Our People - Data Science

Research Interests:

• Assistive Robotics and Rehabilitation Engineering

• Neuromechanical Modeling; Robot-Based System ID
• Human-Robot Interaction and Neural Control
• Movement Analysis and Sensorimotor Deficit Modeling
• Smart Implants and Prosthetics
• Intelligent Systems and Machine Learning 

Google Scholar

Research Interests:

• Chemical process control - Robust control, Nonlinear control, Model Predictive Control (MPC)

• Systems biology - modeling, control and optimization of biological processes, metabolic flux analysis, dynamic metabolic flux models, run-to-run (batch to batch) optimization of pharmaceutical process

• Monitoring/Fault Detection of chemical and biological/biotechnological processes - Multivariate statistical methods for monitoring and fault detection, Inferential (soft) sensors

Research interests:

• Infectious disease epidemiology
• Chronic disease epidemiology
• Spatial epidemiology
• Global health
• Big data analytics

Google Scholar

ResearchGate

[Hep Mag] February 23, 2017 "Opioid Addiction Treatment and Psychotherapy Tied to Less HIV Risk in Those With Hep C"

[Smart Sex Resource] July 17, 2017 "Substance use, social disparities and the evolution of HIV/HCV infections in British Columbia"

[Smart Sex Resource] November 5, 2018 "Effect of opioid-substitution therapy and mental health counseling on HIV risk among hepatitis C-infected individuals"

Research Interests:

• Health informatics

• Translational research in healthcare and medicine

• Health system integration
• Semantic interoperability
• Healthcare decision making and decision support
• Health data analytics
• Medical imaging informatics
• Patient safety
• Mobile health
• Wearable devices

Google Scholar

[Waterloo Stories] July 10, 2017 "Waterloo software improves care for kidney patients"

[CBB researcher story] July 21, 2015 "Data management in Health Care"

Research Interests:

• Molecular function prediction, design (proteins, DNA)

• Computational genomics

• Evolutionary bioinformatics and computational biology

[WCMR] June 18, 2018, receives Thermo Fisher Scientific Award

[Daily Bulletin] June 1, 2018, 11 CBB Members Named Outstanding Performance Award Winners

[Waterloo Stories] January 26, 2018 "Scientists find new kind of botox"

Research Interests:

• Computer vision, signal and image processing

• Remote sensing

• Intelligent systems and software

• Multiscale statistical modeling

• Societal and environmental systems

LinkedIn

​[Daily Bulletin] June 1, 2018, 11 CBB Members Named Outstanding Performance Award Winners

Research interests:

LinkedIn

Media:

[Waterloo Stories] August 31, 2020 "Pandemic isolation increases acceptance of robot companions"
   
[Waterloo Chronicle] August 31, 2020 "People are now willing to accept social robots as companions due to COVID-19 isolation: University of Waterloo study"
   
[Cheriton School of Computer Science News] August 29, 2019 "Moojan Ghafurian, Kerstin Dautenhahn and Jesse Hoey awarded funding to develop emotionally intelligent robots to help people with dementia"
   
[ACM Technews] May 21, 2019 "Making AI More Human"
   
[Semiconductor Engineering] May 28, 2019 "Crocheted robots; humanizing AI agents; training autonomous control systems"
   
[Cheriton School of Computer Science News] May 21, 2019 "Moojan Ghafurian, Neil Budnarain and Jesse Hoey make AI more human"
   
[Therapy Toronto News] October 22, 2018 "Study suggests faster countdowns may make people more patient"
   
[Education News Canada] May 22, 2019 "Making AI more human is key to widespread acceptance"

Research Interests:

• Assistive technology (physical, cognitive disabilities, dementia)

• Health informatics

• Artificial intelligence

• Computational social science

• Affective computing, computer vision

Research Gate

Google Scholar

[VJDementia] "The complex issue of emotion" 

[Computer Science News] June 29, 2017 "ACT@Home: An emotionally intelligent cognitive assistant to help people with Alzheimer’s disease"

[Waterloo Stories] January 2, 2013 "Making life easier for those living with Alzheimer's"

Research Interests:

• Design/discovery of potential therapeutics to target various diseases
• Understanding the structure and pharmacology of membrane proteins
• Development of in silico methods/tools for sequence, structure and functional analysis
• Inferring the structure-function evolution of proteins
• Protein engineering for biotechnology and pharmaceutical applications

[American Chemical Society] January 23, 2012 "Exploring Inhibitor Release Pathways in Histone Deacetylases Using Random Acceleration Molecular Dynamics Simulations"

[Wiley Online Library] July 27, 2013 "Ligand release mechanisms and channels in histone deacetylases"

[Royal Society of Chemistry] December 19, 2013 "A steered molecular dynamics mediated hit discovery for histone deacetylases"

[Nature Methods] May 8, 2017 "ModelFinder: fast model selection for accurate phylogenetic estimates"

[Royal Society of Chemistry] October 24, 2017 "Reverse engineering: transaminase biocatalyst development using ancestral sequence reconstruction"

Research Interests:

• Human computation (crowdsourcing)
• Human-in-the-loop intelligent systems
• Online communities and citizen science
• Large-scale collaborative planning systems
• Interaction techniques and incentive mechanisms for volunteer-based human computation systems within Science and Public Health.

