Robin Mazumder
Robin Mazumder is a postdoctoral researcher at the Future Cities Institute, with a background in biology, occupational therapy, and cognitive neuroscience. He received his PhD in Psychology from the University of Waterloo, focusing on cognitive neuroscience. He also has a BSc in Biology from the University of Victoria, and a MSc in Occupational Therapy from the University of Toronto. His research spans neurourbanism, environmental neuroscience, and health equity.
Robin’s work emphasizes urban well-being and how city design impacts mental health. He introduced the concept of "experiential equity" in a chapter of the first textbook on Environmental Neuroscience, exploring disparities in urban stress. His goal is to promote healthier, more equitable cities by integrating green spaces and active transportation into urban environments. Robin is keen to explore machine learning and civil engineering as it relates to future cities, and collaborating with municipalities.
He has received numerous awards, including the SSHRC Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship, the SSHRC Michael Smith Foreign Study Award, and the University of Waterloo President's Community Impact Award. Robin will also host the FCI’s podcast, engaging interdisciplinary conversations with expert guests to explore and ensure practical applications of research in urban planning and policy.
Adrian Buttazzoni
Adrian Buttazzoni is a postdoctoral researcher at the Future Cities Institute, with a background in geography, political science, health sciences, as well as urban planning. He received his PhD in Planning from the University of Waterloo. His doctoral research focused on the mental health impacts of urban environments, particularly among youth.
Adrian’s research spans health geography, urban design, and public health, focusing on how urban density and pedestrian-friendly spaces affect well-being. He has co-led CIHR-funded projects on youth mental health in high-rise living and urban design. His goal is to support creating vibrant, cohesive communities that promote physical and mental health.
Adrian collaborates on interdisciplinary projects like the Public Health Agency of Canada’s TowerPOPS initiative, aiming to improve community health in high-density neighborhoods. He is also actively involved in mentoring students at the University of Waterloo as well as developing new courses on both public health and urban planning.
Christopher J. Orr
Christopher J. Orr is a postdoctoral researcher at the Future Cities Institute, specializing in environmental policy, ecological economics, and sustainability transitions. He received his PhD from McGill University, where he studied society-nature relationships in the context of climate change politics in Canada. He also holds an MSc from McGill and a BSc in Physics and Environmental Science from the University of Toronto.
Christopher’s research focuses on actionable insights for governing the ecological crisis, with a focus for cities, environmental governance, as well as sustainability. He has contributed to projects like Climate Cities Recovery and has been published in Nature Cities. Christopher is also launching a global survey of sustainable city initiatives to identify gaps between future visions and current actions, as part of his work on the future of sustainable cities in Canada.
Christopher is also leading a capacity-building workshop for the City Climate Data project, funded by a SSHRC Connection Grant, which aims to improve global city climate data management. He is further involved in interdisciplinary collaborations, such as the TRANSFORM project, and has taught Climate Change Fundamentals at the University of Waterloo.
Candice (Yixin) Chen
Candice (Yixin) Chen is a postdoctoral researcher at the Future Cities Institute, specializing in sustainable transportation, clean energy transitions, and urban mobility. She holds a PhD in Geography from the University of Waterloo, where her research explored the spatial and temporal patterns of electric vehicle (EV) adoption in Canada. She also has an MSc in Climate Change Finance from Imperial College London and dual bachelor's degrees in Land Resources Management and Accounting from Wuhan University, China.
Candice’s work focuses on the transition to electric vehicles (EVs) and their role in decarbonizing urban mobility. Her research integrates quantitative modeling and qualitative analysis to examine how factors like gasoline prices, environmental attitudes, and policy interventions shape EV adoption. She has also explored broader sustainability transitions, including energy storage, green finance, and climate policy.
With experience in NGOs, investment banking, and environmental consulting, Candice brings a multidisciplinary perspective to Future Cities research. She has received several awards, including the Future Cities Institute Postdoctoral Innovation Fellowship and the Energy Policy Research Fellowship. At FCI, she aims to bridge research and policy, ensuring that EV adoption strategies support equitable, sustainable, and healthy urban futures.
Shams Anwar
Shams Anwar is a postdoctoral researcher at the Future Cities Institute, specializing in sustainable materials, clean energy, and low-carbon transportation. He received his PhD in Process Engineering from Memorial University of Newfoundland, where he developed environmentally sustainable electrodeposition techniques for composite coatings in automotive and industrial applications. His work replaces hazardous conventional methods with innovative formulations, achieving superior performance while maintaining environmental and health safety standards.
