For his doctoral research, Omar Ibrahim focused on identifying practical uses for microfluidic battery technology making a significant impact in the area of clean energy. He’s received many awards and authored/co-authored many peer-reviewed articles. With international collaborators, he co-invented a biodegradable battery to address hazardous battery waste.

Ibrahim’s research has significant development potential currently under consideration for commercialization with a patent application for a new flow battery technology. His team was awarded a prestigious grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation based on his work, and he also collaborated internationally with CSIC-IMB in Barcelona and the University of Washington to further develop this technology. He has become a key member of the research program on microfluidic fuel cells and batteries at SFU.

Additionally, he has proven to be adaptable. Ibrahim’s research, analytic and creative thinking skills were put to good use during a visiting research internship with IBM Research in Zurich, Switzerland and MITACS. Here he designed, integrated and tested various flow battery components in printed circuit boards for the simultaneous cooling and powering of electronic boards for high-density computing systems.

According to Dr. Ibrahim's supervisor, Dr. Erik Kjeang, "During Omar's PhD studies at SFU, he has proven his aptitude for cutting-edge scientific research and grown further as a scholar. As his PhD supervisor and mentor, I feel very fortunate to have worked with Omar as an integral member of my research group, and I am very pleased with the progress and outcomes of his work."

As a research assistant at Simon Fraser University’s Fuel Cell Research Lab, Omar was responsible for the microfluidic fuel cells and flow batteries research line. He worked to identify practical applications by focusing on the chemistry, design, fabrication, characterization and modeling of the microfluidic cells. He took part in many international collaborations, engaging the world through his research. Dr. Omar A. Ibrahim is currently leading microfluidic innovation in a local biomedical startup.