Professor Ihab Ilyas is a leading figure in data management and machine learning at the Cheriton School of Computer Science , University of Waterloo , where he holds the Thomson Reuters Research Chair in Data Quality . He is currently on leave from the university, serving as a Distinguished Engineer, Proactive Intelligence at Apple Inc . His research focuses on data cleaning , large-scale data integration , knowledge graphs , and machine learning applications in data quality . He has pioneered systems like HoloClean and Saga , with commercial impacts through co-founded startups Inductiv (acquired by Apple) and Tamr . PhD in Computer Science from Purdue University Co-founder of Inductiv (acquired by Apple) Co-founder of Tamr Research Interests include: Probabilistic and uncertain data management Machine learning for data quality and enrichment Big data systems and information extraction Knowledge graph construction and optimization Scientific Awards and Recognitions include: Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (2024) C.C. Gotlieb Computer Award (2024) IEEE Fellow (2021) ACM Fellow (2020) Cheriton Faculty Fellowship (2013-2016) Ontario Early Researcher Award
Sujaya Maiyya is an Assistant Professor at the Cheriton School of Computer Science, University of Waterloo. Prior to this, she completed a postdoc at Cornell University and earned her PhD from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Her research focuses on distributed systems, databases, and privacy/security, particularly in designing secure and efficient data management systems. She leads projects on oblivious databases, trusted execution environments (TEEs), and scalable privacy-preserving systems. Education: PhD in Computer Science, University of California, Santa Barbara (2018) MSc in Computer Science, University of California, Santa Barbara (2017) BE in Information Science, PESIT Bangalore (2014) Research Interests: Distributed systems, database privacy, oblivious datastores, genomics data security, and secure computation using TEEs. Her work emphasizes practical solutions for privacy-preserving storage and query processing, including tunable-privacy mechanisms and fault-tolerant ORAM systems. Awards and Grants: CFI/ORF Infrastructure Grant (2024-2029) NCC Research Awards (2024-2028) NSERC Discovery Grant (2023-2027) MIT EECS Rising Stars (2021) Teaching: Courses include CS348 (Introduction to Databases) and CS848 (Privacy Enhancing Data Systems). She emphasizes foundational concepts and system internals in database design and secure systems. Professional Service: Chair of Ontario Database Day (2024), PC member for SIGMOD, EDBT, VLDB, and ICDE. Frequent reviewer for journals like TKDE and DKE.
Khuzaima Daudjee is a Professor and David R. Cheriton Faculty Fellow in the Cheriton School of Computer Science at the University of Waterloo. His research focuses on systems-oriented problems at the intersection of systems and data management, particularly building large-scale systems, storage infrastructure in the cloud, and modern hardware applications. He leads projects in distributed database systems, elastic scaling, and resource optimization. His recent work includes Caerus (geo-replicated transactions), Tiresias (predictive storage), and MorphoSys (automatic physical design metamorphosis). Daudjee has chaired major conferences including ICDE 2026 and serves on editorial boards for VLDB, SIGMOD, and IEEE TKDE journals. His awards include ACM Distinguished Scientist and multiple best paper awards. Educational initiatives include developing distributed systems teaching materials and supervising graduate students across database and distributed systems domains. His industry collaborations involve cloud infrastructure optimization and scalable data processing frameworks.
