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Dr. Tanya Brown

Asst. Prof., Dept. of Biological Sciences

Marine mammal Ecotoxicology and Ecology. Dr Brown’s research program is focused on understanding how human-associated stressors – including contaminants, climate change and disturbance - are impacting the health of marine mammals, their food webs and their habitats. Dr. Brown uses a combination of chemical tracers, telemetry, and ‘omic technologies to characterize habitat use, feeding ecology, contaminant exposure and health. Dr. Brown conducts field-based studies in the Northeastern Pacific, St Lawrence Estuary and Canadian Arctic. She works closely with Indigenous communities, NGOs, and other organizations to support the conservation and recovery of valued ecosystem components. Dr. Brown has applied her expertise in support of contaminant site remediation, green infrastructure, and the recovery of at-risk species.

Read more:  Dr. Brown’s profile on the Department website.

Dr. Darren R. Grant

Prof., Dept. of Physics

Observations of neutrinos, a fundamental building block of the Universe. Often referred to as nature’s “ghost particle,” neutrinos interact only weakly with matter, and studies of their unique properties have provided some of the first evidence for new physics beyond the Standard Model of Particle Physics. The large-scale IceCube Neutrino Observatory (South Pole Station, Antarctica) has recently harnessed observations of high-energy neutrinos to open a new window to view the most extreme astrophysical processes. Dr. Grant is advancing this nascent field of neutrino astronomy via leading detector developments for current and future generation neutrino observatories.

Read more:  Dr. Grant’s profile on the Department website.

Dr. Gustavo Balbinot

Asst. Prof., Dept. of Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology

Rehabilitation of brain and spinal cord injuries Dr. Balbinot’s research program explores neurorehabilitation strategies, with the goal of discovering new routes for treatment or optimizing existing technologies. Individuals after a stroke or spinal cord injury often have limited recovery, rehabilitation helps to maximize the recovery potential leading to greater independence and quality of life for the affected individuals. Dr. Balbinot leads the Movement Neurorehabilitation and Neurorepair laboratory specialized in experimental investigations using rodent models. The main techniques involve the recording of neuronal activity in the brain and spinal cord, electrical and optogenetic manipulation of circuits, and computer vision approaches to quantify upper extremity movement loss and recovery.  

Read more:  Dr. Balbinot's profile on the Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology website.

Dr. Alex Wiesman

Asst. Prof., Dept. of Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology

Cognitive neuroscience of aging and neurodegeneration: Dr. Wiesman’s research uses neuroimaging to study the structural, functional, and molecular organization of the human brain during healthy and pathological aging. His recent work has focused on how different neurochemical messengers like dopamine, acetylcholine, and norepinephrine impact brain signaling in patients with Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease, with the goal of developing better prognostic markers and targets for clinical intervention. He is also the Scientific Director of SFU’s human brain imaging Core Facility: ImageTech Lab.

Read more:  Dr. Wiesman's profile on the Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology website.

Dr. Thomas Jennewein

Prof., Dept. of Physics

Global Quantum Internet Systems: Dr. Jennewein is developing and building systems for the future generation of networking, the Quantum Internet. His research program studies the transfer of information stored in quantum processors such as the silicon-based qubit devices developed at SFU and Photonic Inc. over large distances. The interfaces with fiber optics and satellite to ground links will enable a scalable multi-node quantum network across Canada. 

Read more: Dr. Jennewein's profile on the Department of Physics website.

Dr. Gopolang Mohlabeng

Asst. Prof., Dept. of Physics

Phenomenology of New Physics Beyond the Standard Model: Dr. Mohlabeng’s research program encompasses the model building and experimental verification of new particles that lie beyond the standard model of particle physics. The standard model explains all the matter and fundamental forces (except gravity) that we can see and touch and feel in the Universe. However, there are some fundamental puzzles it cannot explain, like why is there more matter than anti-matter in the Universe, what are dark matter and dark energy made of, among others. Dr. Mohlabeng builds models of new particles and compares them with data from current experiments on Earth as well as astrophysical and cosmological probes. His research is mainly focused on discovering the underlying nature of dark matter.

