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.

Last month, Professor Justin Hess of Purdue University delivered the final installment of the Fred Kan Distinguished Lecture in Engineering Ethics. 

Since its establishment in 2019, the series has served as a unique platform for thought leaders from across North America to share their research and insights. It has also inspired enhanced discourse around ethics within the U of T Engineering community and beyond.  

Designed as an annual forum for critical reflection, the series brings together faculty, students, alumni and practitioners to examine the societal dimensions of engineering practice. 

The series was made possible through the generous support of U of T alum, Fred Kan (MechE 6T4). Kan is a double graduate of U of T, first earning his BASc in mechanical engineering in 1964 and returning to earn his JD from the Faculty of Law in 1967.  

Kan’s commitment to engineering ethics provided the vision on which this lecture series was created. 

“Engineering ethics isn’t about being restrictive — it’s about being thoughtful,” says Kan. 

“Most engineers I’ve met want to do the right thing; they just need the space and encouragement to think about the broader impact of their work. When that happens, the solutions they come up with are not only innovative but genuinely responsible. That was always the central vision for this lecture series, and I’m thrilled that it has been able to accomplish this”. 

Distinguished speakers featured in the series work at the intersection of technical and social domains. They represent a diverse range of fields, such as biomedical engineering, infrastructure, machine learning and self-driving vehicles — all of which present unique insights into the central theme of ethics.  

These lectures included:  

• 2019 – 2020: Beyond the Code: How Should we Teach Engineers about Ethical Decision Making? Featuring Professor Robert Irish (ISTEP) 

• 2022 – 23: Ethics and the Future of Automated Mobility – Two Challenges. Featuring Professor Jason Millar, University of Ottawa 

• 2023 – 24: Audits and Accountability in the Age of Artificial Intelligence. Featuring Deborah Raji (EngSci 1T9) 

• 2024 – 25: Just, Creative, and Cooperative: Our Shared Infrastructural Future. Featuring Professor Deborah Chachra, Olin College of Engineering 

• 2025 – 26: What Inspires Ethical Research? Lessons from Biomedical Engineering Faculty. Featuring Professor Justin Hess, Purdue University 

Through diverse perspectives, these talks have illustrated how technical decision-making interacts with political, cultural and ethical dimensions of engineering work. 

The series has also led to new encounters that have led to further scholarly collaboration, underscoring the series’ role as a catalyst for academic and professional exchange. 

Professor Cindy Rottmann (ISTEP), academic lead of the lecture series, emphasizes the impact of this kind of collaboration.  

“The Fred Kan lecture has been a phenomenal vehicle for engineering ethics education, research and professional practice, providing us with the opportunity to catalyze connections between faculty, staff, students, alumni and international scholars engaged in this work,” says Rottmann. 

“It invites us to pause for a moment and consider why we do what we do, not just how we do it. The lectures reinforce what we teach here at ISTEP: that engineering challenges are never purely technical. They are always both social and technical. 

“I’m grateful to Fred Kan for helping amplify the impact of our teaching and research programs, and bringing leading thinkers in AI, infrastructure and engineering education to the U of T community,” she says.   

“Thanks to Fred Kan’s generosity, the profile and reach of our scholarship continues to grow — helping future engineers engage with ethical dilemmas in professionally relevant ways.” 

Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) has approved a Minerals Skills Network Grant to the University of Toronto’s Mining Industry Management Program to offer scholarships and training to mining professionals in four South American countries.

The $984,400 grant — offered through NRCan’s Global Partnerships Initiative and as part of the Mineral Skills Network established during Canada’s 2025 G7 Presidency — will be used to develop and support an online training program on financial and economic planning for sustainable critical mineral projects.

The two-year initiative aims to equip participants in Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Peru — key international mining partners for Canada — with skills and knowledge in mining finance. Training will also emphasize Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) standards, helping participants understand compliance requirements and best practices for responsible mining.

