new faculty

Dr. Tanya Brown

Asst. Prof., Dept. of Biological Sciences

Marine mammal Ecotoxicology and Ecology. Dr Brown’s research program is focused on understanding how human-associated stressors – including contaminants, climate change and disturbance - are impacting the health of marine mammals, their food webs and their habitats. Dr. Brown uses a combination of chemical tracers, telemetry, and ‘omic technologies to characterize habitat use, feeding ecology, contaminant exposure and health. Dr. Brown conducts field-based studies in the Northeastern Pacific, St Lawrence Estuary and Canadian Arctic. She works closely with Indigenous communities, NGOs, and other organizations to support the conservation and recovery of valued ecosystem components. Dr. Brown has applied her expertise in support of contaminant site remediation, green infrastructure, and the recovery of at-risk species.

Read more:  Dr. Brown’s profile on the Department website.

Dr. Gustavo Balbinot

Asst. Prof., Dept. of Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology

Rehabilitation of brain and spinal cord injuries Dr. Balbinot’s research program explores neurorehabilitation strategies, with the goal of discovering new routes for treatment or optimizing existing technologies. Individuals after a stroke or spinal cord injury often have limited recovery, rehabilitation helps to maximize the recovery potential leading to greater independence and quality of life for the affected individuals. Dr. Balbinot leads the Movement Neurorehabilitation and Neurorepair laboratory specialized in experimental investigations using rodent models. The main techniques involve the recording of neuronal activity in the brain and spinal cord, electrical and optogenetic manipulation of circuits, and computer vision approaches to quantify upper extremity movement loss and recovery.  

Read more:  Dr. Balbinot's profile on the Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology website.

Dr. Thomas Jennewein

Prof., Dept. of Physics

Global Quantum Internet Systems: Dr. Jennewein is developing and building systems for the future generation of networking, the Quantum Internet. His research program studies the transfer of information stored in quantum processors such as the silicon-based qubit devices developed at SFU and Photonic Inc. over large distances. The interfaces with fiber optics and satellite to ground links will enable a scalable multi-node quantum network across Canada. 

Read more: Dr. Jennewein's profile on the Department of Physics website.

Dr. Samira Siahrostami

Asst. Prof., Dept. of Chemistry

Digital Chemistry for Catalyst Design: Dr. Siahrostami’s research program leverages advanced computational methodologies to engineer the next generation of materials tailored for catalysis in clean energy conversion and storage applications (e.g. batteries, fuel cells and electrolyzers). Her work revolves around modeling reactions occurring at solid surfaces, offering a profound understanding of the kinetics and thermodynamics of surface reactions. Her approach provides insight into the intricate details of how reactions unfold on the surfaces of catalysts which not only enhances our comprehension of the fundamental processes governing catalysis but also provides invaluable insights for designing materials that exhibit superior performance in clean energy applications. 

Read more: Dr. Siahrostami's profile on the Department of Chemistry website.

Dr. Alexandra Coates

Asst. Prof., Dept. of Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology

Exercise Physiology and Performance: Dr. Coates' research program explores adaptive and maladaptive physiological responses to exercise stress. Her research aims to determine the optimal exercise prescription for peak health and athletic performance, while avoiding conditions including overtraining, injuries, and low energy availability. By performing intense exercise training interventions, Dr. Coates is able to characterize the physiological responses to optimal or excessive exercise stress, and develop monitoring techniques to prevent maladaptive training responses. 

Read more: Dr. Coates' lab page.

Dr. Reza Karamad

Asst. Prof., Dept. of Chemistry

Computational Materials Science: Dr. Karamad's research focuses on the synergy between computational materials science and machine learning. At the forefront of recent advancements in quantum-mechanical methods, including density functional theory (DFT) and high-throughput calculations, his work aims to deepen our understanding of materials properties and enable predictive capabilities. The research extends to the application of machine learning, providing insights into the vast phase space of materials and leading to breakthroughs in materials discovery. His primary emphasis is on leveraging these approaches for the development of advanced energy materials pertinent to clean energy technologies, such as hydrogen storage and catalysis.

Read more: Dr. Karamad's profile on the Department of Chemistry website.

Dr. Dustin King

Asst. Prof., Dept. of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry

Microbial metabolite sensing: Dr. King’s research program explores how bacteria sense and respond to metabolites, with the goal of uncovering fundamental insights into how bacteria communicate. To decipher these chemical messages, the King laboratory employs a unique interdisciplinary approach that involves first developing innovative methods to discover protein-metabolite interactions on a proteome-wide scale, and then conducting detailed biochemical experiments to elucidate the molecular basis of sensing. Understanding this communication will contribute to the development of next-generation antibiotics and enable us to harness bacterial metabolism to produce value-added products for green industry.  

Read more:  Dr. King's profile on the Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry website.

Dr. Owen Ward

Asst. Prof., Dept. of Statistics and Actuarial Science

Statistical and machine learning models for network data: Dr. Ward’s research program explores complex structures in diverse network data, from online social networks to interacting animals. The generation of such data is a result of complex latent processes, and Dr. Ward develops statistical models to capture these dynamics, along with Bayesian inference procedures and machine learning tools to infer these models. These innovative techniques can be used to identify and understand social dynamics, such as social hierarchy and community structure across multiple application disciplines, including animal behavior and sociology.

Read more:  Dr. Ward's profile on the Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science website.

Dr. Ben Ashby

Assoc. Prof., Dept. of Mathematics

Mathematical ecology, epidemiology and evolution: Dr. Ashby’s research program explores the ecological and evolutionary dynamics of hosts and pathogens, with the goal of understanding how traits such as resistance and virulence evolve. Host-pathogen relationships are found throughout the natural world and are a key driver of many biological phenomena, including spatiotemporal patterns of genetic and phenotypic diversity. He uses a variety of techniques to model host-pathogen systems, such as population genetics, quantitative genetics, and adaptive dynamics. His research group seeks to understand how pathogens evolve and co-evolve with their hosts, from sexually transmitted infections and mating dynamics to microbiome evolution.

Read more:  Dr. Ashby's profile on the Department of Mathematics website.

Dr. Katrina Honigs

Asst. Prof., Dept. of Mathematics

Algebraic and arithmetic geometry: Dr. Honigs’ research program explores solution sets of systems of polynomial equations, called varieties, with the goal of classifying them and answering questions like whether they contain points whose coordinates are integers. Dr. Honigs uses an object called the derived category of coherent sheaves to compare and gain insight into arithmetic questions about varieties. She is particularly interested in varieties of Kodaira dimension 0, which include elliptic curves.

Read more:  Dr. Honigs' profile on the Department of Mathematics website.

Dr. Nadish de Silva

Asst. Prof., Dept. of Mathematics

Quantum algorithms: Dr. de Silva's research program explores foundational questions of quantum computation using a mathematical methodology, with the goal of understanding precisely how, and for which problems, quantum computers outperform conventional computers. He is helping to develop an exciting emerging hypothesis that contextuality and nonlocality (notions of quantum foundations) are key resources for driving computational advantage. This involves applying novel logical techniques to questions of quantum information theory. The impact of deeper fundamental understanding of quantum computers will be to hasten their arrival and maximize the class of problems to which they could be fruitfully applied.

Read more:  Dr. de Silva's profile on the Department of Mathematics website.

Dr. Tanya Brown

Asst. Prof., Dept. of Biological Sciences

Read more: Dr. Brown's profile on the Department of Biological Sciences website.

Dr. Daniel Higginbottom

Asst. Prof., Dept. of Physics

Read more:  Dr. Higginbottom's profile on the Department of Physics website.