Professor Hassan Rivaz is a Full Professor and Concordia University Research Chair in Medical Imaging with Deep Learning at Concordia University's Gina Cody School of Engineering and Computer Science. He holds appointments in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and is cross-appointed to the Department of Computer Science & Software Engineering. Dr. Rivaz serves as the Founding Director of the IMPACT Lab and actively supervises PhD students in Electrical and Computer Engineering and Computer Science programs. Dr. Rivaz received his PhD from Johns Hopkins University in 2011, Master's degree from the University of British Columbia, and Bachelor's degree from Sharif University, followed by postdoctoral training at McGill University. His academic journey includes prestigious awards such as the NSERC Post-Doctoral Fellowship and Jeanne Timmins Costello Post-Doctoral Award. His research focuses on advancing medical image analysis through deep learning techniques, particularly in ultrasound imaging applications. Dr. Rivaz has made significant contributions to quantitative ultrasound, cancer detection, lymphedema assessment, and ultrasound elastography. His work bridges theoretical algorithm development with practical clinical applications, addressing challenges in medical image denoising, segmentation, registration, and tissue characterization. The IMPACT Lab under his direction develops innovative solutions for medical imaging problems with direct clinical relevance. Analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong emphasis on deep learning applications for ultrasound image processing, with particular focus on denoising techniques, elastography improvements, and segmentation algorithms. His work consistently addresses the challenge of working with real clinical data rather than simulated environments, contributing to more practical medical imaging solutions. Dr. Rivaz has received numerous prestigious awards including: Concordia University Research Chair in Medical Imaging with Deep Learning (2023–2028) QBIN/RBIQ Rising Star in Bio-Imaging in Quebec (2022) Concordia University Research Chair in Medical Image Analysis (2018-2023) Petro-Canada Young Innovator Award (2016–2018) He actively mentors graduate students, with many recipients of competitive scholarships including NSERC CGS, FRQNT, and FRQS awards. Dr. Rivaz serves on editorial boards for top journals including IEEE Transactions on Medical Imaging (since 2017), Medical Image Analysis (since 2025), and IEEE Transactions on Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics and Frequency Control (since 2018). He has organized major conferences including IEEE EMBC 2020, ISBI 2021, and IEEE IUS 2023, and served as Area Chair for MICCAI from 2017 to 2024. As Founding Director of the IMPACT Lab, Dr. Rivaz leads a multidisciplinary research team focused on innovative medical imaging solutions. The lab maintains strong collaborations with hospitals and research institutions to translate imaging technologies into clinical practice. Current projects include developing AI-powered ultrasound analysis tools, quantitative imaging biomarkers for cancer diagnosis, and advanced techniques for ultrasound elastography with applications in tissue characterization and disease detection.
Jelle Hellings is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computing and Software at McMaster University , Canada. His research focuses on high-performance large-scale data management systems with a strong theoretical and algorithmic component, including resilient systems (blockchains) , graph databases , and external-memory algorithms . He previously worked as a Postdoc Scholar at the University of California, Davis and earned his PhD from Hasselt University in Belgium. Education: Doctor of Sciences in Computer Science (2018), Hasselt University Master of Science in Computer Science and Engineering (2011), Eindhoven University of Technology His research interests include scalable resilient systems with Byzantine fault tolerance, database theory, graph query languages, constraints on graph data, and external-memory algorithms for large graph datasets. He has authored numerous high-impact publications on blockchain-based resilient systems, query optimization in graph databases, and theoretical advancements in relation algebra expressiveness. Hellings actively contributes to academic service through program committee memberships and tutorial organization, and he currently teaches courses on future resilient databases and foundational computer science topics.
Dr. Yujie Tang is an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Computer Science at Dalhousie University, Canada, where she has been serving since September 2022. Prior to this, she was an Assistant Professor at Algoma University (2019–2022) and a Post-Doctoral Fellow at the University of Waterloo (2017–2019). Her academic journey includes a PhD from the University of Waterloo and earlier degrees from Harbin Institute of Technology and Lanzhou Jiaotong University. PhD – University of Waterloo (2017) M.E. – Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen, China B.E. – Lanzhou Jiaotong University, Lanzhou, China Her research focuses on intelligent networking and computing technologies for future IoT and 5G/6G systems. Key areas include Internet of Vehicles (IoV), AI-empowered edge computing, resource management in heterogeneous networks, software-defined networking, and UAV-assisted communications. She employs machine learning and optimization techniques to design energy-efficient and high-performance network protocols. The most recent publications reflect a strong trend in applying AI and machine learning to solve complex problems in vehicular networks, edge caching, and spectrum management. Her work spans top-tier IEEE journals such as IEEE Transactions on Vehicular Technology , IEEE Internet of Things Journal , and IEEE JSAC , with a clear emphasis on real-world deployable solutions for next-generation wireless systems. Faculty Research Startup Fund, Dalhousie University, 2022 NSERC Discovery Grant, 2021–2026 Algoma University Research Fund, 2021 Faculty Research Startup Fund, Algoma University, 2019 Best Speaker Award, University of Waterloo, 2017 Faculty of Engineering Award (4 times), University of Waterloo, 2013–2017 University of Waterloo Graduate Scholarship, 2013–2015 International Doctoral Student Award, 2012–2016 Graduate Research Studentship (twice), 2011–2012 Provost Doctoral Entrance Award for Women, 2011 Dr. Tang actively supervises graduate and undergraduate students and has secured competitive research grants, including the NSERC Discovery Grant. She serves on the technical program committees of major IEEE conferences such as INFOCOM, GLOBECOM, and ICC, and regularly reviews for top journals like IEEE JSAC , IEEE TWC , and IEEE TVT . She currently leads a research group focusing on B5G/6G networks, IoV, and edge computing, and she is actively recruiting new students and visiting scholars. Her research group operates within the Faculty of Computer Science at Dalhousie University, where she leads projects in intelligent resource management, AI-driven networking, and integration of space-air-ground networks. She is a member of IEEE, IEEE Communications Society, and IEEE Vehicular Technology Society.