“This initiative gives professionals access to the practical financial and economic tools they need to evaluate and advance responsible mining projects,” says Professor Kamran Esmaeili (CivMin).

“With the online nature of the program, we’re able to connect with learners around the world, and this new funding will allow us to extend our expertise more broadly to strengthen talent in the critical minerals sector.”

Esmaeili is director of the Mining Industry Management Program in the Department of Civil & Mineral Engineering at U of T. Launched in 2023, the program has four online courses and another in development, and includes topics that cover all aspects of mining from exploration and studies to practical mine operations. Each course can be completed independently within a set period and offers multiple modules on a topic.

Canada has 40% of the world’s public mining companies listed on the TSX and TSXV., with roughly $10 billion in mining equity capital raised in 2024 alone. Canadian mining companies operate in more than 100 countries and play a major role in mineral exploration and critical minerals development.

This project aims to develop a skilled mining workforce, promote sustainable mineral value chains and support long-term regional growth in South America by offering specialized training and targeted outreach to professionals in the public and private sectors of partner countries.

“Canada is a trusted global leader in mining and is committed to shaping a sustainable and reliable ecosystem through strong partnerships,” says the Honourable Tim Hodgson, Canada’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources.

“By investing in this initiative, delivered through a world-class mining program at U of T, we’re strengthening the mining industry among partner nations, which will spur more reliable, secure access to sustainable critical minerals for Canada and allies for decades to come.”

The specialized training in mining finance is designed to enable transparent, data-driven investment decisions that attract capital and support long-term sustainability. A focus on critical minerals education aims to strengthen global supply chains and reinforce Canada’s leadership in the green energy transition.

“We are thrilled to collaborate with NRCan in rolling out this program that not only builds global mining capacity, but also positions Canada as a leader in sustainable mining innovation,” says Professor Marianne Hatzopoulou (CivMin), Chair of the Department of Civil & Mineral Engineering at U of T.

“As countries around the world work towards higher environmental standards, initiatives like this highlight the important role that institutions like U of T have in enabling the global transition to a more sustainable future.”

From building Mars rovers as a student to founding a Canadian space launch company, Rahul Goel (EngSci 1T6, UTIAS PhD candidate) embodies what it means to turn curiosity into impact. A U of T Engineering student, alumnus, entrepreneur and philanthropist, Goel’s journey is rooted in a deep belief that engineers have the power, and responsibility, to shape the future of Canada. 

In 2022, he founded NordSpace to build and launch rockets from Canadian soil in support of a sovereign space program. He is also the founder of PheedLoop, a cloud-based event management platform, and Genepika, a biotechnology company developing life extension technologies. 

Committed to paying it forward, Goel volunteers his time with groups such as the U of T Aerospace Team (UTAT) and Robotics for Space Exploration (RSX), and mentors students through the Entrepreneurship Hatchery. In 2025, he established his first student award, the Dipika Goel PhD Scholarship in Aerospace Studies, to ensure students receive the same support he once did.  

In this Giving Day Q&A, Goel reflects on the formative experiences that defined his path and why giving back is essential to building a nation of builders.  

What first sparked your interest in engineering, and what ultimately led you to choose the University of Toronto for your studies?

Engineering has always felt intrinsic to who I am. Fundamentally, I’m driven to solve hard problems that affect many people and I’ve never been comfortable standing by when meaningful challenges go unmet. Engineering gave me the discipline, structure and leadership foundation to turn that instinct into impact. 

I grew up in Toronto and always admired the University of Toronto. Studying here felt like the best way to contribute to the city, country and community that shaped me while working alongside people I’d grown up with to make a difference close to home. 

Do you have a favourite memory from U of T Engineering that stands out as especially meaningful or formative for you?

Without a doubt, starting the Robotics for Space Exploration (RSX) team was transformative. U of T Engineering gave me the trust, resources and motivation to build something from nothing. What began as a single student with a vision became a thriving design team earning international recognition, from Mars rover competitions in the Utah desert to small experimental satellite payloads tested in low altitude rockets. 

