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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Dr. Nkansah-Boadu studied the treatment of selenium-contaminated coal mine-affected water using microbial consortia from mine-affected sediments. He discovered novel selenium-reducing bacteria and selenium removal pathways. His findings contribute knowledge for designing systems for remediating selenium-contaminated mine waters. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemical and Biological Engineering (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Siksik developed a machine learning-based framework for modeling cellular ion channels. This opens the door for new types of experiments that were previously computationally prohibitive. The framework has the potential to reduce the cost of drug development and enable advanced medical research focused on understanding ion-channel diseases. | Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Pesteie explored machine learning algorithms to improve image-guided procedures in healthcare. He devised models that can learn from partial or limited expert supervision in environments, where data annotation is costly and time consuming. His methods can provide automatic feedback for more accurate decision making in clinics. | Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Kwan investigated new approaches to reduce cost and increase performance for water electrolysis. The development of new methods will more accurately quantify degradation, performance, and efficiency, using modified electrochemical setups. His research will lead to improved water electrolyzers for a greener and more sustainable future. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemical and Biological Engineering (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Abdelsalam developed a lightweight protective system to help shallow underground structures withstand blast attacks. Using an advanced validated numerical model, his findings show that these composite reinforced concrete panels, which are inexpensive and easy to repair, help to dissipate blast energy and prevent structures from being damaged. | Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Verma explored fundamental silt behavior and various parameters that affect its behavior under earthquake loading. Through extensive laboratory testing, he produced an experimental database which will serve to enhance and refine the current state of knowledge about the behavior of silts under earthquake loading. | Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Baumeister developed computer programs to analyze brain images. When applied to neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's Disease and Multiple Sclerosis, his study yielded novel insights into disease related changes to the brain's structure and function. This research contributes to our understanding and assessment of brain diseases. | Doctor of Philosophy in Biomedical Engineering (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Li used large databases of thermal comfort field studies to challenge the current criteria in international standards. She developed new ways of measuring and analyzing thermal comfort, and proposed improvements to building design and operation strategies that can both improve human comfort and reduce energy and carbon emissions. | Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Lee developed a novel method to isolate and sequence RNA from specific single cells identified by imaging. He subsequently applied his method to sequence rare immune cell events and showed diverging decisions being made by single cells within a population. This novel method will improve our understanding of how immune cells fight disease. | Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering (PhD) |
| 2020 | Dr. Ghazani's doctoral studies focused on the development of an easy method to sort particles into different classes. He designed and made a device to continuously separate microfibre particles. His findings contribute to the bio-product industry and will allow for either reduced energy usage or enhanced service performance. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemical and Biological Engineering (PhD) |