Research news

Learn more about the latest discoveries and innovations from the U of T Engineering community. Our researchers are developing new ways of capturing and storing clean energy, medical devices that can save and extend lives, smarter ways to design and build cities and much more.

Professor Michael Carter (MIE) is the recipient of the highest honour awarded by the  Institute of Industrial & Systems Engineers (IISE). The award was presented by IISE President Dean Athanassiades, left, and IISE Immediate Past President Sunderesh Heragu, right. (photo by David Brandt)

Optimizing patient care: Professor Michael Carter on how industrial engineering has delivered faster, better and more efficient health care

Carter (MIE) recently earned the Frank and Lillian Gilbreth Industrial Engineering Award from the Institute of Industrial & Systems Engineers

Professor Ethan Ritz (CivMin) at the University of Toronto main gates. (photo by Phill Snel)

‘You’re going to learn your whole life’: Meet Ethan Ritz, CivMin’s newest faculty member

His research uses computational tools, such as density functional theory and molecular dynamics, to probe macroscale properties of materials

“Engineering offered the bridge between theoretical discovery and practical impact,” says Professor Oliver Boodram (UTIAS). “In graduate school, this helped me focus on aerospace engineering and the application of the theory of orbits to real-world spacecraft.”  (photo by Jennifer Li)

‘I hope students will come away with both curiosity and confidence’: Meet Professor Oliver Boodram

Boodram’s research outlines allowable trajectories and orbits for spacecraft, transport between the Earth and the Moon, and future strategies for spacecraft and debris disposal

Two people wearing sunglasses face the camera with a river, bridge and cityscape behind them.

‘It’s a life-changing experience’: U of T Engineering students conduct robotics research abroad with support from new award 

Each year, the Engineering Science Research Opportunities Program (ESROP) connects students with partner institutions around the world 

Professor Peyman Mohajerin Esfahani (MIE) approaches his course material through demonstrating how operations research and mathematical programming solve real-world problems. (photo by Aaron Demeter)

Making decisions under uncertainty: Meet MIE Professor Peyman Mohajerin Esfahani

“Decision-making under uncertainty is a research area that shows up across many disciplines, so it’s common for researchers with different backgrounds to work on related problems. That’s one of the things I enjoy about being at U of T: the opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration are everywhere.”

SymbI uses its self-driving lab to identify the best combination of microorganisms for breaking down organic waste and producing the ingredients required for a palm kernel oil alternative. (photo courtesy of SymBL Innovations)

AC-U of T startup converts organic waste into high-value bioproducts

Backed by the Acceleration Consortium, SymBL Innovations uses AI-designed microbiomes to develop palm kernel oil alternative

Left to right: Alumnus Nan Ge (MechE 1T3, MIE MASc 1T6, PhD 1T9) and Professor Aimy Bazylak (MIE) are the co-founders of Cardinal Volta. (photo by Paola Varhen Pacheco)

New commercialization funding will help this U of T Engineering startup turn waste heat into power

Cardinal Volta has been named the Stage 2 recipient of the Eva and Allen Lau Commercialization Catalyst Prize

"If nobody outside a company can see what these systems are doing, it’s very hard to tell whether they’re safe," says Professor Nicolas Papernot (ECE). (photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

U of T researcher calls for independent testing of powerful AI models

Nicolas Papernot (ECE) says universities can be a “transparency bridge” by investigating new AI models for cybersecurity threats before they are released to the public

Left to right: Weixiang Ben (Year 3 MSE), Jiaze Wu (MSE PhD student) and Professor Kai Huang (MSE) are three members of the team who designed a new type of nanoparticle that can upconvert light from low-energy photons into high-energy ones. (photo by Tyler Irving)

New light-emitting nanoparticles can detect subtle chemical differences to enhance pharmaceutical manufacturing, pollution prevention and more

Innovative diamond-shaped nanoparticles can absorb low-energy photons and convert them to high-energy photons, enabling highly sensitive chemical sensing