Ming Cai

Ming Cai is a Professor at Laurentian University in the Bharti School of Engineering & Computation, holding the Geomechanics Research Chair. A registered professional engineer in Ontario with over 30 years of experience, he bridges academic research and industry applications in rock mechanics and engineering.

His educational qualifications include:

• Bachelor of Applied Science (B.A.Sc.) from Tsinghua University
• Master of Applied Science (M.A.Sc.) from Tsinghua University
• Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) from the University of Tokyo

Dr. Cai's research focuses on constitutive modeling of rock masses, rock failure processes, mining-induced seismicity, and numerical simulation methods. His work integrates continuum, discontinuum, and hybrid approaches to address challenges in tunnel stability, underground excavation design, and rock support systems for burst-prone grounds. This research has direct applications in mining safety and underground infrastructure development worldwide.

His major awards include:

• ISRM Congress best paper award
• John A. Franklin Award (2017)
• CIM Rock Mechanics Award (2025)

Dr. Cai has secured substantial research funding through NSERC Discovery, Alliance, and Collaborative Research and Development grants, complemented by industry partnerships. He actively mentors graduate students while serving on editorial boards for leading journals including Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology, Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering, and Deep Resources Engineering (as Associate Editor), significantly influencing scholarly discourse in geomechanics.