Doctoral Students

Abigail Mary Lee

York University

Supervisor: Prof. Michael Daly

Brief biography

I grew up in England, achieving my Bachelors in Astrophysics and Masters in Space Exploration Systems, before moving to Canada in 2021. I am now researching the dielectric properties of ices on Mars using Synthetic Aperture Radar. This will contribute to the International Mars Ice Mapper mission (launch in 2028), where one of the instruments is a dual mode L-band SAR/Sounder radar provided by the Canadian Space Agency. The main goal of this mission is to quantify the presence, depth, distribution and purity of water ice at the sites that are promising for human exploration and colonization. This will involve some field work where we will demonstrate the L-Band SAR and Sounding mode by detecting and quantifying buried ground ice, alongside some ground investigation to help calibrate these airborne measurements. The properties of the ices can be measured and compared to the results achieved with samples in the lab.

Ahmad Ibrahim Al Ali

York University

Supervisor: Prof. George Zhu

Brief biography

I got my Bsc. and Msc. In Mechanical Engineering from the Jordan University of Science and Technology. I am currently Studying to obtain my Ph.D in Mechanical Engineering at York University. My research interests are:

-Robotics; this includes the study of robotic equations (Kinematics/ Dynamics) that govern its motion in order to achieve desired End Effector location. Moreso, how the robot will move in space, since the robot and its reaction forces will affect the base and offset the desired motion.

-Control and Artificial Intelligence; this includes either using classical methods (PID control) or AI methods to control different systems and how they behave.

I am currently studying the use of Machine Learning/ Reinforcement Learning for the motion planning and control or a Space Robotic Manipulator, in order to achieve a fully autonomous Robotic system to use for Debris removal in space.

Bahador Beigomi

York University

Supervisor: Prof. George Zhu

Brief biography

I have received my MSc and BSc in Aerospace Engineering, from Sharif University of Technology, Iran. My major was Flight Dynamics and Control during my master’s degree and for my MSc thesis, I have designed a novel aerial robot which was able to fly in a horizontal line without changing its configuration and orientation. Currently, I am a member of the Space Engineering Design Laboratory, pursuing my Ph.D. in mechanical engineering under the supervision of Professor George Zhu. My project is related to Space debris removal using a robotic manipulator. Due to the continuous increase in the number of satellites orbiting around the Earth, any left unchecked Resident Space Object (RSO) can be considered a critical potential hazard for near-Earth space activities. My collaboration in this study is the final part of the active removal of space debris which is grasping the noncooperative RSO.

Bingze Xia          

Concordia University

Supervisors: Prof. Wen-Fang Xie & Dr. Iraj Mantegh (National Research Council Canada)

Brief biography

As a PhD student in Mechanical Engineering, my research interest is in the area of AI-enabled Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Traffic Management. My goal is to propose a novel integrated controller that employs deep reinforcement learning, object detection techniques, and fuzzy logic systems to efficiently guide UAVs in autonomous target tracking, dynamic path planning, and obstacle avoidance in dynamic and uncertain 3D environments. My project will be carried out through four phases, starting with a literature survey, followed by the design of a reinforcement learning model, integration of the RL and fuzzy logic techniques, and finally validation through experiments. The proposed integrated controller holds the potential to enhance the safety and efficiency of UAV navigation, making a significant contribution to the field of aerial mobility. With a deep passion for my research topic, I have already published three research articles and am eager to continue exploring new avenues in this field.

El Ghali ASRI

York University

Supervisor: Prof. George Zhu

Brief biography

I am a young Moroccan engineer greatly devoted to science with some modest experience both in academia and industry. Looking ahead, I aspire to a career as a researcher. Interacting with top scientists, sharing knowledge, theorizing, experimenting, analyzing and advancing science appeals to me greatly in addition to that force of suggestion and proposal that comes within a research context. Domain wise, I am particularly interested in the New Space industry. I want to contribute to making astronautics more accessible across wider ranges of applications and I believe there is great potential in addressing this context through recent technological developments in robotics, vehicle autonomy, artificial intelligence & machine learning. Being a professional researcher and an expert in the field will also surely afford me the opportunity to participate in future space missions from their concept proposals to flight operations.

Fuzhen Yao       

York University

Supervisor: Prof. George Zhu

Brief biography

Strong research background in tethered satellites system. Familiar with spacecraft dynamics and control, deep learning and a quadruped robot.

Hadi Jahanshahi  

York University

Supervisor: Prof. George Zhu

Brief biography

Hadi Jahanshahi earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and a master’s degree in aerospace engineering. Currently, he is dedicated to his Ph.D. studies in mechanical engineering, specializing in machine learning and robotics. Beyond his academic pursuits, Hadi is a passionate sports enthusiast, particularly enjoying tennis, badminton, ping pong, and soccer.

