Speeding Up COVID19 Testing with Artificial Intelligence

A University of British Columbia-led study has identified a computer technique that health facilities can use to screen, diagnose and monitor COVID-19 pneumonia more efficiently.

The researchers found that a pre-trained neural network called DarkNet-19 can rapidly and reliably detect COVID-19 on chest X-rays. The network recognized the disease’s imaging patterns on nearly 6,000 chest X-rays with 94 per cent accuracy, outperforming 16 other available networks.

X-rays typically take about five minutes to complete and five minutes to interpret, but the artificial intelligence-enhanced method can provide a “COVID-19 score” — the probability that a patient has the virus — within one minute.

The team also developed a DarkNet-19-based visualization system that highlights the key visual features of the disease and its progression.

“Many hospitals and clinics have become overwhelmed with work during this pandemic, requiring imaging specialists on staff 24/7 to analyze the large number of imaging tests that are being done,” says Mohamed Elgendi, the study’s lead author and an adjunct professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of British Columbia. “With the help of artificial intelligence, we may be able to optimize the efficiency of X-ray imaging analysis and speed up the COVID screening process around the world.”

When tested against 16 other pre-trained neural networks, DarkNet-19 was found to be not only accurate, but also fast and relatively small in size.

Current gold-standard laboratory tests are expensive and time-consuming, making them impractical for under-resourced health facilities to use. A real-time PCR test, for example, costs approximately CAN$4,000 and has an average turnaround time of three to six days.

In contrast, X-ray tests are widely available and cost about CAN$35 to $40 each. Using DarkNet-19 to analyze these X-rays, doctors could improve throughput and their ability to diagnose COVID-19, the study findings suggest.

“In the earliest stages of COVID-19, chest X-rays often appear normal to the naked eye,” says Savvas Nicolaou, the senior author of the study and the director of emergency and trauma imaging at Vancouver General Hospital. “But in the right clinical context, applying AI-augmented analysis to the same images may reveal the subtle presence of the disease.”

Nicolaou notes, however, that while imaging can assist in COVID-19 screening, it should be used more “as a complementary diagnostic, problem-solving and prognostic tool” in conjunction with clinical evaluation.

Previous research identified pre-trained neural networks that detect COVID-19 with accuracies ranging from 90 per cent to 98 per cent. But those studies examined far fewer sample sizes and were not optimally tested for specificity and reliability.

The study, whose authors also include researchers from Simon Fraser University, the University of Oxford and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, was recently published in Frontiers in Medicine.

Original Article

Photo by CDC on Unsplash

Roberto Rosales Receives UBC President’s Staff Award

Congratulations to Dr. Roberto Rosales, ECE Engineering Services Team Lead, for receiving the 2020 UBC President’s Staff Award for Leadership. The President’s Staff Awards are presented by the university annually and recognize the personal achievements and contributions that staff make to UBC, and to the vision and goals of the University.

Since obtaining his graduate degrees in the Department of Electrical and Computing Engineering (ECE), Roberto Rosales has progressed into a realm of staff leadership that encompasses many roles – researcher, technical consultant, sessional lecturer, manager, mentor, and team leader.

Leading by example, Roberto elevated the ECE Engineering Services Team by cultivating trust, morale and an enthusiasm for enabling research, mentoring undergraduates and serving instructors. The team provides innovative and unprecedented technical and engineering support for both research and teaching, and their model of service delivery demonstrates their commitment to supporting world-class research as well as to provide an outstanding education and experience to our undergraduate students.

An advocate for students’ continued success, Roberto uses his influences to ensure world-class teaching and learning environments. In 2014, Roberto worked with students, faculty and staff to prepare for an external review with the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board, which included a thorough assessment of labs and facilities with a distinct focus on health and safety. More recently, when the department learned that their teaching epicenter, the MacLeod Building, was due for a multi-year seismic upgrade renovation, Roberto enthusiastically identified the opportunity to enhance the range of technical services that can be provided for teaching and research.

Roberto demonstrated leadership as an inaugural member of the System on a Chip (SOC) Research Lab, recognized by peers as maintaining a professional, constructive, positive, and solution-oriented attitude. He is an expert in his field and is a valuable mentor for graduate and undergraduate students.

See full list of UBC President’s Staff Awards recipients here.