LinkedIn

​Google Scholar

[Computer Science News] May 1, 2015 "CIHR-NSERC grant awarded to CS professor"

Research Interests:

• Design of mixed analog/digital circuits for wireless communication
• Phase noise of oscillator, mixer noise and mixer distortion analysis

Research Interests:

Development of organic materials and nanomaterials for printed and organic optical and electronic devices

• Environmentally stable polymer semiconductors for biological and chemical sensors in applications in smart food packaging, health care devices, wearable electronics, etc.
• Polymers derived from biologically active compounds for biological and biochemical sensors
• Electrically highly conductive polymers for thermoelectrics, batteries, and solar cells
• Low-temperature processable metal nanoparticle conductive inks
• P-type and n-type high charge carrier mobility small molecules and p-conjugated polymers for organic field effect transistors, which have applications in RFIDs and displays
• Novel synthetic chemistry for conjugated polymers
• Single-walled carbon nanotubes and graphene

Design, fabrication, and characterization of organic electronics

• Chemical/biosensors​
• Organic thin film transistors (OTFTs) or organic filed effect transistors (OTFTs)
• Small molecule and polymer bulk-heterojunction photovoltaics (OPV) (solar cells)
• Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSC)
• Perovskite solar cells
• Organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs)
• Photodiode and phototransistor based organic/polymer photodetectors

​Office of Research - Technology Transfer & Commercialization:

• N-Type Organic Semiconductor Formulations, Devices

LinkedIn

ResearchGate

Google Scholar

Patents

Research interests:

• Developing machine learning and statistical methods for genomics and proteomics data analysis using interpretable machine learning, reproducible (error-controlled) machine learning, and heterogeneous data integration
• Developing interpretation methods to find scientifically interesting and statistically confident hypotheses from complex biological data from single-cell genomics, mass spectrometry-based proteomics, and metagenomics

Research interests:

• Aging and neurodegeneration
• Movement disorders
• Gait kinematics
• Neuropsychology and neurocognitive assessment
• Mood, emotion and cognition
• Fear, threat, anxiety and depression
• Virtual reality

Google Scholar

Research Interests:

• Protein structure, functions, evolution (yeast, mammalian cell lines, plant-bacterial)

• Bioinformatics, systematics and protein evolution

• Protein structure and interaction modeling
• Protein expression pattern analysis
• Molecular genetics

LinkedIn

ResearchGate

Google Scholar

Research Interests:

•  design and control of spinal exoskeletons for he prevention of back pain
•  development of assistive robotic devices to increase mobility of older person
•  design studies of lower limb exoskeletons

Research Interests:

• mHealth and wearable technology design
• Ubiquitous sensors for smart homes and remote patient monitoring
• Big data and health data analytics
• Technology to support longer independent living

LinkedIn

Research Gate

Google Scholar

[MaRS] April 26, 2018 "UbiLab team wins Healthy Behaviour Data Challenge"

Research Interests:

• Social-ecological sustainability
• Sustainable agriculture
• Restoration and conservation ecology
• Policy analysis

LinkedIn

ResearchGate

[Waterloo News] March 16, 2015 "Expert: Parties need to consider bigger picture for Rouge National Urban Park"

Research Interests:

• Neural networks and neural learning algorithms
• Dynamical systems and scientific computing
• Computational neuroscience

LinkedIn

ResearchGate

Google Scholar

[CBB researcher story] July 20, 2015 "Computational Perception: How a brain understands its environment"

Research interests:

[Science Mag] June 6, 2016 "This desert moss can water itself with fog"

[Nature] June 08, 2016 "How desert moss drinks from air"

[PNAS] June 22, 2017 "Cavitation onset caused by acceleration"

Research Interests:

• Application of intelligent systems (hydrology, water resources, decision making in health, control of satellite communications, fault detection analysis)

• Optimization
• Mathematical programming, decision making under uncertainty
• Data mining

LinkedIn

ResearchGate

​Google Scholar

Research Interests:

• Molecular genetics

• Cell and Developmental Biology

• Stem Cell Biology & Cellular Differentiation
• Programmed Cell Death
• Live-Imaging Microscopy

Google Scholar

Research Interests:

• Simulation & Virtual Reality/Augmented Reality
• Novice And Older Driver Training
• Predictive & Conceptual Modeling Of Behavior
• Eye Tracking
• Attention & Cognition
• Perception
• Decision Making
• Aging
• Automotive Human Factors
• Autonomous Vehicles And Connected Vehicles & Intelligent Transportation Systems
• Caregiver Behaviors & Errors
• Assistive & Automotive Interfaces
• Vulnerable Road User Safety (Pedestrians & Bicyclists)
• Motorcyclist Safety
• Special Populations (ADHD & Dementia)
• Traffic Control Devices & Roadway Infrastructure Design

Research Interests

• Virtual Reality
• Wearables Devices
• Computer Human Interaction, haptics, design
• Data Science
• Mental Health
• Nutritional Science

