Wael El-DakhakhniView profile
Professor
Dr. Wael El-Dakhakhni is a Professor of Civil Engineering at McMaster University, holding the Martini, Mascarin and George Endowed Chair in Masonry Design. He serves as Director of the INTERFACE Institute and NSERC CaNRisk-CREATE program, focusing on systemic risk and resilience in complex systems. His research spans interdependent networks, data-driven modeling, and infrastructure resilience under climate and disaster scenarios. He leads the INViSiONLab, advancing AI-driven solutions for urban resilience through digital twins. El-Dakhakhni is a Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers and a Member of the Royal Society of Canada, with notable awards including the NSERC Discovery Accelerator Supplement (twice), Ontario Early Researcher Award, and John B. Scalzi Research Award. His work bridges academia and industry, contributing to codes, standards, and real-world applications in structural engineering and disaster response. Education: BSc (Ain Shams University, Egypt), MSc and PhD (Drexel University, USA). Research Interests: Complex systems simulation, systemic risk quantification, resilient infrastructure design, AI applications in urban planning, and climate resilience frameworks. His work integrates advanced machine learning, network theory, and physics-informed models to address multi-hazard challenges in energy, transportation, and urban systems. Key Projects: CITYDNA, McMasterDNA, and infrastructure digital twins for pandemic and climate crisis decision-support systems. He collaborates with governments and organizations to enhance infrastructure resilience through predictive analytics and adaptive strategies. Labs/Teams: INViSiONLab, McMaster INTERFACE Institute, NSERC-CaNRisk-CREATE program, and the Centre for Effective Design of Structures. His research has informed policy and standards in North America, emphasizing interdisciplinary solutions for systemic risk mitigation.









