Future graduate student research opportunities

Global efforts to combat climate change are driving a fundamental transformation of electric power systems. Increasing integration of renewable energy resources (RESs), rapid growth in direct-current (DC) loads driven by electric vehicle (EV) charging, and the modernization of aging infrastructure through high-voltage DC (HVDC) links are accelerating the transition from traditional alternating-current (AC) grids toward hybrid AC–DC power systems.

Power electronic inverters serve as the critical interface between AC and DC systems. However, most deployed inverters today are grid-following (GFL), meaning they inject current based on measured grid voltage and frequency. While GFL inverters perform well in strong grids, high penetration levels can lead to instability in low-inertia or weak power systems. Grid-forming inverters (GFMIs), which locally regulate voltage and frequency, offer improved stability and enable islanding and resilient operation. Despite their advantages, widespread integration of GFMIs presents significant technical challenges in control, protection, and interoperability. This project aims to address these challenges by developing advanced control and protection solutions for inverter-dominated power grids. 

The widespread deployment of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in residential areas faces several critical challenges: (i) limited availability of parking spaces, (ii) insufficient power distribution capacity to meet growing charging demands in densely populated neighbourhoods, and (iii) the high cost, long deployment timelines, and limited scalability and resiliency of state-of-the-art charging infrastructure, particularly during power system outages.

This project aims to address these challenges by developing a compact, low-footprint EV charging station based on a microgrid architecture. The proposed system will be capable of reliable operation during grid outages while minimizing adverse impacts on the utility grid under normal operating conditions. By integrating local energy resources and intelligent control, the charging station will offer enhanced resiliency, ability to expand, and cost-effectiveness compared to conventional solutions.

The Messier Lab studies the ecological and evolutionary causes and consequences of trait variation and integration across biological scales, from within individuals to among communities. The lab's research answers questions at the intersection of plant ecophysiology, trait-based ecology, community ecology, phenotypic integration and selection.

The Messier lab, in the Department of Biology, is looking for an autonomous, mature and highly motivated person with experience doing independent research (such as an undergraduate research thesis). 

Climate experts have spent years developing methods and strategies for better communication with the public on climate risks. While timelines for climate risks are long, AI is progressing rapidly but without the large institutions (like the IPCC) that climate experts have carefully constructed over decades. This project aims to take some of the learning from climate communication (e.g. focus on salient risks, identifying trustworthy messengers etc.) and apply it to the existential risks posed by AI.

3D maps are essential for autonomous navigation by vehicles and drones as well as augmented reality applications. We have developed a robust real-time 3D SLAM mapping system that is also to render (using 3D Gaussian splatting) an environment to produce a realistic 3D environment that can be used in simulation in a physics engine for training vehicle control using Reinforcement learning. SLAM and other 3D reconstruction methods assume a relatively static environment while most environments are not. We are exploring methods to deal with dynamic environments for building these maps. Other applications of interest include biomedical applications such as cacheters with camera-on-tip endoscopes, space, mining and any drone application.

The Vision and Neurodevelopment lab is seeking applicants for full-time graduate student positions in the Vision Science Graduate Program. The successful student will join a dynamic group researching typical and atypical development of eye movements, reading, and motor ability. Specifically, the lab investigates functional consequences of pediatric eye conditions such as amblyopia (‘lazy eye’) on children on maturation of these important life skills using psychophysics, eye tracking (EyeLink 1000 Plus, Tobii Glasses 2), and body tracking (GAITRite mobile walkway, Qualisys motion capture system) techniques.

The geological records of past glaciations provide insights into the long-term evolution of continental glaciers (ice sheets). There is an extensive cover of glacial sediments and landforms, as well as borehole records, in northeastern Ontario and northwestern Quebec that contain clues about the last glaciation. These geological archives also play an important role, via their physical properties, for regional water resources and land management.

Professor Musselman leads the Functional Nanomaterials Group and is recruiting graduate students to work on projects developing novel, thin-film coating materials and manufacturing processes.

The Functional Nanomaterials Group has helped pioneer the development of spatial atomic layer deposition, a high-throughput coating technique. The scalable manufacture of coatings with nanometer-scale precision can address global sustainability and health challenges. Imagine a world without single-use plastic waste, with widespread low-cost photovoltaic power, and with rapid point-of-care diagnosis of health conditions.

Work on an exciting project focused on developing a high-throughput genomic library of C. difficile to investigate stress defense responses and the molecular mechanisms of antimicrobial resistance. The successful applicant will employ cutting-edge approaches in molecular microbiology, genomics, bioinformatics, and high-throughput phenotypic screening.

The objective of this project is to develop robust scenarios for the deployment of a marine-based carbon dioxide removal (CDR) approach that accounts for the interaction between physical (climate and ocean), technical, and social factors. Current climate projections indicate that atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations will exceed levels consistent with the Paris Climate Agreement target of limiting temperature increase to 1.5 to 2 ℃ making carbon dioxide removal (CDR) from the atmosphere a crucial element of national climate responses. The key question facing decision-makers is not whether to undertake CDR but which methods of CDR should be pursued.