Four professors named Canada Research Chairs

Friday, March 28, 2014

Critical research into health care operations, medical imaging systems, micro-nano devices for cancer detection and smart energy distribution received a boost with four Waterloo Engineering professors receiving new and renewed appointments as Canada Research Chairs on March 28.

The appointments add more than $2 million in funding to the Faculty.

Hossein Abouee Mehrizi

As Canadians are challenged by long hospital wait times, Hossein Abouee Mehrizi of management sciences will focus on developing systems to more efficiently admit higher acuity patients; developing, validating, and analyzing a dynamic prioritization mechanism as well as informed discharge planning guidelines for hospitals. Professor Abouee Mehrizi was named the new Canada Research Chair in Health-Care Operations Management.

Alex Wong

Instrumental in the development of Waterloo Engineering's new biomedical engineering degree, Professor Alexander Wong of systems design engineering holds the new Canada Research Chair in Medical Imaging Systems. He will develop medical imaging systems that will improve the understanding and early diagnosis of cancer, making it easier to use minimally invasive therapies for treatment and improving recovery times and reducing discomfort for patients.

New devices for diagnosing and treating disease

John Yeow of systems design engineering is the renewed Canada Research Chair in Micro and Nano Devices. He continues to develop miniature

John Yeow
devices and highly selective sensors that will help create new medical instruments for diagnosing and treating disease, including a miniaturized catheter device for in vivo, or internal, body imaging. The device allows physicians to examine small and previously unseen human cavities, and assist in the early detection of cancer.

Yeow is also developing miniature radiation instruments and sensors for cancer treatment that will allow for a more focused, less invasive delivery of radiation treatment, as well as real-time measurement of the delivered dose during radiation therapy.

Ehab El-Saadany of electrical and computer engineering is renewing h

Ehab El-Saadany
is term as Canada Research Chair in Smart Energy Distribution Systems. He is examining how to integrate decentralized power generation sources into the central electricity system to develop both knowledge and cost-effective measures needed for electric utilities to increase their use of clean-power generating technologies.

The appointment of four Canada Research Chairs in Engineering is an endorsement of our research excellence in this very competitive national program. The targeted research areas reflect our commitment to advancing technologies that will improve the human condition. These are areas of critical importance to future societies and I applaud the professors for their hard work and significant accomplishments.” - Pearl Sullivan, dean of engineering

The Canada Research Chairs program was established by the Government of Canada in 2000 to build Canada’s research and development capacity. The program invests approximately $265 million per year to attract and retain some of the world's most accomplished and promising minds.