Research

Data Science, Databases and Data Mining

In many application domains, such as social networks, business, and healthcare, increasingly large amounts of data are being collected requiring sophisticated computational tools to discover the hidden "golden nuggets."

Our researchers in data science, databases, and data mining address the corresponding research challenges with a broad range of methods  and systems from data collection, storage, cleaning, management, analytics, knowledge extraction, and representation. They are international leaders in topics such as data cleaning, big data systems, database query answering, graph and network mining, privacy preserving, data analytics, spatial and temporal data processing, and various applications.

Research Areas: 

• Data Science Research

THEORETICAL COMPUTING

The Algorithms and Complexity Group is interested in the theoretical aspects of computing science and in the application of this theory to modern industrial uses. Important subareas include computational geometry, parallel algorithms, distributed algorithms, operations research, and graph algorithms. We have a particular interest in the development of algorithms for optimization problems. Some of our current projects have applications in the areas of biomedical image processing, geographical information systems, communication networks, scheduling, robot motion planning, pattern recognition, and VLSI layout. In addition to our own research, we consult for industry and advise other academic researchers.

Research Areas:

• Algorithms & Complexity

Programing Languages, Software Engineering, Networks and systems

The group focuses on applied research in systems, networking and computer architecture. Primary subareas covered include network modelling, network security, operating systems, parallel and distributed computing, real-time systems, wireless, multimedia, and peer-to-peer communication. Research in programming languages and software covers subareas such as Formal Verification, Static Program Analysis and Model Checking, Concurrent and Mobile Systems, Functional and Logic Programming.

RESEARCH AREAS:

• Multimedia and Networking
• Network Modelling Research
• Parallel & Distributed Computing
• Systems

Artificial Intelligence

The AI group at SFU works in several important subareas of the field, including machine learning, computer vision, natural language processing, knowledge representation and reasoning, constraint optimization, and robotics.

Research Areas:

• Natural Language
  
• Vision & Media
• Machine Learning
• Robotics

Computational Biology, Biomedical Computing and Medical/Health Informatics

The explosion of huge biological and medical data sets creates the opportunity to drive innovations in the life sciences through computational approaches such as machine learning, sequence algorithms, image analysis and others. Computational biology researchers at SFU CS are working to develop tools for analysis of genome sequencing data, gene regulation, epigenomics, single-cell assays, medical images, medical records, and others.

Research Areas:

• Computational Biology
• Medical Image Analysis

Visual and Interactive Computing (VINCI)

Visual computing encompasses all scientific and computational disciplines that deal with visual data such as images, videos, 3D shapes, and virtual environments. Core areas of visual computing include computer graphics, computer vision, image processing, computational photography, computational design and fabrication, and data and information visualization. Interactive computing encompasses areas of computing that involve human interaction or interactive computational systems.  Core areas are human-computer interaction, multimedia systems, user-centered software, and interactive visualization.

Research Areas:

• Graphics, Usability, and Visualization (GRUVI) 
• Medical Image Analysis 
• Vision and Media 
• Interactive Experiences