Soo Jeon is a Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering at the University of Waterloo, part of the Faculty of Engineering. He holds a PhD from the University of California at Berkeley (2007) and prior degrees from Seoul National University. His research focuses on mechatronics, dynamic systems, and control, with applications in robotics, autonomous systems, and precision motion control. He has held roles as Assistant Professor (2009–2015), Associate Professor (2015–2024), and Full Professor (2024–present). Professor Jeon’s expertise includes intelligent sensing and control for mechatronic systems, nonlinear dynamics, and autonomous systems. He has received notable awards such as the 2022 Engineer of the Year Award (AKCSE/KOFST), 2015 NSERC Discovery Accelerator Supplement, and 2010 ASME Rudolf Kalman Best Paper Award. He serves as an Associate Editor for several journals, including the ASME Journal of Dynamic Systems and IEEE Transactions on Automation Science and Engineering. His research interests span robotics, control systems, and automation, with recent work on autonomous navigation, tactile exploration, and model predictive control. He supervises graduate students in MASc and PhD programs and teaches courses like ME 649 (Control of Machines and Processes) and ME 360 (Introduction to Control Systems). Jeon holds patents in areas like low-power magnetic locks and remote plasma source seasoning. His lab, the Waterloo Mechanical Systems & Control Laboratory (WMSCL), focuses on advanced mechatronics and robotics projects, including collaborations with international institutions such as the Korea Institute of Machinery & Materials (KIMM).
Yiyu Yao is a Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Regina, Faculty of Science. He holds a B.Eng. from Xi'an Jiaotong University and earned both his M.Sc. and Ph.D. from the University of Regina. His office is located in College West 308.6, and he can be reached at Yiyu.Yao@uregina.ca or by phone at (306) 585-5226. Dr. Yao's research spans multiple interconnected domains in intelligent systems. His primary focus is on three-way decisions, which serves as a unifying framework for his work in granular computing, rough sets, and decision-theoretic models. He has developed significant theoretical contributions to decision-theoretic rough sets (DTRS) and probabilistic rough sets, creating bridges between uncertainty management and practical decision-making applications. His work extends to web intelligence, information retrieval systems, and multiview data analysis, where he applies his theoretical frameworks to real-world problems in data science and artificial intelligence. Analysis of Dr. Yao's recent publications reveals a strong continuing focus on three-way decision theory, with increasing applications across diverse domains. His work demonstrates evolution from foundational theoretical contributions to sophisticated applications in multi-criteria decision making, conflict analysis, and explainable AI. The research shows integration of granular computing principles with modern machine learning techniques, particularly in handling uncertainty and developing interpretable models. Recent publications indicate growing interest in the intersection of three-way decisions with fuzzy sets, shadowed sets, and cognitive approaches to data analysis. Dr. Yao has mentored numerous graduate students and has hosted many visiting scholars, primarily from Chinese institutions including Nanjing University Posts and Telecommunication, Harbin Normal University, Shaanxi Normal University, and others. He serves as Area Editor on Rough Sets for the International Journal of Approximate Reasoning and as Associate Editor for Information Sciences. He is also Associate Editor-in-Chief for the Journal of Emerging Technologies in Web Intelligence and serves on multiple editorial boards including LNCS Transactions on Rough Sets and Web Intelligence and Agent Systems. He has organized significant conferences including the International Joint Conference on Rough Sets (IJCRS 2017) and served on the Steering Committee for the International Symposium on Fuzzy and Rough Sets.