Seeing RSX continue to grow and carry its culture forward is so rewarding. I still sponsor the team each year and it has even become a talent pipeline for NordSpace. It’s proof of what’s possible when students are empowered to build. 

You founded NordSpace with a goal to build and launch rockets from Canadian soil in support of a sovereign Canadian space program. In your view, what role do engineers play in shaping the future of Canada’s space and broader technology sectors?

Canada’s future requires sovereign command, capability and collaboration across all domains (air, sea, land, space and cyber) and technology sectors from energy, the economy and beyond. Engineers are builders and problem-solvers, and our country needs more of both. At NordSpace, our motto is “Advance Life on Earth, From Space,” and at RSX it was “The Sky is Not the Limit.” 

Empowering Canadian engineers to solve the hardest problems will have massive direct and indirect effects on the lives of everyday Canadians. We must become a nation of builders, not just buyers, and of constructors, not just consumers. Space, in particular, is uniquely powerful in inspiring multidisciplinary innovation. Canadian engineers can, and must, shape this future. 

During your studies, you received multiple scholarships and awards. How did that support influence your academic experience and opportunities beyond the classroom?

Quite simply, I don’t think I would have had the opportunity to study at U of T without that support: it made my education possible. I didn’t come from a background with the resources to easily pursue higher education away from home. That financial support gave me freedom and clarity, allowing me to focus fully on learning and building, rather than worrying about how to pay for it. I carry deep gratitude for this.  

You just made your first philanthropic gift to U of T Engineering. What inspired you to start giving back?

Receiving support instilled in me a responsibility to pay it forward. Even today, I feel humbled by the belief others placed in me, and that pushed me to become someone worthy of it. 

Giving back is one way to help ensure future engineers are inspired, capable and empowered. If we continue to create a culture of paying it forward in Canada, every generation of gestures will result in exponential growth. It isn’t only monetary, as I’m committed to contributing my time, knowledge and experience as well. It’s meaningful to begin this journey with the institution that gave me so much. 

You established the Dipika Goel PhD Scholarship in Aerospace Studies. Can you share the motivation behind this particular gift?

My late mother, Dipika Goel, shaped how I live and think every day. She gave up her own career in science to raise her children, one of the most powerful and noble commitments a parent can make. She faced immense hardship, including a decade long battle with ovarian cancer, and yet I have never met a person who loved life as much as her. She cherished every experience, every meal, every moment, and embraced life with remarkable optimism. 

As an engineer, her illness was the first time I truly felt helpless. This scholarship is both her legacy and a statement of hope: that by investing in future engineers and scientists, we can solve problems that once felt impossible — and spare others that same helplessness. 

What advice would you give to alumni thinking of making their first gift?   

Reflect on who helped you get to where you are today, and the role education played in your journey. Supporting education is one of the most tangible ways to shape a stronger Canada and a better collective future.

You also volunteer your time with U of T Engineering. Why is that important to you, and what kind of influence do you hope to have on future engineers?

Time is our most precious resource. Contributing it signals what truly matters. I don’t want to be a passive observer of the future, I want to help build it. 

This means operating companies, not just investing in them, as I am at NordSpace, Genepika, PheedLoop, etc., and studying for advanced degrees, instead of just funding scholarships, as I am with my PhD studies at UTIAS. Until you invest your time, you cannot understand or improve things at the grassroots level. That is where real change happens, and that’s the influence I aspire to have.

If there’s one lesson you’d like readers to take away from your journey, what would it be?

Start something. In fact, start lots of things. Businesses, relationships, teams, hobbies, a family, philanthropy, education, volunteering, anything. Start small if you need to, but start. Progress only comes from taking that first step.

A new cybersecurity certificate for undergraduate students aims to prepare students for careers in one of today’s most rapidly evolving areas of engineering. 

