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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

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
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, Vicky 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
Caggiano, Holly School of Community and Regional Planning
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
Cao, Yankai Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering Chemical engineering; Machine Learning; optimization; Renewable energy systems; Process Control
Chang, Stephanie School of Community and Regional Planning, Institute for Resources, Environment & Sustainability All other social sciences, n.e.c.
Chen, Yu Christine Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering Engineering and technology; energy systems; Electric power system modelling, control, and operation; Renewable energy sources; electricity markets
Chiao, Mu Department of Mechanical Engineering MEMS, Micro Sensors, Micro Actuators, BioMEMS, Nanotechnology, Bioengineering, Electronic Packaging, Nanoscience, Energy sources for micro-electro-mechanical systems
Chrostowski, Lukas Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering Electrical engineering, computer engineering, and information engineering; Optics and Photonics; Micro and Nanoelectronics; Nanotechnologies; Manufacturing Processes; biophotonics; biosensors; optics; optoelectronics; photonics; quantum computing; semiconductor lasers; silicon photonics
Clare, Adam Department of Mechanical Engineering Manufacturing technologies and approaches for a sustainable future; Additive manufacturing (materials, processes, design and application); Electrical discharge machining, electrolyte jet machining, electron beam and laser processes; Stochastics in engineering design and manufacture; Machine design and build; Manufacturing for high value and high integrity applications (aerospace, biomedical, tool & nuclear)
Clark, Drew School of Nursing Health sciences; healthcare ethics; Health Equity; healthcare decision making; transgender health
Clifton, Kelly School of Community and Regional Planning transport and land use interactions, travel behaviour, pedestrian modeling, equity in transportation policy
Cockcroft, Steven Department of Materials Engineering Clean Energy Research, Physical phenomena in non-ferrous casting, hot tearing, Optimization of industrial casting processes, Mathematical modeling
Condon, Patrick Michael School of Architecture & Landscape Architecture Sustainable urban design, landscape architecture, sustainable communities
Connolly, James John Timothy School of Community and Regional Planning
Cretu, Edmond Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering Nano-technology; Electronics; Medical and biomedical engineering; microsystems and nanotechnology; sensor clusters and networks; Signal processing and control; Ultrasound Imaging; Microinstrumentation; Inertial measurement units; wearable systems
Currie, Leanne School of Nursing Nursing; Health Care Technologies; Health information systems; Biomedical and Health Informatics
Dahinten, Susan School of Nursing Social determinants and processes of child development, identification, intervention and the prevention of developmental problems
Dahmen, Joseph School of Architecture & Landscape Architecture technical methods and cultural effects of resource use at the scales of architecture and territory.
Desjardins, Adrien Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering Imaging and sensing, Robotics, Photonics, Ultrasound, Machine learning, Marine and biomedical applications, Development of imaging and sensing modalities and autonomous robotics, Biomedical Technologies, Emerging Micro/Nano Technologies
Dev, Rubee School of Nursing Pediatrics and reproductive medicine, n.e.c.; Nursing; women's health; maternal & child health; sexual & reproductive health; chronic disease prevention & management; health system & services
Di Matteo, Olivia Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering Quantum information, computation and communication; Quantum computing: compilation, circuits and algorithms; Tomography and characterization; Open-source quantum software

Pages

Graduate Student Stories

Liam Murdock

Master of Applied Science in Mechanical Engineering (MASc)

Micromanipulator Design for Mandibular Reconstruction Surgery

Esther Roorda

Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD)

Developing sustainable practices in consumer electronic design and repair through community, education and technical design

Michelle Gagnon

Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing (PhD)

Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy as Experienced by Patients and Providers in Canada: A Narrative Inquiry

Meghna Mohandas

Doctor of Philosophy in Planning (PhD)

Private space as sites of ‘othering’: Housing experiences of Indigenous migrant women in Bengaluru, India

Genevieve Bonnor

Master of Applied Science in Biomedical Engineering (MASc)

Mitigating dynamic soft tissue artifacts in lower extremity inertial measurement unit systems using kalman filtering

Bonnie Leung

Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing (PhD)

Cancer treatment decision-making with racialized older immigrants with cancer

Arash Mousemi

Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering (PhD)

Numerical simulation of turbulent reactive flows

Juri Kim

Doctor of Philosophy in Planning (PhD)

Examining the impacts of barriers and facilitators on post-pandemic economic recovery in Vancouver neighbourhoods
All Student Stories

Alumni on Success

Jorge Octavio Virues Delgadillo

Doctor of Philosophy in Chemical and Biological Engineering (PhD) [2008]

Job Title
Full Time Professor

Employer
Facultad Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Veracruzana

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

Freddy Pina

Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering (PhD) [2011]

Job Title
President

Employer
PBRV Consulting Ltd.

