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.

four people stand in front of a research poster. One holds a bowl containing pieces of cacti.

This cactus-based material could help improve rainwater harvesting for communities across rural Mexico

U of T Engineering undergraduates partnered with Isla Urbana, a local NGO, to find a sustainable alternative to the waterproofing chemical product currently in use

Students in Professor Karl Peterson’s lab examine concrete samples from the Gordie Howe International Bridge. Left to right: Wisdom Okoh, Katia Ossetchkina, Professor Karl Peterson and Amy Montgomery. (photo by Phill Snel)

This team of CivMin researchers is studying the Gordie Howe International Bridge — down to the microscopic level

Evaluating and verifying concrete components of the new cross-border bridge is airy stuff, with researchers counting on bubbles within

Alex Kurk (MechE 2T6), left, is the 2026 winner of the Troost ILead Difference Maker Award. Sanjay Malaviya, right, is the donor for this award. Malaviya holds one of the 3D-printed interfaces designed by Kurk to help people with low vision navigate software user interfaces. (photo by Tyler Irving)

Solutions for people with low vision helped Alex Kurk earn the 2026 Troost ILead Difference Maker Award

Kurk used design courses, research placements and a startup company to advance his vision for tactile, 3D representations of user interfaces for software programs

Professor Nicolas Papernot (ECE) and his collaborators showed that publicly accessible AI models can be used to power a worm that adapts its strategy as it spreads. (photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

U of T researchers demonstrate AI worm could target any online device

The research was conducted in a secure digital lab with the goal of helping the cybersecurity community prepare for an imminent threat

Professor Luka Milosevic's research leverages an interdisciplinary foundation in biomedical engineering and neurophysiology to advance data driven methods of neuromodulation and brain stimulation. (photo courtesy of KITE-UHN)

Professor Luka Milosevic awarded NSERC CREATE grant to advance neuromodulation training

$1.65 million grant will directly support graduate students by providing integrated training that bridges both the clinical and engineering dimensions of neuromodulation

liquid injection pattern

Inspired by nature, temperature-responsive building facades could help reduce energy use from heating and cooling

Microfluidic system uses both active and passive liquid flow behaviors to regulate temperature within buildings

Large Language Models (LLMs) have high electricity and water consumption due to the resource requirements of serving them to millions of users. This footprint can be reduced using methods developed by Professor Samin Aref (MIE) and his team, which produce smaller LLMs through quantizing their parameters. (image generated by ChatGPT)

How ‘slimmed-down’ large language models can reduce AI’s environmental and energy footprint

U of T Engineering researchers examine ways to make the use of language models more resource efficient by replacing their high-precision parameters with low-precision ones

Professor Craig Simmons (MIE, BME) has developed innovative curriculum, established inclusive research programs and promoted experiential learning opportunities across various departments and faculties. (photo courtesy of Craig Simmons)

Professor Craig Simmons receives the Engineers Canada Medal for Distinction in Engineering Education

Award celebrates exemplary pedagogical approaches, the development of educational tools and contributions that improve engineering education in Canada

Professor Freeman Lan (BME) is developing a rapid, accessible diagnostic workflow capable of delivering results up to ten times faster than current methods. (photo by Tim Fraser, KITE Studio)

Advancing rapid diagnostics to help slow the spread of infectious disease

The New Frontiers in Research Fund will support Professor Freeman Lan (BME) in his efforts to reduce the time needed to identify effective antibiotics for bacterial infection, a key challenge in Canadian healthcare