UBC Solar’s Approach for the Fall 2020

With the transition to online classes and working remotely we caught up with UBC Solar, a student run design team at UBC, to ask them how they shifted their operations to work remotely and their plans for the upcoming year. We sat down with Alex Ezzat the Co-Captain of UBC Solar and a fifth-year student studying Engineering Physics to ask him how his team is continuing to make progress and some of the challenges they faced with the transition to the online environment.

UBC Solar is a student design team that designs, builds, and races solar-powered cars. The UBC design teams are student run where students work collaboratively to design projects and gain hands on experience. Design teams are a great way to meet other students in Applied Science in different programs and year levels. UBC Solar creates solar cars to demonstrate the power of solar technology while exploring and educating about the importance and feasibility of renewable automotive solutions.

UBC Solar has roughly 50 members from all faculties who all have an important role on the team. They compete in the American Solar Challenge, a 2500km race across North America, competing against teams from all across North America. Over the course of a week, the teams’ race across public roads and highways while driving on nothing but the power of the sun using the car they built throughout the year. For more information, we can be contacted via email at manager@ubcsolar.com or on social media, @ubcsolar.

What was the biggest challenge you faced when transitioning to remote work?

When we first moved online in March, we had to reshape the way we approached teamwork. The first few weeks were challenging and somewhat disorganized as it was a busy and stressful time of the year for everyone and working remotely was a new concept, no one was prepared for. Not having the “face-to-face” aspect we were so used to dropped moral as we felt disconnected from our teammates. We turned to Discord as our new format for online meetings, acting as a new haven where members could freely hop from one voice channel to the next to maintain contact with their friends across the team’s various working groups.

What was your experience like working remotely this summer?

While the transition to the online format was slow and bumpy, we have been able to turn the situation around quite well. Having more time online has given us the opportunity to focus on new and innovative design projects we did not have the resources to pursue before. We found that online meetings have advantages specifically, when it came to knowledge transfer and versatility. We have been able to host more tutorials and design reviews to keep members engaged and help them learn new techniques they might not have had the chance to learn.

How is your team adapting for the fall?

We are still figuring out specific plans for the fall as there are still a lot of unknowns. We are roughly 2/3 of the way through the design of our newest solar car, planned for 2022. Due to the current situation we anticipate the majority of our work will remain as virtual design tasks, with limited in-person access to our workspace. We are still hopeful to race next summer, so any available hands-on time will be put towards finishing up our current solar car. As with every year, we will continue to provide new recruits with fun and educational introductory projects to get them all caught up to speed as we anticipate the re-opening of our workspace.

How will recruitment be done this year?

Our recruitment will be online this year and be formatted to accommodate applicants across varying locations and time zones. The process will start with an online web form where applicants can express interest regarding joining our team and will provide us with a bit about themselves and why they want to join. Selected applicants will be invited for an online interview with some of our team leads to evaluate their work style and community fit. No technical experience required!

How and when do you run your virtual meetings?

Virtual meetings are held every Saturday from 10am to around 5pm PST in the fall. During these meetings we start with some announcements and then jump into working with our respective groups. Each sub-team will also have a meeting throughout the week. The time of the meeting will be set to accommodate everyone in the group, regardless of what time zone you are in. As not all members will be able to attend due to different time zones, meeting notes will be posted online after each meeting.

How will you be moving forward with competitions you take part in?

It will all depend on the current situation. We hope to be able to compete in the 2021 American Solar Challenge next summer. We are hopeful that we will be able to finish the car in the January term to get it ready for the race in July. After the competition we are looking to start our new car.

Anything you would like to share with students interested in joining UBC Solar?

As a young engineering student, the design team experience is incomparable and can be the most rewarding part of your educational career. It gives students hands on experience working on engineering projects in fields they are interested in. If you are interested in sustainability and learning about smart design, innovative thinking, and workplace professionalism, be sure to check us out! Though the online setting is unfortunate, we still encourage new students to apply to a design team, even if it is not UBC Solar.

ECE Researchers Receive Nearly $2.9M in NSERC Support

UBC Electrical and Computer Engineering researchers have been awarded nearly $2.6 million from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) through its Discovery Grants Program.

The Discovery Grants support “ongoing programs of research with long-term goals rather than a single short-term project or collection of projects. These grants recognize the creativity and innovation that are at the heart of all research advances.”

Two UBC Electrical and Computer Engineering researchers also received nearly $300,000 in NSERC Research Tools and Instruments Grants.

