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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.
 

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
Dixon, David Department of Materials Engineering Fixed-bed leaching
Dreisinger, David Department of Materials Engineering Hydrometallurgy; Leaching
Dumont, Guy A Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering biomedical engineering; automatic drug delivery; mobile health; global health; anesthesia; physiological monitoring;, Adaptive control, predictive control, control of distributed parameters systems, advanced process control, applications of wavelet analysis, biomedical applications of control, pulp and paper process control
Dunbar, W Scott Norman B. Keevil Institute of Mining Engineering Industrial biotechnology; Economics and business administration; biotechnology applications in mineral resources; mining industry business model innovation
Dutta, Souradeep Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering Reinforcement learning; Cyber-physical systems; Artificial Intelligence; Machine Learning
Elfring, Gwynn Department of Mechanical Engineering Theoretical Fluid Mechanics, Complex Fluids, Cell Biomechanics, Capillary Phenomena, Applied Mathematics
Ellis, Naoko Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering Chemical engineering; Chemical Processes; CO2 capture and utilization; Interdisciplinary teaching and learning; multiphase systems; thermochemical conversion of biomass
Elmo, Davide Norman B. Keevil Institute of Mining Engineering philosophy of engineering; rock engineering; geosciences; Numerical modelling; Machine Learning
Englezos, Petros Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering Carbon capture engineering
Fannin, R Jonathan Department of Civil Engineering Shear wave velocity for the detection of fines loss in soils, internal erosion in earth dams, seepage-induced instability in gap-graded soils, grain shape and the strength of sands, filtration compatibility of woven and nonwoven geotextiles, pullout resistance of geogrids in static and dynamic loading, debris flow travel distance on steep mountainous terrain, slope stability in engineering practice
Fedorova, Alexandra Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering design of system software: the software that manages the hardware and decides how to allocate its resources to applications; building better performance tools.
Fels, S Sidney Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering Electrical engineering, computer engineering, and information engineering; Medical and biomedical engineering; Human Computer Interaction; biomechanical modeling of human anatomy; Machine Learning; new interfaces for musical expression; speech synthesis
Feng, James Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering, Department of Mathematics Chemical engineering; Mathematics and statistics; Biophysics; Complex fluids; Fluid mechanics; Mathematical biology
Feng, Steve Department of Mechanical Engineering Mechanical engineering; Modelization and Simulation; Software (Tools); Machining and Assembling; Milling; Prototyping; 3D Laser Scanning; 3D Printing; Computer-Aided Design and Manufacturing (CAD/CAM); Geometric Modeling; Machining Simulation; Multi-Axis CNC Machining
Foster, Johan Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering Chemical engineering; 3D Printing; Biomaterials; Biomedical Devices; Bioproducts; Cellulose Nanomaterials; Fibers; Polymers
Frigaard, Ian Department of Mechanical Engineering, Department of Mathematics Fluid mechanics (visco-plastic fluids)
Frostad, John Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering Chemical engineering; Food sciences (including food engineering); Emulsions; Physics of Soft Matter; Agricultural Sprays; Food Physics; Interfacial Rheology; Novel Instrumentation; Foams
Fujita, Mari School of Architecture & Landscape Architecture Globalization and contested territory, urbanism, contemporary theory, spatial and cultural effects of globalism, material studies, wearables, gallery installations, interiors, building designs, urban proposals
Garbi, Rafeef Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering Bioinformatics; Electrical engineering, computer engineering, and information engineering; Medical and biomedical engineering; Artificial Intelligence; Biomedical Engineering; Biomedical Technologies; Computer Vision; Deep Learning; image analysis; Imaging; Machine Learning; Medical Image Computing
Garrett, Bernard Mark School of Nursing Nursing; Health Care Technologies; Ethics and Health; Deception in Healthcare; Media Influence on Behavior; Virtual Reality (VR); Augmented reality; Evidence-based practice; Alternative Medicine; CAM; Healthcare Regulation
Goodyear, Trevor School of Nursing
Gopalakrishnan, Sathish Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering computer and software systems, real-time and embedded computing (computer systems as part of the real world); cyber-physical systems, Real-time systems, distributed systems, resource management
Gopaluni, Bhushan Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering Modelling and experiment design, identification for control
Grecov, Dana Department of Mechanical Engineering Numerical modelling and mechanical characterisation; Tribology
Green, Sheldon Department of Mechanical Engineering Fluid Mechanics; Biological and Biochemical Mechanisms; building ventilation; railroads; papermaking

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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 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. Thandi's research resulted in the development of a validated electronic frailty screening tool for older adults, the first of it's kind in Canada. This tool is ready for pilot implementation within primary care and provides a tremendous opportunity to detect and manage frailty to improve older adults' holistic health and quality of life . Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing (PhD)
2025 Dr. Berjisian studied how cyclists balance time and energy during daily trips. Using GPS data, she found that road grade, sex, traffic controls, and facility types influence cyclists' choice of speed. Her research supports designing infrastructure for riders of all ages and abilities. Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering (PhD)
2025 Dr. Yavarinasab studied how bacteria can produce electricity. He found a way to measure their electrical activities and created a simple sensor to detect chemicals such bacteria release. His discoveries could support the development of low-cost, bacteria-powered batteries to provide electricity in off-grid areas and during emergencies. Doctor of Philosophy in Biomedical Engineering (PhD)
2025 Dr. Manu investigated critical relationships between measured and perceived indoor environmental quality, occupant well-being, and productivity in home-based workspaces. Her findings underscore the pivotal role subjective IEQ experiences play in shaping occupant health, offering essential guidance to designers, researchers, and policy-makers. Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering (PhD)
2025 Building codes in North America currently aim to protect lives, but do not ensure a building is functional after a large earthquake. Dr. Blowes evaluated the risk of long post-earthquake recovery times and identified factors that drive this risk. Her research also proposed methods to include recovery in future seismic design provisions. Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering (PhD)
2025 Dr. Pratap Ghanathe's research enhances artificial intelligence for tiny, battery-powered devices. His innovations in compact neural networks and hardware optimization enhance speed, efficiency, and reliability. These advances enable smart sensors to operate longer on minimal energy, making intelligent technology more accessible and sustainable. Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD)
2025 Dr. Hosseini conducted an assessment of seismic force modification factors for conventional construction reinforced concrete shear wall structures in Canada using the performance-based unified procedure. Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering (PhD)
2025 Dr. Wang focuses on standardizing the procedure for creating digital replicas of real-world systems, particularly in industrial manufacturing. Her work spans from initial modeling to model updating and enabling interactions between the digital replica and the physical system. This research will enhance manufacturing efficiency and productivity. Doctor of Philosophy in Chemical and Biological Engineering (PhD)
2025 Dr. Jabbarvaziri studied wireless communication for 5G and future networks. He developed new retransmission methods for massive machine type communications and deep learning techniques for robust high-speed communications. His work informs the design of future wireless systems that are more reliable and adaptive. Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD)
2025 Dr. Bashir developed clean energy processes for green alkaline peroxide production and carbon dioxide utilization by addressing electrode stability and scale-up challenges associated with two phase electrochemical processes. Doctor of Philosophy in Chemical and Biological Engineering (PhD)

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