Ahmed Shahin (MASc ’21, nanotechnology engineering) is on a mission to make advanced gas-sensing technology affordable, efficient and accessible — a goal that’s earned him national recognition as one of Canada’s top graduate researchers.
Now pursuing a PhD in mechanical and mechatronics engineering and as a member of the University of Waterloo’s Institute of Quantum Computing (IQC), Shahin is among this year’s recipients of the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship. Valued at $50,000 per year for up to three years, the scholarship supports exceptional doctoral students across Canada who demonstrate academic excellence, leadership and strong research potential.
With this support, Shahin is advancing research into low-cost, highly selective gas sensors — technology with wide-ranging potential in areas like environmental monitoring, food safety and health diagnostics.
“I am deeply honoured to be named a Vanier scholar, as it highlights the significance of my research and reinforces the value of developing advanced gas-sensing technologies for improved health monitoring,” says Shahin. “Not only does it encourage me to continue pushing the boundaries of my work, but it also strengthens my commitment to creating practical solutions that can positively impact people's lives.”
Ahmed Shahin is a 2025 Vanier Scholar.
Tackling global challenges with scalable solutions
Gas sensors play a critical role in monitoring air quality, ensuring food safety, and even detecting disease through breath analysis. But the current generation of sensors face limitations — they often lack selectivity, struggle in real-world conditions and can be costly to produce. Shahin’s research addresses these challenges head-on by leveraging a novel manufacturing technique called Atmospheric Pressure Spatial Atomic Layer Deposition (AP-SALD).
“Unlike traditional methods that require expensive vacuum chambers, AP-SALD works in open air,” Shahin explains. “This makes it faster and more affordable, and enables us to produce tiny, layered coatings that are sensitive to specific gases”.
These thin coatings, just nanometres thick, can be tailored by adjusting their composition and structure to detect volatile organic compounds such as acetone or ethanol with high accuracy. By stacking controlling film composition and incorporating artificial intelligence, Shahin is designing sensors that can identify precise gas patterns even in complex environments.
The result is scalable gas sensors that can potentially improve life in several settings, including remote clinics with limited access to traditional diagnostic tools.
From lab to marketplace
In addition to his PhD research, Shahin is a current Entrepreneurial PhD fellow in the Master of Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology (MBET) program at the Conrad School of Business and Entrepreneurship, a dual path that reflects his ambitions to bring his innovations out of the lab and into the real world.
“My research holds strong potential for commercialization, and I aim to translate it into a viable start-up after graduation,” he says. “To prepare for this path, I am actively building my knowledge in business and entrepreneurship so I can confidently lead the development and scaling of this technology”.
It’s this fusion of technical depth and entrepreneurial drive that makes Shahin’s work especially compelling. Supported by supervisors Dr. Kevin Musselman and Dr. Na Young Kim, he’s combining world-class engineering with a clear vision for impact while also making a name for himself in the process.
“Ultimately, I want to see this technology in the hands of people who need it most,” says Shahin. “My goal is to turn my research into results that will make a difference for people around the world.”
Go to Celebrating the 2025 Vanier scholars for the full list of Waterloo's 2025 Vanier scholars.