Hooman Rezaei

Doctor of Philosophy in Chemical and Biological Engineering (PhD) [2013]

Job Title
Senior Research Scientist

Employer
FPInnovations

Heather McDonald

Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing (PhD) [2011]

Job Title
Health Director

Employer
Seabird Island Band

Sandra Lauck

Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing (PhD) [2013]

Job Title
Clinician Scientist

Employer
St. Paul's Hospital

Lauren Irving

Master of Nursing - Nurse Practitioner (MN) [2013]

Job Title
Family Nurse Practitioner

Employer
Northern Health, Central Interior Native Health Society, UNBC (part-time Faculty)
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.

 

Nurse navigation for older adults with cancer: A scoping review
Publication: Journal of Geriatric Oncology
UBC Author(s): Kristen Haase (School of Nursing / Faculty of Applied Science)
ISSN: 18794068
Volume: 16
Publication Date: July 2025

View Publication
Distributed continuous-time unit commitment with energy storage in multi-area networks
Publication: Electric Power Systems Research
UBC Author(s): Yu Christine Chen (Electrical & Computer Engineering / Faculty of Applied Science)
ISSN: 03787796
Volume: 244
Publication Date: July 2025

View Publication
Simulation of Water Quality in Pipeline Networks: A Graph Theory Approach
Publication: Journal of Hydraulic Engineering
UBC Author(s): Barbara Jean Lence (Civil Engineering / Faculty of Applied Science)
ISSN: 07339429
Volume: 151
Publication Date: 1 July 2025

View Publication
Enhancing accuracy and efficiency in cyclic liquefaction modeling: An automatic calibration framework for advanced constitutive models
Publication: Computers and Geotechnics
UBC Author(s): Mahdi Taiebat (Civil Engineering / Faculty of Applied Science)
ISSN: 0266352X
Volume: 183
Publication Date: July 2025

View Publication
Two-pulse laser-induced spall failure of (111) twist grain boundaries in Ni bicrystals
Publication: Computational Materials Science
UBC Author(s): Mauricio Ponga de la Torre (Mechanical Engineering / Faculty of Applied Science)
ISSN: 09270256
Volume: 257
Publication Date: July 2025

View Publication
Conceptualizing a Nursing Model for Integration of Patient Engagement Into Perinatal Digital Health Development and Quality Assurance: A Critical Interpretive Synthesis
Publication: Nursing Inquiry
UBC Author(s): Jennifer Auxier (School of Nursing / Faculty of Applied Science)
ISSN: 13207881
Volume: 32
Publication Date: July 2025

View Publication
ProtoASNet: Comprehensive evaluation and enhanced performance with uncertainty estimation for aortic stenosis classification in echocardiography
Publication: Medical Image Analysis
UBC Author(s): Purang Abolmaesumi (Electrical & Computer Engineering / Faculty of Applied Science)
ISSN: 13618415
Volume: 103
Publication Date: July 2025

View Publication
Modification of SANISAND-MSf Model for Simulation of Undrained Cyclic Shearing under Nonzero Mean Shear Stress
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
UBC Author(s): Mahdi Taiebat (Civil Engineering / Faculty of Applied Science)
ISSN: 10900241
Volume: 151
Publication Date: 1 July 2025

View Publication
A resident-centered approach to nursing staff planning in long-term care using the Synergy tool
Publication: Geriatric Nursing
UBC Author(s): Farinaz Havaei (School of Nursing / Faculty of Applied Science)
ISSN: 01974572
Volume: 64
Publication Date: 1 July 2025

View Publication
A novel automated soft sensor design tool for industrial applications based on machine learning
Publication: Control Engineering Practice
UBC Author(s): Yankai Cao (Chemical & Biological Engineering / Faculty of Applied Science)
ISSN: 09670661
Volume: 160
Publication Date: July 2025

View Publication
A practical plasticity-damage concrete model for simulating axial–shear–flexure interaction of RC structures
Publication: Engineering Computations Swansea Wales
UBC Author(s): Tsung-Yuan Yang (Civil Engineering / Faculty of Applied Science)
ISSN: 02644401
Volume: 42
Page Range: 1693-1716
Publication Date: 18 June 2025

View Publication
Cholesteric Contact Lenses for Diabetics-Related Noninvasive Glucose Monitoring and Eye Healthcare
Publication: ACS Macro Letters
UBC Author(s): Orlando Rojas Gaona (Chemical & Biological Engineering / Faculty of Applied Science)
Volume: 14
Page Range: 743-749
Publication Date: 17 June 2025

