Ryerson researchers secure NSERC Discovery Grants

Twenty-one Ryerson University researchers from five different faculties have received Discovery Grants from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) to support their projects. 

The $3.07 million in total funding over five years will be used to investigate topics ranging from developing implantable wireless sensors for the management of heart failure to creating the next generation of transparent photovoltaic films that advance chemical plant safety. Thirteen of the grant recipients are early career researchers.

“These grants offer important support to ongoing projects that have the potential to further knowledge and benefit Canadians through their impacts, investing in research excellence and training opportunities,” said Steven N. Liss, Ryerson’s vice-president, research and innovation. “Congratulations to our researchers for securing this funding.” 

List of 2021 NSERC Discovery Grant recipients from Ryerson University

Faculty of Arts

• Brandon Paul: Effects of hearing acuity on visual perception and cognitive function

Faculty of Communication and Design 

• Alexandra (Ali) Mazalek: From big biological data to tangible insights: Designing tangible and multi-display interactions to support data analysis and model building in the biology domain

Faculty of Community Services

• Nima Khakzad: Toward safer chemical plants via optimal fire protection and firefighting

Faculty of Engineering and Architectural Sciences 

• Goetz Bramesfeld: Challenges of ultralong flight endurances using small uninhabited aerial vehicles
• Mohammadreza (Reza) Faieghi: Real-time finite element methods for controlling flexible biomechatronic systems
• Huu Doan: Modelling and mechanisms of ultrasound-assisted membrane filtration
• Zouheir Fawaz: Mechanical performance modeling and failure prediction of Fiber Reinforced Additively Manufactured (FRAM) composites under static, dynamic, cyclic, and long-term loading conditions
• Rania Hamza: Wastewater biorefinery: Treatment and resource mining
• Muhammad Jaseemuddin: Enabling future mobile wireless networks edge with adaptive access control and caching
• Owais Khan: Computer simulations and medical imaging towards healing damaged hearts
• Jamy Li: Tether: Alleviating loneliness with assistive robotic social media dialog
• Virgilio Valente: Development of distributed wireless implantable sensors for the management of heart failure (HF)
• Ahmad Varvani-Farahani: Ratcheting and fatigue response of materials undergoing asymmetric multiaxial and multistep loading spectra in the absence and presence of notches

Faculty of Science

• Aidan Brown: Nonequilibrium physics of signaling and spatial organization at the cellular scale
• Javad (Jake) Doliskani: Computer algebra, quantum computing and post-quantum cryptography
• Bryan Koivisto: A window of opportunity: The development of next-generation transparent photovoltaic films
• You Liang: Use of estimating functions to improve sequential adaptive decisions and dynamic regularization
• Mojca Mattiazzi Usaj: Quantitative dissection of sources of phenotypic heterogeneity
• Roxana Sühring: Sources and fate of plastic-associated contaminants in the environment – Novel analysis strategies to evaluate human and environmental exposure
• Richard (Rick) Valenzano: Understanding and combining sequential decision making methods
• Guanghui (Richard) Wang: Promoting 3D environment perception ability of autonomous systems

Learn more about NSERC’s 2021 Discovery Grants program.  (external link, opens in new window) 

Related links: 

NSERC Discovery Grants awarded to 52 Ryerson researchers