Blog

Senanu Kwasi Kutor studies how climate adaptation strategies like Managed Retreat impact wellbeing, mobility, and community resilience in coastal Ghana. His work explores the psycho-social effects of climate change while centering equity, justice, and community-led perspectives. 

Thomas is a postdoctoral scholar in the Active and Interactive Robotics Lab in the Faculty of Engineering.

“My advice is to choose a supervisor and research team who are genuinely supportive, not only of your research but also of your well-being and career development. A positive and encouraging environment can make a huge difference in navigating the challenges of postdoc life and adjusting to a new country.” 

Naila Ayala uses wearable sensors, machine learning, and neuroscience to study how pilots and other professionals acquire complex skills in high-stakes environments. Her work develops predictive tools that improve training, enhance safety, and address workforce challenges in aviation and beyond.

Lea Gassab bridges quantum physics, biology, and chemistry to explore how quantum effects in the brain contribute to protein damage linked to neurodegenerative diseases. Her work combines computer modeling with experimental biochemistry to uncover new insights into brain health and inspire future quantum technologies.

Irenius Konkor’s research explores how social inequities and marginalization shape poor health outcomes, with the goal of informing more inclusive health service delivery. At Waterloo, his postdoctoral work examines the impacts of extreme heat on vulnerable populations, including immigrants and older adults in Canadian cities.

Ahmad is a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, and beyond his academic research, Ahmad is an active member of the Canadian Welding Bureau (CWB) and serves on the Canadian Council of the International Institute of Welding (CCIIW). 

“Waterloo offers a rare ecosystem where cutting-edge research and industrial application meet seamlessly."

Kai's work focuses on the synthesis and development of new hypervalent iodine (HVI) reagents and reaction conditions for the fluorination of electron-neutral and -rich (hetero)aromatic ring systems. By developing HVI reagents containing drug-like motifs, Kai explores the possibility of this methodology’s application in radiolabeling studies for the development of new PET tracers.

Wenyu is a postdoctoral scholar in the Department of Chemistry, where she works in Waterloo Advanced Technology Laboratory (WATLab) researching nanogap device fabrication.

"As disciplines become more interdisciplinary, my knowledge is expanding, allowing me to connect previous knowledge to my current research. Every step counts”. 

Lauren is a postdoctoral scholar in the Department of Kinesiology and Health Sciences at the University of Waterloo, where she works in the Mobilize Clinical Biomechanics Lab researching knee osteoarthritis (OA) and the impact of a variety of structural and illness factors in knee OA progression and severity.

“If there’s one thing I learned, it’s that you shouldn’t be afraid to ask for help. I tried to figure everything out on my own because I assumed asking for help would show a weakness. I couldn’t have been more wrong."