Google Scholar

LinkedIn

Research Gate

[YouTube] October 11, 2018 "DualPanto: A Haptic Device that Enables Blind Users to Continuously Interact with Virtual Worlds"

Alternate Location:

• Satellite Campus, UW-Schlegel Research Institute for Aging, Research Building, Sensors and Devices Lab

Research Interests:

• Bio-wearable electronics and systems
• Bio-electromagnetics, bio-technology, bio-sensors and energy harvesting systems
• RF/microwave/millimeter wave/Terahertz (THz) circuits and antenna systems
• Radio frequency (RF)/microwave packaging and Electromagnetic compatibility 
• (EMC)/Electromagnetic interface (EMI) analyses
• Vehicle and UAV wireless communications, navigation systems, and telematics systems
• Complex propagation and scattering phenomena
• Devices and novel electromagnetic materials and wireless sensors

LinkedIn 

ResearchGate

​Google Scholar

Awards:

• Top downloaded paper in Medical Physics (arXiv) – October 2019
• Best Imaging Paper, CVS, 2018
• ACM MobileHCI 2017 Best Worskshop Paper Award
• IEEE APS 2017 SPC Honorable Mention Paper Award
• IEEE Sensors Most Popular Article (March 2017)
• IEEE Sensors Annual Volume Cover Page

[CBB Events] November 15, 2019 "Professor Shaker organizes a Health Canada Regulatory insights Workshop"

[CNN] November 11, 2019 "Scientists develop sensor to save children and pets from hot car deaths"

[Waterloo News] October 29, 2019 "Advancing healthcare through innovative technology"

[Inside Digital Health] June 3, 2019 "Study: Radar Monitors Sleep with Accuracy Comparable to Current Standards"

[Waterloo News]  June 28, 2018 "AI and radar technologies could help diabetics manage their disease"

[Engineering News] June 28, 2018 "Researchers developing a prick-free glucose monitor"

[RD Magazine] June 28, 2018 "AI and Radar Technologies Could Help Diabetics Manage Their Disease" 

[Engineering News] July 5, 2016 "Waterloo wins big with tiny power device"

Research Interests:

Research Interests:

Research Interests:

• Rehabilitation engineering and assistive technologies (gerontology, Osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s disease, fall risk in stroke survivors, and rehabilitation following traumatic brain injury)

• Neuromotor control

• Biomedical signal analysis

LinkedIn

ResearchGate

​Google Scholar

[Waterloo Stories] July 8, 2014 "GPS technology may help detect Alzheimer’s disease earlier"

Research Interests:

• Image and signal processing, coding and quality assessment
• Computational vision and pattern analysis
• Multimedia communications
• Biomedical signal and image processing

The Royal Society of Canada Fellow

University Research Chair

Google Scholar

[Waterloo News] October 5, 2015 "Waterloo Engineer wins Emmy Award"

[Waterloo Stories] February 3, 2014 "Engineering professor awarded prestigious fellowship"

Office of Research - Technology Transfer & Commercialization:

• High Performance Video Compression

Research Interests:

• Biomedical image processing and analysis (prostate, breast, lung and dermatological cancer analysis, retinal photoreceptor and blood vessel analysis, musculoskeletal kinematic analysis

• Remote sensing data processing and analysis (sea ice, underwater object, oil spill analysis)

• Perceptual based video and image processing (noise reduction, compression, enhancement)

• Computer vision and pattern recognition

• Multimedia management systems

• 3D graphics and game development

• Cognitive radio networks

LinkedIn

Google Scholar

Canada Research Chair in Medical Imaging Systems [Canada Research Chair Profile]

[Daily Bulletin] June 1, 2018, 11 CBB Members Named Outstanding Performance Award Winners

[Waterloo News] [CBC News] [Gadgets] May 16, 2018, Co-authors discuss the use of aerobic fitness data from wearable tech to predict illness

[Waterloo News] May 15, 2018 "Researchers combine wearable technology and AI to predict the onset of health problems"

[Global Impact] [570 news] [Youtube] April 11, 2018 "How AI is helping doctors diagnose Cancer" 

[The Star] February 9, 2018 "How TheRedPin aims to take a swipe at the real estate industry"

[Waterloo News] June 7, 2017 "Artificial intelligence-driven imaging research makes diagnosing disease easier"

[Waterloo Stories] January 28, 2017 "Artificial intelligence and the Waterloo-Toronto tech supercluster"

[Waterloo Stories] May 20, 2016 "Breakthrough tech helps doctors more accurately diagnose cancer"

[CBB researcher story] January 9, 2013 "Improving Early Diagnosis to Save Lives"

[Waterloo Stories] January 9, 2013 "Making it harder for cancer to hide"

[YouTube Lecture] October 1, 2014 "Integrative systems for biomedical imaging and analysis"

Research interests:

• Vision rehabilitation
• Systems for optimizing patient care outcomes
• Retinal disease
• Pharmacology.

Research interests:

Research Interests:

• Numerical simulation
• Optics
• Polarization
• Electric field propagation
• Guided waves
• Optoelectronics devices and systems

ResearchGate

Google Scholar