View Publication
3D imaging of moving cells within droplets with a staggered bifocal microlens array
Publication: Optics Express
UBC Author(s): Boris Stoeber (Mechanical Engineering / Faculty of Applied Science)
Volume: 33
Page Range: 26152-26163
Publication Date: 16 June 2025

View Publication
A surface charge approach to characterize serpentine reactivity for carbon mineralization
Publication: Applied Clay Science
UBC Author(s): Marek Pawlik (Mining Engineering / Faculty of Applied Science)
ISSN: 01691317
Volume: 270
Publication Date: 15 June 2025

View Publication
Developments in Ultrasound-Based Imaging for Prostate Cancer Detection
Publication: Prostate
UBC Author(s): Septimiu Salcudean (Electrical & Computer Engineering / Faculty of Applied Science)
ISSN: 02704137
Volume: 85
Page Range: 823-832
Publication Date: 15 June 2025

View Publication
Shape optimization for fluid flow with parametric level set method and deep neural networks
Publication: Computers and Fluids
UBC Author(s): Jasmin Jelovica (Mechanical Engineering / Faculty of Applied Science), Rajeev Jaiman (Mechanical Engineering / Faculty of Applied Science)
ISSN: 00457930
Volume: 295
Publication Date: 15 June 2025

View Publication
Solar-Driven Carbon Dioxide Capture Using a Photoelectrochemical Redox Flow System
Publication: ACS Energy Letters
UBC Author(s): Alexandra Tavasoli (Mechanical Engineering / Faculty of Applied Science)
Volume: 10
Page Range: 2952-2959
Publication Date: 13 June 2025

View Publication
Asymmetric Braided Artificial Muscles with Precise Electrothermal Actuation Control Enabled by Deep Learning
Publication: ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces
UBC Author(s): John Madden (Electrical & Computer Engineering / Faculty of Applied Science)
ISSN: 19448244
Volume: 17
Page Range: 34241-34254
Publication Date: 11 June 2025

View Publication
Interfacial Stabilization of Green and Food-Safe Emulsions through Complexation of Tannic Acid and Nanochitins
Publication: ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces
UBC Author(s): Orlando Rojas Gaona (Chemical & Biological Engineering / Faculty of Applied Science)
ISSN: 19448244
Volume: 17
Page Range: 34647-34658
Publication Date: 11 June 2025

View Publication
Hybrid Nanofiber-Based Atmospheric Water Harvesters: Sunlight-Driven Operation in Low-Humidity and Low-Illumination Environments
Publication: ACS Nano
UBC Author(s): Orlando Rojas Gaona (Chemical & Biological Engineering / Faculty of Applied Science)
ISSN: 19360851
Volume: 19
Page Range: 20881-20891
Publication Date: 10 June 2025

View Publication
Paired Electrosynthesis Using Bio-Oils: Guaiacol Hydrodeoxygenation Coupled with Glycerol Oxidation in a Stirred Slurry Reactor
Publication: ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering
UBC Author(s): Elod Lajos Gyenge (Chemical & Biological Engineering / Faculty of Applied Science)
Volume: 13
Page Range: 7803-7811
Publication Date: 2 June 2025

View Publication
Short-term conflict-based crash risk forecasting: A Bayesian conditional peak-over-threshold approach
Publication: Analytic Methods in Accident Research
UBC Author(s): Tarek Sayed (Civil Engineering / Faculty of Applied Science)
ISSN: 22136657
Volume: 46
Publication Date: June 2025

View Publication
Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) production in a circular CO<inf>2</inf> economy: it's role in mitigating global CO<inf>2</inf> emissions
Publication: Resources, Conservation and Recycling
UBC Author(s): David Chester Upham (Chemical & Biological Engineering / Faculty of Applied Science)
ISSN: 09213449
Volume: 219
Publication Date: 1 June 2025

View Publication
Living with and beyond cancer: What older adults tell us about healthy aging
Publication: Journal of Geriatric Oncology
UBC Author(s): Kristen Haase (School of Nursing / Faculty of Applied Science)
ISSN: 18794068
Volume: 16
Publication Date: June 2025

View Publication
Denosumab treatment of giant cell tumors in the spine induces woven bone formation
Publication: JBMR Plus
UBC Author(s): Rizhi Wang (Materials Engineering / Faculty of Applied Science)
Volume: 9
Publication Date: 1 June 2025

