Ali Asgarian has joined the Department of Materials Science & Engineering (MSE) at the University of Toronto as an assistant professor. He specializes in the integration of advanced simulation with AI, sensing and automation to transform materials processes and powder technologies.
Before joining U of T, Asgarian led the Materials Design, Scale-up, and Optimization team at the National Research Council Canada (NRC). In that role, he oversaw research initiatives advancing materials and devices for batteries, hydrogen production and the decarbonization of heavy industries. His own research focused on plasma-based methods for powder synthesis and modification, targeting next-generation batteries and sustainable industrial applications.
Prior to his time at NRC, he spent a decade at Hatch Ltd., a global engineering firm where he contributed to technology development as well as the design and construction management of numerous mineral and metallurgical plants.
Writer Sherry Esfahani spoke with Asgarian about his career and what led him to MSE.
What sparked your interest in materials science and engineering, and what attracted you to U of T’s MSE department?
I studied mechanical engineering, where thermodynamics sparked my interest in materials science by showing how turbine-blade materials limit the efficiency of power plants, underscoring the field’s role in technological advancement. After moving to Canada and recognizing its vast mineral resources, I shifted fully into materials science, spending a decade at Hatch developing metals and minerals processing technologies, completing a PhD at U of T’s MSE department on additively manufacturable metal powders with Rio Tinto, and later leading novel materials design, scale up, and optimization at the National Research Council Canada. Having earned my PhD at MSE, returning felt like coming home, and its outstanding faculty, collaborative environment, and motivated students make it an ideal place to teach, researchand mentor the next generation.
Can you tell us more about the vision and goals for your ASPiRE Lab, and what you hope students will take away from working on projects there?
ASPiRE (ASgarian’s Process and Powder Intelligent REsearch) Lab integrates materials science, transport phenomena, process modeling and AI-based optimization to make metallurgical and powder processing more sustainable, efficient and semi-autonomous. It bridges the gap between material innovation and industrial scale-up. Our work addresses major challenges such as resource scarcity, decarbonization and large-scale production of critical and energy materials. Through projects like digital twins for steel processing, hydrogen-based recycling of critical minerals and machine vision for defect monitoring, students learn to model and optimize complex systems using experiments and computational tools while translating their work into real industrial impact. Equally important, they develop professional skills through collaboration with industry and government partners, gaining insight into how engineering innovation operates in real-world contexts.
Your research spans sustainable materials and advanced manufacturing — what emerging technologies or challenges in materials science excite you most right now?
I’m particularly excited by AI and self-driving labs, which are accelerating materials discovery and transforming how we design and optimize processes. At the same time, the field faces urgent challenges such as resource scarcity, critical minerals and decarbonization, all of which require advances in materials production. In my team, we address these by integrating AI and automation into processing systems, for example, developing digital twins and semi self-driving platforms for faster optimization and adaptive control, while also advancing cleaner, more sustainable routes using technologies such as hydrogen and plasma-based methods.
How does your experience leading research teams and projects at NRC influence how you structure collaboration and innovation in your lab at U of T?
At NRC, projects were multidisciplinary, industry-driven and aligned with government mandates, so I learned to align diverse expertise around clear milestones and partner needs. I’ve brought that approach to my lab by building teams that integrate researchers with diverse backgrounds and expertise, and by co-developing projects with industry and government, ensuring the research remains both fundamental and impactful.
What advice would you give to students interested in combining materials science research with real-world applications in energy, sustainability or advanced manufacturing?
There’s no single recipe, but a few principles help. Always connect materials knowledge to large-scale applications and consider how materials are produced, processed and used in practice. Even transformative discoveries like graphene required scalable integration into real technologies. Engage with industry early through internships or collaborations to frame research around real-world constraints and accelerate deployment. Think beyond technical performance by considering economic viability — techno-economic analysis is essential for scalability — and develop cross-disciplinary skills in modeling and systems design to translate materials insights into practical, impactful solutions.
