Recent Research Chairs in the Faculty of Science
Karoly Bezdek
Professor
NSERC CRC I in Computational and Discrete Geometry
Mathematics and Statistics
Karoly Bezdek's main field of research is convex and discrete geometry, which is a rapidly developing discipline on the boundary of mathematics and computer science. Dr. Bezdek is also the director of the Center for Computational and Discrete Geometry (CCDG) at the University of Calgary (U of C). He started the Fejes Toth lectures series in 2009, which brought to U of C many world-class mathematicians, whose visits generated important joint research works. The refereed e-journal Contributions to Discrete Mathematics (CDM) is dedicated to publishing significant results in several areas of pure and applied mathematics. Bezdek started CDM in 2006 and since then he has been serving as a Co-Editor-in-Chief. View contact information.
Darren Derksen
Associate Professor
Recent Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation Junior Chair in Medicinal Chemistry
(2014 – 2019)
Chemistry
Dr. Derksen's research is in the area of medicinal and synthetic organic chemistry applied to biologically active compounds. By developing inhibitors and protein degraders, the Derksen group is interested in targets related to the treatment of cancer and pain. This research program has a focus on addressing stereochemical challenges, minimizing the use of protecting groups, and minimizing the number of total steps through innovative development of synthetic methodology. Working with partners in ACHRI, HBI, and the Charbonneau Cancer Institute, compounds are tested and evaluated for their potential to make real-world impact. View contact information.
David Eaton
Professor
Recent NSERC/Chevron Industrial Research Chair in Microseismic System Dynamics
(2015 – 2020)
Geoscience
Dr. Eaton’s group are using borehole and surface geophone systems for microseismic monitoring. They are developing innovative approaches to process and interpret microseismic data, including integration with geomechanical modelling. These studies are providing operators with improved methods to optimize hydraulic fracture design and incorporate microseismic observations into reservoir models. The group is also making use of passive seismic observations and computer simulations to better understand risks from induced seismicity due to hydraulic fracturing and wastewater injection. This work includes field observations with broadband seismograph observatories, coupled with development of improved numerical models for triggered fault slip. Research by Dr. Eaton’s group and collaborators is providing fundamental new insights into the nature of microseismic deformation - especially the expression of tensile crack opening, as well as the response of natural fracture systems to changes in stress and fluid conditions. View contact information.
Philip Fong
Professor
Recent NSERC CRC II in Software Security
(2009 – 2019)
Computer Science
Philip Fong’s research interests include access control, security and privacy for Internet of Things (IoT), protection technologies for social computing, and language-based security. View contact information.
Dae-Kyun Ro
Professor
Recent NSERC CRC II in Plant Bioproducts
(2006 – 2016)
Biological Sciences
Dr. Ro’s research focuses on metabolic and chemical biology in plants and microbes. Our society is heavily dependent on the cost-effective and sustainable supplies of pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, industrial chemicals, and bio-fuels, derived from various plants and microbes. In-depth understanding of their biosynthesis and regulation in native hosts, together with synthetic metabolic redesign in heterologous organisms, can allow us to produce a diverse array of chemicals for human health and industrial uses. However, biosynthetic mechanism and metabolic regulation of many naturally occurring chemicals are still not fully understood. We use interdisciplinary and integrative research approaches, such as molecular genetics, biochemical, cell biological, and genomics tools, to advance our knowledge of metabolic and chemical biology in plants and microbes.
Specific research activities in Dr. Ro’s lab are as follows:
1. Chemical diversity and evolution of sesquiterpene lactone in lettuce, sunflower, and related Asteraceae (Compositae) plants.
2. Natural rubber biosynthesis in lettuce (Latuca sativa)
3. Comparative genomics of proanthcyanidin biosynthesis in pea (Pisum sativum) and Arabidopsis.
4. Functional transcriptomics of medicinal plants and implementation of synthetic metabolism in microbe and plant by various biotechnological tools.
Rei Safavi-Naini
Professor
NSERC/TELUS Industrial Research Chair in Information Security
Computer Science
Rei Safavi-Naini's research interests are cryptography, information theoretic security, security protocols and systems, and data privacy. Her research is driven by, (i) security questions that arise by advances in computer and communication technologies and their applications in everyday life, and (ii) fundamental information theoretic questions and limits of providing security in different scenarios. Her recent research directions are, cloud security, communications security, user authentication, and data sanitization and protection. View contact information.
Venkataraman Thangadurai
Professor
UCalgary Research Excellence Chair
Chemistry
Thangadurai designs and develops highly conductive solid electrolytes exhibiting proton, lithium and oxide ion and highly electrochemically active electrodes for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), solid state metal (Li, Na) batteries and gas sensors. Developing solids with desired functional properties is a key towards the successful commercialization of next generation clean electrochemical energy devices. His research work is specifically concentrated on a fundamental understanding of the role of structure and composition on the electrical properties of solids, in order to tailor their ionic and electronic conductivities, and chemical stability, to environments encountered within SOFCs, batteries, and sensors. His work lead to the development of a wide range of solid ceramic electrolytes, especially LI-based garnets with high voltage stability of 6 V that are able to conduct lithium ions, for advanced robust and safe all-solid state lithium ion batteries. View contact information
Sam Yeaman
Associate Professor
Alberta Innovates Health Solutions Translational Health Chair in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology
Biological Sciences
Natural environments are highly variable and biological constraints often prevent a single individual from performing best in all conditions. Specialization through genetic adaptation to the local environment provides one way to cope with a heterogeneous environment, and has been observed in a wide range of species, from lodgepole pine to threespine stickleback. Dr. Yeaman’s research aims to understand how organisms adapt to both spatially and temporally heterogeneous environments and how this process shapes the genetic and genomic architecture of complex traits. He uses a combination of population genetic theory and individual-based simulations to formulate hypotheses and seek to test these hypotheses using comparative genomics and studies of genomic variation in natural populations. Understanding how evolution shapes the genomic basis of complex traits has important implications for medicine, personalized genomics, and predicting the response of natural populations to climate change. View contact information.