Shams' research focuses on hydrogen fuel cell technology, advanced mobility systems, and sustainable urban infrastructure. As part of the Digital Integrity Management project, he secured $1.5 million in funding from Natural Resources Canada and MITACS to develop intelligent coating systems that reduce emissions. His postdoctoral work at the University of Waterloo’s Laboratory of Fuel Cell and Green Energy explores the degradation mechanisms of metallic bipolar plates in hydrogen fuel cells, advancing the development of low-emission transportation.
His research aligns with Canada's goal of reducing transportation emissions by 42–46% by 2030, contributing to net-zero urban mobility. He has received several awards, including the MITACS Accelerate Postdoctoral Fellowship, the Postdoctoral Innovation Fellowship from FCI, and the DAAD Green Hydrogen Research Tour 2024 selection. At FCI, he aims to develop sustainable transportation models and innovative mobility strategies to support resilient, low-carbon cities.
Vidushi Agarwal
Vidushi Agarwal is a postdoctoral researcher at the Future Cities Institute, specializing in secure, scalable, and privacy-preserving technologies for smart infrastructure. She received her PhD in Computer Science and Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Ropar, where her research focused on integrating federated learning and blockchain for secure and efficient Internet of Things (IoT) applications. She also holds a Dual Degree (B.Tech + M.Tech) in Computer Science and Engineering from the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Hamirpur, where she was awarded the Gold Medal for academic excellence.
Vidushi’s research explores the intersection of IoT, machine learning, and cybersecurity to address challenges in urban resilience, sustainable energy, and smart healthcare. Her work has contributed to privacy-preserving solutions for smart grids, secure medical data frameworks, and predictive energy management models for smart cities. She has collaborated on interdisciplinary projects during her time as a visiting doctoral fellow at the University of Alberta, where she developed decentralized energy-efficient solutions for smart infrastructures.
Her contributions to research have been recognized with several awards, including the SERB-Overseas Visiting Doctoral Fellowship, the Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) Research Scholar Fellowship, and an INSPIRE Fellowship from the Government of India. At FCI, she aims to develop secure, adaptable, and intelligent systems for urban infrastructure, supporting sustainable and inclusive cities through innovative data-driven solutions.
Alain Gervais
Alain Gervais is a postdoctoral researcher at the Future Cities Institute, specializing in applied mathematics, climate modelling, and quantitative climate science (QCS). He holds a PhD and MSc in Applied Mathematics, as well as a BSc (Spec.) in Mathematics (with Distinction), all from the University of Alberta. His doctoral research focused on mathematical modelling and high-performance simulations of internal waves, key processes that redistribute energy across the ocean and atmosphere, with significant implications for climate and weather prediction.
Alain’s research bridges computational mathematics and environmental science, contributing to improved climate models and decision-making tools for urban resilience. In addition to his research, he serves as Program Coordinator for an NSERC CREATE grant that will support over 75 students in gaining QCS skills, fostering the next generation of interdisciplinary climate researchers. His background also includes experience as a flight instructor, where his interest in aviation and meteorology naturally evolved into studying atmospheric dynamics.
Recognized for his academic excellence, Alain has received numerous awards, including the Doctoral Dissertation Award for outstanding research achievement, Alberta Graduate Excellence Scholarships, and multiple conference travel grants. At FCI, he aims to integrate quantitative methods into urban sustainability research, fostering multidisciplinary collaborations that enhance the resilience and adaptability of future cities.
Zelalem Arega Worku
Zelalem Arega Worku is a postdoctoral researcher at the Future Cities Institute, specializing in computational fluid dynamics, high-order numerical methods, and infrastructure modelling. He holds a PhD from the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies, where he developed advanced numerical algorithms that preserve key mathematical properties of fluid dynamics simulations. He also earned a master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from McGill University and a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Addis Ababa University.
Zelalem’s research focuses on integrating computational methods with urban infrastructure planning, particularly in the optimization of gas pipeline networks. His work combines weather, usage, and network data to develop predictive models that enhance the resilience and efficiency of urban utilities. Before his graduate studies, he worked as an analyst at the Ethiopian Agricultural Transformation Agency, contributing to nationwide agricultural mechanization initiatives.
His contributions to numerical analysis and computational modelling have been recognized with the Gordon N. Patterson Award for the top PhD thesis at the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies in 2024. At FCI, he aims to advance data-driven infrastructure solutions, helping cities adapt to evolving demands while ensuring sustainable and efficient resource management.