Canada has seen a surge in high-profile cyberattacks in recent years. In 2023, both the Toronto Public Library and a group of five southwestern Ontario hospitals were hit — incidents that led to months-long disruptions in service and the theft of personal health information of more than 516,000 people. 

“Cybersecurity has become a critical engineering issue from multiple perspectives, including national and digital sovereignty, economic stability and societal well-being,” says Professor Deepa Kundur (ECE), Chair of The Edward S. Rogers Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering and the Canada Research Chair in Cybersecurity of Intelligent Critical Infrastructure. 

“Engineers working in sectors such as energy, manufacturing and healthcare, to name a few, need to understand how security threats intersect with design and operational decisions,” says Kundur. 

“With that said, cybersecurity can no longer be treated as a niche specialty or an afterthought. Everyone entering the engineering profession needs a baseline understanding of cybersecurity.” 

Kundur says that Canada is currently experiencing a sustained and accelerating demand for cybersecurity professionals, driven by increasing digitization across a range of industries. 

As engineered systems — such as transportation networks, health care databases and even drinking water treatment plants — become more intelligent and interconnected, they increasingly rely on sensors, communication networks and complex computing infrastructure. 

However, these complexities introduce new classes of vulnerabilities that expand the potential for cyberattacks from increasingly organized hackers from around the world. The Canadian cybersecurity market is expected to nearly double by 2030, growing from approximately US$14 billion in 2024 to nearly US$28 billion. 

This expansion comes alongside a pronounced workforce shortage. As of 2024, there are an estimated four million unfilled cybersecurity jobs globally, with talent gaps expected to persist through the coming decade. 

“At a national level, Canada faces a substantial and growing shortage of cybersecurity professionals, estimated at approximately 150,000 roles,” says Kundur.  

“As the leading engineering school in the country, U of T Engineering is well positioned to take a leadership role in educating students who can help address this need.” 

Students participating in the certificate will take ECE381: Foundations and Frontiers in Cybersecurity, a new course that introduces core cybersecurity concepts along with the analytical tools needed to understand and engage with contemporary threats and technologies.  

“The curriculum emphasizes understanding how attackers think, how vulnerabilities emerge, and how cybersecurity risk can be analyzed and dealt with in complex engineered systems,” says Professor Dimitrios Hatzinakos (ECE), lead on the new certificate and one of the instructors for ECE381. 

“Learning is grounded in applied perspectives and practical case studies, helping students connect theory to actual breaches and incidents along with engineering practice.” 

In addition to the core course, students choose two technical electives, such as Quantum Information Processing and Algorithms and Data Structures, enabling them to explore specific areas in greater depth. 

The certificate will launch in September 2026. While many of the courses are currently from ECE, the certificate is open to undergraduates from all engineering departments. 

“The certificate is intentionally designed to be accessible across engineering disciplines, reflecting the fact that cybersecurity is relevant to any branch of engineering today,” says Hatzinakos. 

“It was created with government, industry and not-for-profit sectors in mind, all of whom hire our graduates and increasingly require engineers who understand cybersecurity risks and responsibilities in complex systems.” 

As the program grows, the department hopes to add even more course offerings and expand into a formal undergraduate minor, as well as a new professional MEng emphasis in cybersecurity. 

Kundur says students who participate in the certificate will be prepared for a variety of emerging roles such as software, system and platform engineers where secure design is essential. 

They will also be qualified for data, AI and automation roles where model integrity, robustness and secure deployment are critical. 

“The certificate provides a formal credential in an area that cuts across every engineering discipline,” she says.  

“It signals to employers that cybersecurity is part of how students think about engineering design and responsibility.” 

A team from U of T Engineering is the first to synthesize long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) outside the cell — a new approach to drug discovery that has already yielded some promising anti-inflammatory molecules. 

The team was inspired by advances in the field of messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein replacement therapies. They realized that a similar approach could be used to deliver lncRNA to the body, unlocking a potential new source of drugs. 