The NSERC Research Tools and Instruments Grants “foster and enhance the discovery, innovation and training capability of university researchers in the natural sciences and engineering by supporting the purchase of research equipment.”

183 projects across UBC were awarded a total of $40.1 million from NSERC. For more information about these projects, please see the announcement of UBC’s Office of the Vice President Research and Innovation.

ECE Recipients: Discovery Grants

Beznosov, Konstantin
Novel Physical Protection of Personal Mobile Assets
$205,000

Cheung, Karen
Microfluidics and inkjet for biomedical engineering materials
$230,000

Fels, Sidney
Creating and Evaluating New Media Interfaces for Expression
$240,000

Garbi, Rafeef
Towards Generalizable Reasoned Deep Learning for Efficient Interpretable Medical Image Computing
$230,000

Jatskevich, Juri
Advanced Tools for Modelling and Analysis of Evolving Power and Energy Systems
$275,000

Kamgarpour, Maryam
Stochastic Control for Large-Scale Safety-Critical Systems
$220,000
$120,000 Discovery Accelerator Supplement
$12,500 Discovery Launch Supplement

Leung, Cyril
Energy efficiency and security for wireless communications
$140,000

Marti, Jose
Advanced Hybrid SFA/EMTP Simulator for Seamless Integration of Power Systems Dynamics and EMT Transients
$195,000

Pattabiraman, Karthik
Resilient, Secure, and Programmable Next-Generation Internet of Things (IoT)
$240,000

Rohling, Robert
Advancing towards ubiquitous medical ultrasound
$320,000

Shekhar, Sudip
Integrated Circuits for Large Arrays
$165,000

ECE Recipients: Research Tools and Instruments Grants

Jatskevich, Juri
Hardware and Software for Power-HIL Real-Time Simulation Platform for Integrated AC-DC Energy Systems
$149,988

Tang, Shuo
High-Repetition Rate Laser for Real-Time and 3D Photoacoustic Imaging
$150,000

ECE Professor elected into the Canadian Academy of Engineering

Congratulations ECE Professor Dr. Purang Abo lmaesumi for being elected into the Canadian Academy of Engineering!

Dr. Abolmaesumi has gained an international reputation for his outstanding research in the areas of cancer imaging and image-guided interventions. His work in medical image analysis ranges from theory to practice in computer-guided diagnosis and therapy systems. Leading research institutions across the globe make use of his innovations in ultrasound imaging. His contributions have had an international impact on the development of biomedical engineering solutions.

The Canadian Academy of Engineering (CAE) is a national organization that allows Canada’s most prominent and experienced engineers to provide strategic advice on the nation’s most important matters. Fellows of the CAE are elected by their peers, with the main criterion being their distinguished achievements and their contributions to the engineering discipline. Fellows of the CAE use their expertise to ensure the prosperity and well-being of Canada and its citizens.

Fifty new Fellows and two International Fellows were welcomed by President Yves Beauchamp into the Canadian Academy of Engineering on June 15th, 2020. The ceremony was held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic, in conjunction with the Academy’s 2020 Annual General Meeting. The 2020 Induction Dinner has been postponed and will take place in Halifax, Nova Scotia during the 2021 Annual General Meeting.

The Canadian Academy of Engineering.

Sara Hosseinirad Awarded Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship!

Sara Hosseinirad, a second-year doctoral candidate currently researching an automated closed-loop system of anesthesia, is the recipient of the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship.

Sara’s research aims to automate the entire anesthesia process. “The closed-loop anesthesia control has been proven to outperform manual control; however, some technological developments are missing. One of them is the lack of an integrative system that includes the impacts of changes in anesthesia, fluid, cardiac output, etc. on each other.” Sara breaks her solution into two steps. “In the first step, we will design a new depth of hypnosis and analgesia control system and its associated safety system based on a novel, universal pharmacokinetic model of propofol and remifentanil, known as Eleveld model. In the second step, we will investigate multivariable control of the many aspects of anesthesia beyond the depth of hypnosis and analgesia, e.g., cardiac output, arterial pressure, temperature, etc.” She is supervised by Guy A. Dumont and Maryam Kamgarpour.

The research Sara is conducting is a breakthrough in the field of anesthesiology. It would allow the entire anesthesia process to run automatically. This automation would allow anesthesiologists to run several operating rooms simultaneously, all while maintaining a high standard of quality. This is very beneficial for less-equipped hospitals, where there are a lower number of anesthesiology specialties as less anesthesiologist are required. “This research will reduce the post-operation complications by administering just enough anesthetic drugs during surgical operations.”

The Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship is a prestigious award valued at $50,000 for up to three years. The award was founded in 2008 to attract world-class doctoral students to Canada and establish Canada as a global center in research and higher learning. Recipients require both leadership skills and a high standard of scholarly achievement. Sara was the only recipient from the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at UBC.

Being the recipient of this award is a great honor and gives Sara well deserved and valuable recognition for all her hard work. She believes it “will open doors of opportunity as a Ph.D. student” and is the beginning of her research path. She says her “future success depends on keeping the momentum going.”

Congratulations Sara on your great achievement!

You can learn more about the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship.

ECE Student Pramit Saha leads Imagine Speech Recognition Project

UBC Electrical and Computer Engineering master’s student, Pramit Saha, is working at the forefront of developing speech-related brain-computer interfaces. The Imagine Speech Recognition Project led by Pramit and directed by ECE Professor Sidney Fels in the Human Communication Technologies (HCT) Lab aims to detect speech tokens from speech imagery brain signals. This project has revealed the possible existence of brain imagery footprint related to articulatory movements underlying imagined speech productions

Speech imagery is about representing speech in terms of the unspoken words inside the human brain without them being vocalized. They hypothesize the existence of a brain footprint for the thoughts underlying covert speech, even though the person is not vocalizing. Furthermore, it is possible to detect the imagined words by understanding the intended involvement of the vocal tract and vocal fold, which is internally encoded in the brain signals. Their deep neural network architecture is able to capture information that the brain sends to the tongue, vocal fold, etc, even without there being vocal communication. Interpreting active thoughts from EEG signals can be very challenging. Their carefully designed methodology for learning the EEG manifold includes the computation of a cross-covariance embedding from high dimensional EEG data that successfully captures the joint variability of the electrodes. This allows the classification of the phonological attributes of the imagined words based on the presence/absence of different parts ofd the articulatory system. These categories are then used to identify the imagined speech. Pramit Saha’s and Professor Sidney Fels’ work has the potential to advance the field of speech-related brain-computer interfaces aimed at providing neuro-prosthetic help to those with speech-related disabilities and disorders. It can help users with a way to express their thoughts, which can greatly help in rehabilitation.

Below, Pramit Saha speaks about the importance and potential impact of the work that is being done:

What motivates you to pursue research in this topic?

Speech is the most basic and natural means of communication. However, the neuro-muscular mechanism underlying the production of articulatory speech is extremely complicated, as a result of which, decoding imagined speech by analyzing the noisy brain signals is a highly challenging problem. The primary objective of this research is to understand the discriminative brain signal manifold corresponding to imagined speech that can enable us to relate the brain signals to the underlying articulation mechanism, crucial in designing speech-related brain-computer interfaces. Such interfaces are targeted to provide neuro-prosthetic help for more than 70 million people worldwide who are suffering from speaking disabilities and speech-related neuro-muscular disorders. Decoding their imagined speech will provide them with effective vocal communication strategies for controlling external devices through speech commands interpreted from brain signals. The idea of being able to contribute towards potentially providing people with a better means to communicate and express thoughts without needing to vocalize, thereby increasing the quality of their life, keeps me strongly motivated to pursue research in this field.

How does this project align with your professional goals?

My research goal primarily centers around the investigation of the neural pathways behind expressive communication abilities including speech and gestures. Human speech production is one of the most complex processes within the human motor repertoire, which needs precise coordination of different speech articulators. Such a refined control of articulators is apparently difficult to master. However, it is quite astonishing to me to imagine how we can perform such complex articulation spontaneously without considerable effort by establishing the connection between speech production sites in our brain and the articulators involved in vocalization. The neuro-computational bases behind such articulation are still not well understood and how the speech intent is related to the intended motion of these articulators is an open question in the domain of imagined speech research. In this work, we endeavor to address the issue by developing a hierarchical deep learning-based model that leverages phonological information (involving intended activity of different articulators) embedded in the brain signals to decode the intended speech token.

More details on their work can be found here:

Hierarchical Deep Feature Learning for Decoding Imagined Speech from EEG

Deep Learning the EEG Manifold for Phonological Categorization from Active Thoughts

Towards Imagined Speech Recognition With Hierarchical Deep Learning

To find out more about Pramit Saha:

Personal website

UBC HCT Profile

UBC M.A.Sc. Student Developing a Wearable Device to Track Heart and Brain Signals

Fitness and health trackers have undergone rapid technological development in the past decade, allowing average consumers to now better understand their sleep, track their diet, and monitor their physical activity. Even without the purchase of a wrist-based tracking device, your smartphone can now generate key insights about your health from just sitting in your pocket all day.

