculty of Applied Science)
ISSN: 00092509
Volume: 232
Publication Date: 15 March 2021

View Publication
Time series monitoring of impervious surfaces and runoff impacts in Metro Vancouver
Publication: Science of the Total Environment
UBC Author(s): Kees Lokman (School of Architecture & Landscape Architecture / Faculty of Applied Science)
ISSN: 00489697
Volume: 760
Publication Date: 15 March 2021

View Publication
Effect of water activity on the functional, colloidal, physical, and microstructural properties of infant formula powder
Publication: Journal of Colloid and Interface Science
UBC Author(s): Orlando Rojas Gaona (Chemical & Biological Engineering / Faculty of Applied Science)
ISSN: 00219797
Volume: 586
Page Range: 56-66
Publication Date: 15 March 2021

View Publication
Experimental and computational evaluation of a flow-through UV-LED reactor for MS2 and adenovirus inactivation
Publication: Chemical Engineering Journal
UBC Author(s): Fariborz Taghipour (Chemical & Biological Engineering / Faculty of Applied Science)
ISSN: 13858947
Volume: 407
Publication Date: 1 March 2021

View Publication
Forecasting the impact of climate change on thermal comfort using a weighted ensemble of supervised learning models
Publication: Building and Environment
UBC Author(s): Adam Rysanek (School of Architecture & Landscape Architecture / Faculty of Applied Science)
ISSN: 03601323
Volume: 190
Publication Date: March 2021

View Publication
MXE: A package for simulating long-term diffusive mass transport phenomena in nanoscale systems
Publication: Computer Physics Communications
UBC Author(s): Mauricio Ponga de la Torre (Mechanical Engineering / Faculty of Applied Science)
ISSN: 00104655
Volume: 260
Publication Date: March 2021

View Publication
Seismic Loss Estimation Using Visual Damage Models
Publication: Journal of Structural Engineering (United States)
UBC Author(s): Terje Haukaas (Civil Engineering / Faculty of Applied Science)
ISSN: 07339445
Volume: 147
Publication Date: 1 March 2021

View Publication
Life-Cycle Cost Analysis Framework to Support Data Procurement Strategies for Infrastructure Assets
Publication: Journal of Infrastructure Systems
UBC Author(s): Omar Swei (Civil Engineering / Faculty of Applied Science)
ISSN: 10760342
Volume: 27
Publication Date: 1 March 2021

View Publication
Modeling traffic conflicts for use in road safety analysis: A review of analytic methods and future directions
Publication: Analytic Methods in Accident Research
UBC Author(s): Tarek Sayed (Civil Engineering / Faculty of Applied Science)
ISSN: 22136657
Volume: 29
Publication Date: March 2021

View Publication
Optimal Load Sharing in Bioinspired Fibrillar Adhesives: Asymptotic Solution
Publication: Journal of Applied Mechanics, Transactions ASME
UBC Author(s): Mattia Bacca (Mechanical Engineering / Faculty of Applied Science)
ISSN: 00218936
Volume: 88
Publication Date: 1 March 2021

View Publication
Model for attrition in sorption-enhanced chemical-looping reforming in fluidized beds
Publication: Fuel Processing Technology
UBC Author(s): Naoko Ellis (Chemical & Biological Engineering / Faculty of Applied Science)
ISSN: 03783820
Volume: 213
Publication Date: March 2021

View Publication
Power Loss Prediction for Distributed Energy Resources: Rapid Loss Estimation Equation
Publication: IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics
UBC Author(s): Martin Ordonez (Electrical & Computer Engineering / Faculty of Applied Science)
ISSN: 02780046
Volume: 68
Page Range: 2289-2299
Publication Date: March 2021

View Publication
Dissolved methane recovery from anaerobically treated wastewaters using solvent-based membrane contactor: An experimental and modelling study
Publication: Separation and Purification Technology
UBC Author(s): Jongho Lee (Civil Engineering / Faculty of Applied Science)
ISSN: 13835866
Volume: 258
Publication Date: 1 March 2021

View Publication
Correlations between thermal satisfaction and non-thermal conditions of indoor environmental quality: Bayesian inference of a field study of offices
Publication: Journal of Building Engineering
UBC Author(s): Adam Rysanek (School of Architecture & Landscape Architecture / Faculty of Applied Science)
Volume: 35
Publication Date: March 2021

View Publication
Diagnosis of COVID-19 for controlling the pandemic: A review of the state-of-the-art
Publication: Biosensors and Bioelectronics
UBC Author(s): Fariborz Taghipour (Chemical & Biological Engineering / Faculty of Applied Science)
ISSN: 09565663
Volume: 174
Publication Date: 15 February 2021

View Publication
Micro- and nanofibrillated cellulose from virgin and recycled fibers: A comparative study of its effects on the properties of hygiene tissue paper
Publication: Carbohydrate Polymers
UBC Author(s): Orlando Rojas Gaona (Chemical & Biological Engineering / Faculty of Applied Science)
ISSN: 01448617
Volume: 254
Publication Date: 15 February 2021

View Publication
CO<inf>2</inf> mineralization and concurrent utilization for nickel conversion from nickel silicates to nickel sulfides
Publication: Chemical Engineering Journal
UBC Author(s): David Dreisinger (Materials Engineering / Faculty of Applied Science)
ISSN: 13858947
Volume: 406
Publication Date: 15 February 2021

View Publication
Non-linear simplified models for seismic response estimation of a novel tall timber-concrete hybrid structural system
Publication: Engineering Structures
UBC Author(s): Carlos Estuardo Ventura (Civil Engineering / Faculty of Applied Science)
ISSN: 01410296
Volume: 229
Publication Date: 15 February 2021

View Publication
Leakage-proof microencapsulation of phase change materials by emulsification with acetylated cellulose nanofibrils
Publication: Carbohydrate Polymers
UBC Author(s): Orlando Rojas Gaona (Chemical & Biological Engineering / Faculty of Applied Science)
ISSN: 01448617
Volume: 254
Publication Date: 15 February 2021

View Publication
IRI deterioration model for asphalt concrete pavements: capturing performance improvements over time
Publication: Construction and Building Materials
UBC Author(s): Omar Swei (Civil Engineering / Faculty of Applied Science)
ISSN: 09500618
Volume: 271
Publication Date: 15 February 2021

View Publication
Lignin effect in castor oil-based elastomers: Reaching new limits in rheological and cushioning behaviors
Publication: Composites Science and Technology
UBC Author(s): Orlando Rojas Gaona (Chemical & Biological Engineering / Faculty of Applied Science)
ISSN: 02663538
Volume: 203
Publication Date: 8 February 2021

View Publication
Using measures of efficiency for regionally-targeted smallholder policy intervention: The case of Pakistan's horticulture sector
Publication: Land Use Policy
UBC Author(s): John Thomas Steen (Mining Engineering / Faculty of Applied Science)
ISSN: 02648377
Volume: 101
Publication Date: February 2021

View Publication
Improving fretting corrosion resistance of CoCrMo alloy with TiSiN and ZrN coatings for orthopedic applications
Publication: Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials
UBC Author(s): Rizhi Wang (Materials Engineering / Faculty of Applied Science)
ISSN: 17516161
Volume: 114
Publication Date: February 2021

View Publication
Technical note: Using k-means to identify soot aggregates in transmission electron microscopy images
Publication: Journal of Aerosol Science
UBC Author(s): Steven Rogak (Mechanical Engineering / Faculty of Applied Science)
ISSN: 00218502
Volume: 152
Publication Date: February 2021

View Publication

Pages

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
 

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