“Only about 25% of our DNA encodes for proteins, including everything from insulin for regulating blood sugar to antibodies for immune defence,” says Professor Omar F. Khan (BME), senior author on a paper published in Science Signaling that describes the new discovery. 

“Proteins are made via messenger RNA, or mRNA, which conveys the instructions for how to build proteins from our genes to our ribosomes, the part of our cells where proteins are assembled.” 

“But a significant amount of our DNA doesn’t do that; its function is something we’re still trying to understand. One thing we do know is that about 45% of our DNA produces these long strings of RNA that do not act as messengers, but which still interact with other biomolecules. We call these strings long noncoding RNA, or lncRNA.” 

Khan says that so far, approximately 40,000 lncRNA transcripts have been identified — a set of molecules sometimes referred to as the ‘dark transcriptome’ because their functions are still largely unknown. He and his team were fascinated by the contrast between the large size of this chemical library and the limited amount of knowledge about it. 

What research has been done on lncRNA transcripts suggests that they may be involved in gene regulation — for example, interacting with other molecules to increase or decrease expression of certain genes. This means that lncRNA could become a new method for researchers looking to treat disease.  

“There’s no way evolution would allow these lncRNAs to take up so much space in our genome unless they were giving us some kind of survival advantage,” says Khan. 

“If we can figure out what these lncRNAs do, make them in the lab, and then administer them to sick patients like any other medicine, we could modify or enhance the body’s natural processes to promote healing.” 

Khan and his team began with a literature search through the dark transcriptome, looking for sequences that had the potential to be used in this way. For their first target, they selected lncRNA transcripts that other researchers had found to be associated with inflammation. 

“Although inflammation is one of the body’s natural responses to injury or infection, extreme or chronic inflammation can become a problem,” says Janice Pang, a PhD student in Khan’s lab and lead author on the new paper. 

“For example, sepsis is a potentially life-threatening condition caused by an overactive inflammation response, and chronic inflammation is associated with many conditions, from arthritis to cardiovascular disease.” 

“The idea was that if we could identify lncRNA sequences that regulate inflammation, we could use them to shut it down when it gets out of control.” 

The team identified three lncRNA sequences — GAPLINC, MIST and DRAIR — that previous research had suggested could be involved in regulating inflammation. Using a variety of techniques such as in vitro transcription synthesis, chemical modifications and high-performance liquid chromatography purification, they made the first copies of these sequences outside the cell. 

They then used their extensive expertise at creating RNA delivery systems to package these lncRNA sequences into nanoparticles and inject them back into human cell cultures, as well as mice that were sick with an inflammatory disease. 

“We found that each sequence reduced inflammation in a different way,” says Pang. 

“They did this by decreasing the production of specific cytokines, which are signalling proteins produced in the body that trigger inflammation.” 

The team then went one step further: they explored structural and chemical changes to each lncRNA to increase their potency. These changes allowed them to use much lower doses, which can potentially improve clinical use. 

“It’s a very tricky thing, because the shape of these molecules matters to their function, and you don’t want to break that by changing too much,” says Khan. 

“But through hard work and thoughtful choices, Janice and the team were able to find modifications that actually increased their potency.” 

While the team is excited about the new anti-inflammatory molecules they’ve created, Khan says the larger accomplishment is the opening up of a new frontier in drug discovery research. 

“The traditional way of making drugs is time-consuming and costly: so many candidate molecules fail because of negative interactions with the body or a lack of performance in humans,” he says. 

“What’s so great about these lncRNA sequences is that they’ve been honed by millions of years of evolution, so we know they’re biocompatible with humans: they’ve already been de-risked, in a sense. On top of that, each lncRNA evolved to have a very narrow, specific mechanism of action. That specificity reduces the potential for side effects, and it also enables us to get the desired response with minimal doses.” 

“This is a completely new paradigm for drug discovery, and we think that the dark transcriptome is a great opportunity to find new treatments that will really change lives in the future.”