Prof. Abbas Samani is a Professor at the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and holds a joint appointment in the Department of Medical Biophysics at Western University . He is a core faculty member of the Biomedical Engineering Graduate Program and an Associate Scientist at Imaging Research Laboratories of Robarts Research Institute . His academic journey includes a Ph.D. from the University of Waterloo, an M.Sc. from the University of Tehran, and a B.Sc. from Amirkabir University of Technology. His research focuses on biological tissue computational modeling and its applications in medical imaging, intervention, and image analysis . He develops computer/image-assisted tools for minimally invasive disease diagnosis and therapy , targeting heart disease, cancer, and lung disease . Key projects include myocardium biomechanical modeling , handheld medical devices for breast cancer screening , and lung disease diagnostics via CT image segmentation . His recent publications emphasize ultrasound elastography , finite element modeling , and inverse problems in biomechanics , primarily in journals like IEEE Transactions on Computational Imaging and Translational Oncology . His work spans both computational modeling and medical device development . Selected Graduate Supervision : Ph.D. Candidates : Seyed Hassan Haddad, Elham Karami, Seyed Mohammad Hesabgar Graduated Ph.D. Students : Ali Sadeghi Naini, Seyed Reza Mousavi M.Sc. Students : Cristian Linte, Patrick Courtis, Joseph O'Hagan, Hatef Mehrabian, Hirad Karimi, Hosein Amooshahi, Seyed Mohammad Hesabgar, Nastaran Ghadarghadr, Shadi Shavakh, Ehsan Salamati, Ehsan Omidi Teaching Contributions : Graduate: BME9519B/CAMI9519B/ECE9202B/ECE9022B - Advanced Image Processing and Analysis , MBP9530A - Human Biomechanics and Biomedical Applications Undergraduate: ECE4438B - Advanced Image Processing and Analysis , ES1050 - Introductory Engineering Design and Innovation Studio , MBP3330F - Human Biomechanics and Biomedical Applications Research Affiliations : Robarts Research Institute - Associate Scientist at Imaging Research Laboratories Western University - Core Faculty, Biomedical Engineering Graduate Program
Andrew Green serves as Professor and Metcalf Chair in Environmental Law at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law, where he teaches environmental law, climate change law, administrative law, natural resources law, judicial decision-making, and international trade. His scholarly contributions span multiple legal domains with particular emphasis on the intersection of environmental regulation and administrative governance. Green's research interests encompass Environmental Law , Administrative Law , Climate Change Policy , Judicial Decision-Making , and International Trade Law . His empirical approach to legal scholarship has produced significant insights into how judges make decisions, particularly in administrative contexts, and how trade rules interact with domestic environmental regulations. His work often bridges theoretical legal analysis with practical policy implications. His recent publications reveal a strong focus on Canadian climate policy implementation, judicial behavior in high courts, and the evolving standards of review in administrative law. The research demonstrates increasing interdisciplinary integration, incorporating machine learning approaches to analyze judicial decisions and examining the systemic challenges in environmental governance. His scholarship consistently addresses the tension between regulatory effectiveness and legal accountability. Metcalf Chair in Environmental Law Past co-President of the Society for Empirical Legal Studies Past President of the Canadian Law and Economics Association Former Associate Dean at the Faculty of Law Chair of the University of Toronto Academic Appeals Committee (2009-2018) Before joining the Faculty of Law, Green practiced environmental law in Toronto for six years, handling both litigation (including prosecutions, administrative appeals, and civil actions) and transactional work. His practical experience informs his scholarly work on regulatory design and implementation. His research has influenced policy discussions on climate change, securities regulation, and administrative law reform in Canada.
Qizhen Zhang is a Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Toronto's Faculty of Arts and Science. Specializing in hyperscale data processing systems, Zhang leads research at the intersection of cloud computing, distributed systems, and data center networking. Recent work focuses on network-centric designs for efficient large-scale data processing, including pioneering contributions to disaggregated data center architectures. Research interests center on hyperscale data processing , network-aware system design , and disaggregated infrastructure . Current projects investigate DPU-accelerated systems (dpBento, DPDPU), memory disaggregation (Cowbird, Redy), and blockchain scalability (FlexChain). Zhang's approach systematically integrates network characteristics into distributed system optimization, addressing challenges in trillion-item workloads through novel shuffle layers (TeShu) and compute pushdown mechanisms (TELEPORT). Zhang advises multiple graduate students working on satellite networking (SaTE), federated learning, and DPU-optimized storage (DDS). Professional service includes program committees for SIGMOD, VLDB, NSDI, and EuroSys (2023-2026), plus journal reviews for ACM TODS and IEEE/ACM Transactions on Networking. Industrial collaborations with Microsoft Research have yielded production-oriented systems like Redy and CompuCache. Key contributions include MimicNet for scalable network simulation (SIGCOMM 2021), GraphRex for network-aware graph processing (SIGMOD 2019), and foundational work on disaggregated data centers (CIDR 2020, VLDB 2020). Teaching responsibilities encompass graduate courses CSC2235 (Cloud-native Data Management) and undergraduate CSCC43 (Databases) at the University of Toronto.
