Review details about the recently announced changes to study and work permits that apply to master’s and doctoral degree students. Read more
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.
| Name | Academic Unit(s) | Research Interests |
|---|---|---|
| Aamodt, Tor | Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering | Computer architecture; Machine learning; Computer Architecture; graphics processor units (GPUs); Machine Learning |
| Abdin, Yasmine | Department of Materials Engineering | Materials engineering |
| Abdulai, Fatawu | School of Nursing | Clinical nursing, primary (preventive care); Health informatics; human-computer interaction; Health technology design; Informatics/Digital health; Sexual health equity |
| 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 |
| Abughannam, Rana | School of Architecture & Landscape Architecture | socio-political conditions that govern architecture and urbanity |
| 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 |
| Amini, Kiana | Department of Materials Engineering | Materials engineering, n.e.c.; Carbon capture engineering; Chemical engineering, n.e.c.; Electrochemical Energy Storage and Conversion; Redox Flow Batteries; In Situ Characterization of Electrochemical Processes; Electrolyte Design and Battery Architecture; Multi-Physics Modeling of Electrochemical Systems |
| Angeles, Leonora | School of Community and Regional Planning, Institute for Gender, Race, Sex and Social Justice | 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; Materials engineering, n.e.c.; Electrometallurgy; Inorganic chemistry, n.e.c.; Corrosion; Coatings; Electrochemistry |
| Auxier, Jenny | School of Nursing | Adaptation, benefits, and usefulness of Perinatal Digital Health Services, Integration of Patient Engagement into Digital Health Services |
| Bacca, Mattia | Department of Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical engineering; Medical and biomedical engineering; Solid Mechanics; Biophysics; Soft materials; Fracture Mechanics and Adhesion |
| 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 |
| Barudin, Jessica | School of Community and Regional Planning | All other social sciences, n.e.c.; Indigenous health; Indigenous Planning; Traditional Indigenous medicine and treatments; health; Indigenous methodologies; Community planning; North American Indigenous languages |
| 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 |
| Beck, Sara | Department of Civil Engineering | Natural environment sciences; Water quality; Innovative water treatment solutions; Ultraviolet disinfection mechanisms; Applications of UV LEDs (light emitting diodes); Water disinfection; Water reuse; Applied environmental microbiology |
| 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 |
| 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 | Civil engineering; Transport planning; active transportation; Pedestrians; bicycles; travel behaviour; Transportation Systems; motor vehicle emissions; Climate impacts |
| Binet, Andrew | School of Community and Regional Planning | Community development / social planning; Community health and care; Equity; Participatory action research; Participatory planning; Public engagement |
| Boschma, Geertje | School of Nursing | History of nursing and health care, with special emphasis on mental health and mental health nursing |
| Britton, Ben | Department of Materials Engineering | Metals and alloy materials engineering; Manufacturing engineering; Materials characterisation & microstructure; Metallurgy; Electron diffraction & microscopy; Deformation; Microstructure/property models; Manufacturing |
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.
| Year | Citation | Program |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Dr. Bonneau studied the interactions between ice structures and the ocean in Milne Fiord, Nunavut. His work led to a better understanding of the mechanisms driving the transfer of heat from the ocean to glaciers and ice shelves. This knowledge improves our ability to model and therefore predict sea level rise. | Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering (PhD) |
| 2025 | Dr. Mobaraki applied Artificial Intelligence to the welding industry by developing AI models that allow industrial robots to see and hear, enabling real-time seam tracking and defect detection. Her work in computer vision and multi-modal AI also incorporates explainable AI to build trust in automated manufacturing systems. | Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) |
| 2025 | Dr. Ziao Wang's dissertation develops new strategies to analyze structured data like sequences and networks. His work improves how we sort items, find important elements, and match similar structures—advancing tools used in fields from computer science to social science and beyond. | Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) |
| 2025 | Dr. Graves hiked nearly 1,000 kilometers to study how temperate lakes with weak winds may not fully mix during Fall turnover. Her study highlights the role of surface temperature and the thermal expansion coefficient in convection-driven mixing. Findings impact hydrodynamic models and climate change predictions. | Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering (PhD) |
| 2025 | Dr. Stankiewicz studied how sex-based differences influence T cell development in the human thymus. Using stem cell models, she mapped thymus niches to guide T cell growth, revealing new insights into immune development. Her work offers a novel tool to study and improve T cell therapies. | Doctor of Philosophy in Biomedical Engineering (PhD) |
| 2025 | Dr. Fleetwood researched biobased, responsive membranes and hydrophobic coatings for waterproof, breathable materials (i.e. rain jackets). Through this work, she developed a plant-based, aqueous, water-repellent spray and a guard cell isolation protocol. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemical and Biological Engineering (PhD) |
| 2025 | Dr. Bawafaa explored women’s experiences and perception of access to reproductive healthcare in rural Ghana. The study demonstrated that treating women as mere recipients of foreign knowledge is patronizing and overlooks existing knowledge systems that can be reconciled with best practices for desired outcomes. Findings call upon nurse leaders to restructure reproductive healthcare in rural Ghana. | Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing (PhD) |
| 2025 | Dr. Chou greatly improved GPU ray tracing performance through hardware and software co-design. By overcoming memory and performance bottlenecks, his work advanced real-time photorealistic rendering, enabling significant progress in applications such as gaming, virtual reality, and neural graphics. | Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) |
| 2025 | Dr. Hickey developed clinically practical methods for studying why knee replacements fail. Traditional study designs tend to be inefficient in studying this phenomenon. He developed new data analysis and medical imaging techniques which show a plausible pathway for the study of how implant placement effects the long-term survival of knee implants. | Doctor of Philosophy in Biomedical Engineering (PhD) |
| 2025 | Dr. Yang examined the reliability of integrating machine learning with current rock mass characterization and classification methods. By identifying methodological challenges and developing a guideline for reliable machine learning modelling, her research provides key insights for rock engineers seeking to optimize geotechnical design practices. | Doctor of Philosophy in Mining Engineering (PhD) |