Hamidreza Dastmalchi       

York University

Supervisor: Prof. Aijun An

Brief biography

I Have received my B.Sc. and M.Sc. in biomedical engineering and electrical engineering from Amirkabir University of Technology (Tehran Polytechnic), Iran. During my MSc, I have been exploring different machine vision techniques beyond the lab into real-world applications. Currently, I am pursuing my Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at York University under the supervision of Prof. Aijun An. My research interests are Machine Vision, Machine Learning, Data Mining, and Natural Language Processing. I am currently focusing my research direction on the interdisciplinary field of integrating Machine Vision and Natural Language Processing to fill the gap between these two correlated areas.

 Ibrahim Babiker     

 Concordia University 

Supervisor: Prof. Wen-Fang Xie 

Brief biography

 My bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Mechanical engineering were both completed at Concordia University in the years 2018 and 2020 respectively, graduating from the former with distinction. Having specialized in Mechatronics and Control Systems in the latter years of my undergraduate studies, I chose to pursue graduate studies in the same field after encouragement from my current supervisor Dr. Wen-Fang Xie. Feeling that I could learn even more in the field, especially with the recent craze in Artificial Intelligence, I chose to hop on the bandwagon and continue my studies by attempting to apply practical deep-learning solutions to horticultural problems. Currently, we are designing a camera sensor for a dandelion removal robot. 

 Mitra Taghizadeh 

 York University 

Supervisor: Prof. George Zhu 

Brief biography

I am Mitra Taghizadeh, born in 1991 in Hamedan, Iran. I hold both a master’s and bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, which I earned from Iran University of Science and Technology and Bu Ali Sina University in Iran, respectively. My previous work experience has been in the fields of Finite Element Method and mechanical vibration analysis.

For my master’s thesis, I focused on enhancing the image quality of atomic force microscopy through the application of Finite Element Method (FEM). During my bachelor’s studies, I was involved in the design and construction of a mechanical shaker as part of my thesis project.

Currently, I am pursuing a Ph.D. in Earth and Space Science at York University. My research interests encompass various numerical methods such as FEM, 3D printing, dynamics modelling, numerical simulation, robotics, and vibration analysis.

 Mohammad Alizadeh   

 York University 

Supervisor: Prof. George Zhu 

Brief biography

 I recently started my Ph.D. program at York University under the supervision of Prof. George Zhu to study the field of Space Robotics. I received my B.Sc. and M.Sc. degree in Aerospace Engineering from Sharif University of Technology. In my M.Sc. studies, my major was Flight Dynamics and Control and my master’s thesis involved the development of a multi-agent model using the Python programming language to study how important parameters such as the operation rule between aircraft and station, capacity, and speed of the aircraft, and the distance between stations are related to the operational indicators of the network such as the waiting time of passengers, number of passengers that arrived at their destination, and the flight cost of the network. 

 Mostafa Shahrezaei  

 York University 

Supervisor: Prof. George Zhu 

Brief biography

I am Mostafa Shahrezaei and graduated from the Iran University of Science and Technology, with a major in Aerospace Engineering and Spacecraft Attitude Determination and Control in particular.

I have conducted all of the tasks regarding the attitude determination and control of a spacecraft, including: Modeling the attitude sensors like sun sensors, magnetometers and gyros, modeling attitude actuators like reactions wheels, thrusters and magnetorquers. In addition, I am familiar with different kind of control algorithms such as: PD, LQR and Sliding mode. Another field I entered in is the theory of estimation using Kalman filtering methods and I learnt how to use different version of filtering methods namely: extended Kalman Filter, Linear Kalman Filter and Unscented Kalman Filters.

 Nasim Fallahiarezoodar 

 York University 

Supervisor: Prof. George Zhu 

Brief biography

Nasim Fallahi is a Ph.D. student at York University, specializing in Aerospace Engineering, a field in which she also holds both MSc and BSc degrees. During her master’s program, she had the esteemed opportunity to work on her thesis at TMU, allowing her to delve deeply into intricate research methodologies and theoretical applications. Nasim’s current research interests are focused predominantly on Space Robotics and the pioneering development of advanced Spacecraft Control Systems

 Ragab Etiwa    

 York University

Supervisor: Prof. Aleksander Czekanski 

Brief biography

Throughout my academic journey, I’ve been captivated by the convergence of mechanics and mathematics. This passion led me to pursue a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, where my dedication earned me recognition as the second-ranked student among a competitive cohort of 210. Building on this foundation, I pursued a master’s degree in engineering mathematics, deepening my knowledge of advanced mathematics and its applications in engineering, achieving a perfect CGPA of 4/4.

My research has primarily centered on the dynamics of longitudinal impact in uniform and composite rods, investigating factors like mass ratios, rod geometry, and boundary conditions on wave propagation, resulting in a master’s thesis and publications in peer-reviewed journals. I’ve also presented my work at international conferences.

I’m particularly interested in working under the guidance of Professor Aleksander Czekanski, whose expertise aligns seamlessly with my research interests in multi-scale modeling and optimization of meso-macro structures. My focus will be on exploring advanced material behavior under extreme conditions, like high-temperature and high-strain-rate loading, and developing precise numerical models for predicting their responses.