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.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Dr. Wang examined the security and privacy issues of artificial intelligence, or AI, for digital media. He studied four typical AI models from three dominant computer vision tasks, and designed novel algorithms to expose their threats individually. The findings provide insights for developing more secure and trustworthy artificial intelligence. | Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) |
| 2021 | Dr. Ramezan studied approaches to decentralize communication networks using blockchain. Dr. Ramezan introduced a new approach in designing communication protocols, named software-defined protocols. These studies assist us to connect billions of devices in emerging communication networks. | Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) |
| 2021 | Dr. Aljalai developed novel signaling schemes to improve the performance of 5G cellular networks and beyond. He invented the Dual Pilot Scheme and its extended version to enhance the estimation of communication channels. His research improves Quality-of-Service by advancing telecommunication systems through practical and economic engineering solutions. | Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) |
| 2021 | Dr. Soysa examined the shear behavior of sand-silt mixtures through an extensive experimental research program. He developed a new laboratory criterion to assess the seismic resistance of soils. His study advances the current state of knowledge and understanding of the strength and stiffness of soils. | Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering (PhD) |
| 2021 | Dr. Ibrahim demonstrated that mobile automated speed enforcement increases safety by reducing collisions and crime incidence, and identified that changing the number of times an enforcement is visited can change the safety outcome. These novel findings can allow road agencies to maximize safety benefits by strategically deploying limited resources. | Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering (PhD) |
| 2021 | Dr. Abdi introduced novel machine learning methods for clinical diagnosis and planning of jaw reconstructive surgeries and cardiovascular interventions. His designs and ideas enable clinicians in decision making via AI-generated insights from echocardiograms, multimodality information fusion, generative modelling, and object tracking. | Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) |
| 2021 | Dr. Adhikari examined the synergy between pedestrian design features and neighbourhood walkability to explain physical activity in children, teens, and older adults. His findings can be used to design cities with better pedestrian environments by retrofitting existing urban infrastructure and harnessing neighbourhood walkability for health benefits. | Doctor of Philosophy in Planning (PhD) |
| 2021 | Dr. Mohtajeb used open MRI to study anterior femoroacetabular impingement, a condition that occurs with subtle bony abnormalities within the hip. She developed and validated a hip model using MRI and motion data and used it to predict impingement during level walking, helping us understand how bony deformities cause hip pain and osteoarthritis. | Doctor of Philosophy in Biomedical Engineering (PhD) |
| 2021 | Dr. Heikkinen developed a laser-based method for remotely tracking microscopic motions of objects and structures. His technique can measure motions much less than the diameter of a human hair at distances of several tens of meters. His method has great potential for safely assessing the integrity of structures located in hazardous environments. | Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering (PhD) |
| 2021 | Dr. Mahmoodi studied the engineering of high-rise buildings. She investigated irregularities and discontinuities in concrete shear wall buildings. By understanding the complex nonlinear mechanics, she was able to develop design methods that will assist structural engineers to make high-rise buildings safer in earthquakes. | Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering (PhD) |