Yongjoo Park is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), affiliated with the Grainger College of Engineering. He leads research in data-intensive AI systems as a member of the Data and Information Systems (DAIS) lab, focusing on novel data systems that bridge database theory and practical AI applications. His work emphasizes open-source contributions through GitHub and direct societal impact. Research interests center on systems for data-intensive AI , particularly efficient Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) systems for exploratory AI, data science versioning, and in-storage computing. Key projects include Kishu (the world's first undoable Jupyter notebook with time-travel capabilities), CARE (a causal-relational system for structured/unstructured data), and AirDB/AirIndex (serverless transactions and automatic index optimization). His group develops tools enabling scalable, optimized AI workflows from storage layers to LLM inference. Recent publications reveal a strong focus on interactive data systems (85% of recent work), with significant contributions to notebook environments (Kishu), vector databases (ISCA'25), and RAG optimization. Awards highlight technical innovation, including SIGMOD 2025 Best Demo Award and NSF CAREER funding. His open-source philosophy drives GitHub releases of all major systems. SIGMOD 2025 Best Demo Award (Kishu) NSF CAREER Award (Novel data science systems) SIGMOD'23 Best Artifact Award Honorable Mention (DeepOLA) IBM-Illinois Project Selection (VectorDB/RAG) Mentorship spans 12 current PhD/MS students and 6 graduated advisees, including Supawit Chockchowwat (now Postdoc at Google, future Assistant Professor at CMKL University). He teaches advanced courses like CS511 (Advanced Data Management) and recruits 1-2 new PhD students annually, prioritizing data systems research. His lab emphasizes diversity, individual respect, and concrete outcomes in a collaborative workspace.
Halim Yanikomeroglu is a Full Professor and Chancellor's Professor at Carleton University's Department of Systems and Computer Engineering, part of the Faculty of Engineering and Design. His research focuses on wireless communications, including 5G/6G networks, non-terrestrial systems (HAPS/LEO satellites), MIMO, and cognitive radio. He has supervised numerous graduate students and holds IEEE Fellow status and the Harold Sobol Award. His work integrates machine learning, federated learning, and sustainability into next-generation networks. Affiliations: Carleton University, IEEE Education: Ph.D. (Toronto), M.A.Sc. (Toronto), B.Sc. (Middle East Technical University) Research interests span cellular networks, relay architectures, and energy-efficient systems. He pioneered cell-switching strategies for green networks and contributed to HAPS and UAV-based infrastructure. His recent work addresses NTN integration, AI-driven spectrum management, and 6G innovations. Awards include IEEE Fellow (2017) and multiple Research.com leadership accolades. His 150+ publications span journals like IEEE Transactions and conferences like ICC. Advising over 50 students, he emphasizes interdisciplinary solutions for future wireless challenges.
Tianzheng Wang is an Associate Professor and Director of the Dual-Degree and Partnerships Programs at the School of Computing Science, Simon Fraser University. His research focuses on database systems, transaction processing, parallel and distributed computing, and embedded systems. He holds a PhD in Computer Science from the University of Toronto (2017) and a BSc in Computing from Hong Kong Polytechnic University (2012). Research Interests: Database systems optimized for modern hardware, parallel programming, synchronization, and distributed architectures. His work emphasizes high-performance transaction processing and efficient indexing techniques, with applications in cloud and embedded systems. Awards: ACM SIGMOD Best Paper Award (2025), IEEE TCSC Early Career Award (2019), and multiple distinguished reviewing recognitions (SIGMOD/VLDB 2021-2024). His research has been integrated into systems like Amazon Redshift and DragonflyDB. Teaching: Leads courses such as CMPT 454 (Database Systems II), CMPT 300 (Operating Systems), and special topics in databases. Actively mentors graduate and undergraduate students in research projects. Labs & Collaborations: Heads the Data-Intensive Systems Lab, part of SFU's Data Science and Systems groups. Collaborates on tools like PiBench for persistent memory benchmarking and contributes to open-source projects like CoroBase and Tabular.
Shiva Nejati is a Professor at the University of Ottawa 's School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science . He holds a PhD in Computer Science from the University of Toronto and previously worked as a Senior Scientist (2012-2019) and Scientist (2009-2012) at the SnT Centre (University of Luxembourg) and Simula Research Laboratory. Research focus: Software engineering for cyber-physical systems (autonomous vehicles, IoT), blending formal verification, machine learning, and search-based testing Key tools developed: ARIsTEO, SOCRaTEs, SimCoTest, EPIcuRus Editorial roles: Associate Editor for EMSE Journal (2025–), ASE Journal (2025–), IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering (2020–2024) His work combines formal methods , empirical software engineering , and AI/ML to address verification challenges in complex systems, particularly through evolutionary algorithms and surrogate modeling . Notable collaborations include industry partners in telecommunications, automotive, and aerospace sectors. Recent publications emphasize large language models for requirements analysis, adversarial testing of vision systems, and multi-objective optimization for test generation. His Sedna Research Lab actively trains graduate students in these cutting-edge methodologies.
