Dr. Ziad Saghir

Want to understand how oil behaves deep under the earth’s surface? “Send it into space,” says Ziad Saghir. 

Formerly a program scientist at the Canadian Space Agency, Saghir investigates the impact of gravity on the movement of hydrocarbons in underground reservoirs. One of the leading reduced-gravity researchers in Canada, his experiments have flown on space shuttles, the International Space Station, an orbiting Russian satellite, and a plane that takes parabolic flights at 25,000 feet to simulate zero gravity.

Saghir’s research could lead to positive environmental impacts here on Earth. His findings are helping him develop numerical models that identify and evaluate sources of oil, which reduces the need for drilling. His research also has a positive impact on his students. “It reminds them that sometimes we can understand what’s happening under our feet by looking to the stars.”