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
2025 Dr. Hammood developed chip-scale optical filters using silicon photonic circuits to advance high-speed optical links for AI, computing, and communications. His research on Bragg gratings and sub-wavelength structures improves filter performance. His work bridges the gap between prototyping and large-scale silicon photonics manufacturing. Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD)
2025 Dr. Al-Salehi studied how headfirst impacts in vehicle rollovers cause neck injuries. He found that these impacts are much more likely to result in neck injuries and showed how people instinctively adjust their posture before the impact. His work, including a novel rollover simulator, will help design better safer vehicles and reduce neck injuries. Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering (PhD)
2025 Dr. Salles Tsay's research focused on improving how important building information is created, shared, and used during construction projects and building operations. By studying real-world examples, he developed tools and a frameworks to help asset owners manage information better, ensuring higher quality and value. Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering (PhD)
2025 Dr. Tashakori created smart‑textile wearables that sense and analyze human motion. His machine‑learning tools turn fabric signals into precise, secure movement data for therapy, sports, and VR. Patients, clinicians, athletes, and interactive‑tech designers will benefit. Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD)
2025 Dr. Chen developed real-time electricity market pricing methods incorporating power system frequency dynamics and uncertainty. His research enhances grid reliability by incentivizing generators to efficiently support renewable energy integration. Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD)
2025 Polymeric coatings are the first line of defense in the pipeline industry but are not immune to aging. Dr. Zargar's research showed that while they effectively prevent corrosion in certain environments, irreversible degradation can lead to substrate oxidation. This study also provided fundamental insights for predictive modelling of their failure. Doctor of Philosophy in Materials Engineering (PhD)
2025 Dr. Belkadi's work examines how uncertainty during the transition phase of displacement impacts key actors, from government agencies to displaced households. It highlights financial, spatial and social challenges that shape post-displacement outcomes. The study also offers insights for improving displacement policies and practices. Doctor of Philosophy in Planning (PhD)
2025 Dr. Boudina investigated the role of geometry on the flow of viscous liquids and state of drops in elastic narrow channels. His analysis revealed that taper improves the flow and prevents occlusion. The outcome of his thesis can inspire practical and cheap biomedical tools and protect microdevices from damage. Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering (PhD)
2025 Dr. Wang’s research focuses on deploying AI on robots by integrating physics into model learning. By leveraging Gaussian processes to incorporate prior knowledge from physics and machine learning, Dr. Wang demonstrates how AI agents can incorporate multiple data modalities and physics-based priors for more adaptable and intelligent systems. Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering (PhD)
2025 Dr. Malone explored the use of optical imaging catheters for cancer detection and management. Her work focused on detecting the earliest ovarian cancers where they form in the fallopian tubes. She demonstrated these devices can distinguish disease from normal tissue - the first step towards developing screening tools for ovarian cancer detection. Doctor of Philosophy in Biomedical Engineering (PhD)

Pages

Interesting Links

https://apsc.ubc.ca/about/faculty-directory
https://apsc.ubc.ca/research-partnerships
 

UBC Faculty of Applied Science appoints two Associate Deans

UBC Faculty of Applied Science appoints two Associate Deans emma.fennell Fri, 07/04/2025 - 13:13 EDI+Indigeneity Engineering From left: Dr. Vicky Bungay and Dr. Agnes d'Entremont This article originally...

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UBC scientists propose blueprint for 'universal translator' in quantum networks

UBC scientists propose blueprint for 'universal translator' in quantum networks suhani.syal Thu, 06/19/2025 - 09:41 Engineering Research Excellence This article originally appeared on UBC News...

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30 years of sparking discovery

30 years of sparking discovery suhani.syal Wed, 06/18/2025 - 12:31 Engineering Geering Up This article originally appeared on Geering Up celebrates a major milestoneGeering Up Engineering Outreach had no...

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The UBC Pipeline Integrity Institute (PII) Celebrates a Decade of Excellence in Pipeline Education and Research

The UBC Pipeline Integrity Institute (PII) Celebrates a Decade of Excellence in Pipeline Education and Research suhani.syal Wed, 06/18/2025 - 10:05 Engineering This article originally appeared on Pipeline Integrity...

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UBC Applied Science 2023/24 Annual Research Report Showcases Impact and Innovation

UBC Applied Science 2023/24 Annual Research Report Showcases Impact and Innovation suhani.syal Tue, 06/17/2025 - 13:13 Research Excellence This article originally appeared on The UBC Applied Science Research and...

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The leading risk factor for cancer isn’t what you think

The leading risk factor for cancer isn’t what you think suhani.syal Thu, 06/12/2025 - 10:14 Nursing Research Excellence This article originally appeared on The Conversation. If you...

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