Read more: Dr. Mohlabeng's profile on the Department of Physics website.

Dr. Samira Siahrostami

Asst. Prof., Dept. of Chemistry

Digital Chemistry for Catalyst Design: Dr. Siahrostami’s research program leverages advanced computational methodologies to engineer the next generation of materials tailored for catalysis in clean energy conversion and storage applications (e.g. batteries, fuel cells and electrolyzers). Her work revolves around modeling reactions occurring at solid surfaces, offering a profound understanding of the kinetics and thermodynamics of surface reactions. Her approach provides insight into the intricate details of how reactions unfold on the surfaces of catalysts which not only enhances our comprehension of the fundamental processes governing catalysis but also provides invaluable insights for designing materials that exhibit superior performance in clean energy applications. 

Read more: Dr. Siahrostami's profile on the Department of Chemistry website.

Dr. Lin Zhang

Asst. Prof., Dept. of Statistics and Actuarial Science

Statistical Genetics and Computational Biology: Dr. Zhang’s research program connects statistical theory and machine learning (ML) methods to solve real-life problems, particularly in the fields of biomedicine and public health. With the ever-growing availability of large-scale omics and health outcome data, efficient and interpretable computational methods are in great demand and are vital to unveil biological processes and disease pathogenesis. Equipped with rich research experiences in statistical genetics and computational biology, Dr. Zhang is well-positioned to develop her unique line of integrative research that finds a common ground between the traditional statistical methods and state-of-the-art ML algorithms for the analyses of complex, high-dimensional, large-scale biomedical data. 

Read more: Dr. Zhang's profile on the Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science website.

Dr. Alexandra Coates

Asst. Prof., Dept. of Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology

Exercise Physiology and Performance: Dr. Coates' research program explores adaptive and maladaptive physiological responses to exercise stress. Her research aims to determine the optimal exercise prescription for peak health and athletic performance, while avoiding conditions including overtraining, injuries, and low energy availability. By performing intense exercise training interventions, Dr. Coates is able to characterize the physiological responses to optimal or excessive exercise stress, and develop monitoring techniques to prevent maladaptive training responses. 

Read more: Dr. Coates' lab page.

Dr. Dheva Setiaputra

Asst. Prof., Dept. of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry

Cancer DNA repair mechanisms: Dr. Setiaputra’s research program explores how cancer cells repair DNA damage induced by anticancer drugs. Cancer cells are often defective in DNA repair, enabling them to accumulate oncogenic mutations that drive disease progression. This defect is leveraged by genotoxic cancer therapy that purposely induces DNA damage that kills cancerous cells and sparing healthy ones. The Setiaputra lab is investigating fundamental DNA repair mechanisms through an interdisciplinary approach integrating biochemistry, cell biology, and computational biology with the ultimate goal of developing new therapeutic approaches targeting specific cancer repair defects.

Read more: Dr. Setiaputra's profile on the Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry website.

Dr. Reza Karamad

Asst. Prof., Dept. of Chemistry

Computational Materials Science: Dr. Karamad's research focuses on the synergy between computational materials science and machine learning. At the forefront of recent advancements in quantum-mechanical methods, including density functional theory (DFT) and high-throughput calculations, his work aims to deepen our understanding of materials properties and enable predictive capabilities. The research extends to the application of machine learning, providing insights into the vast phase space of materials and leading to breakthroughs in materials discovery. His primary emphasis is on leveraging these approaches for the development of advanced energy materials pertinent to clean energy technologies, such as hydrogen storage and catalysis.

Read more: Dr. Karamad's profile on the Department of Chemistry website.

Dr. Daniel Higginbottom

Asst. Prof., Dept. of Physics

Read more:  Dr. Higginbottom's profile on the Department of Physics website.

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