Similar technologies are applied throughout the medical field; carefully monitoring patient health is a vital step to providing timely, effective care. The current process to track brain and heart signals, however, requires trained personnel for both setup and continual maintenance. Furthermore, the equipment used in existing signal monitoring techniques can be uncomfortable to wear for long periods of time.

Jorge Lozano, a UBC M.A.Sc. working in the Stoeber Lab, has his sights set on changing that. Through his graduate work, Lozano has been looking into developing a new tool for the long-term measurement of heart and brain signals that is more affordable, easier to use, and comfortable to wear.

In the status quo, a wet electrode is used to monitor vital signs, which is the source of a lot of the discomfort for patients and health care workers alike. By “wet”, this implies that an electrolytic gel or liquid is used to detect the electrical signals produced by our heart and brain. While this method is effective for recording high-quality measurements, the electrode will inevitably dry over time, meaning trained personnel must apply and constantly re-apply the paste for any extended usage. Additionally, the paste can be felt on the skin, meaning it can cause discomfort, especially when signal monitoring is carried out for a while.

Lozano’s alternative is a new microneedle dry electrode that will allow for long term measurement of heart and brain signals at a fraction of the previous cost. Microneedles themselves are painless for consumers, despite their intimidating title; at roughly 0.6mm in length, they do puncture the skin, but do not reach any pain nerve receptors. Yet, at this length, they are still able to detect electrical signals that can be used to generate key insights.

Current microneedle development is painful for manufacturers, however. The fabrication of the needles is complex, and existing market microneedles lack key electrical and mechanical properties for optimal use. Lozano’s research includes a new kind of microneedle that is backed by a flexible electrode, allowing for increased coverage over any part of the human body. Additionally, via conductive polymeric materials and an innovative cast-and-mold fabrication process, development is now significantly simpler and less expensive.

Lozano, in reflecting on the journey from the beginning of his undergraduate degree to the midst of his master’s, identified a lot of growth he had to undergo to get this far. “I think my degree has had a lot of small challenges,” he mentions, “one of them was learning to fail and let go of some ideas that you thought will work, I easily spent weeks working on a process or a material that at the end will not be useful for my device.” Learning how to iterate quickly with hardware, as opposed to software, became another learning point for Lozano. Reflecting back, he says “[i]n contrast, with software projects, [the development of the microneedle] required intensive use of different equipment for testing, fabrication, characterization, so I needed to learn quickly […] in order to have faster prototype iterations.

In the future, Lozano hopes to work in a position where he can conduct research and development for medical devices, right at the intersection of electronics and healthcare. It isn’t hard to imagine that in just a mere few years, with this research in hand, consumer-ready wearable devices can democratize health tracking, making it affordable to detect issues with your health far earlier and empower medical professionals to get in front of various diseases before they strike.

Learn more about Lozano’s research as a part of the Stoeber Lab.

Quentin Golsteyn, BASC ’20, Computer Engineering

“I am a strong believer that you can make a difference in the world at the local level. Opportunities for positive change exist all around us.”

From the start of my degree, I wanted to get involved and try to help my community. Working on projects and initiatives is my approach to understanding more about who I am, and developing skills that will help me later on.

I was involved in the Engineering Undergraduate Society (EUS) throughout my entire degree, first as Video Director — making videos highlighting events happening in the engineering community every week, and later as VP Academic — one of seven executives of the society. I also served as the Applied Science Student Senator, sitting on the UBC Senate. My involvement at the EUS and Senate helped me find a project that would be my focus for most of my degree. Over the next three years, I worked with faculty members and staff to determine factors influencing student wellbeing. I presented my findings at the Canadian Engineering Education Conference.

In my fourth year, I was selected for a research internship, a dream role, at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland. During the internship, I worked for a laboratory in the field of human-computer interaction.

I plan on pursuing a career in software development, focused on web development and data visualization.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO GO INTO YOUR FIELD OF STUDY AT UBC?

I always shared a passion for tinkering with computers and various electronic devices around my house. I was confident in my choice to pursue a career in software development. Before joining UBC, I was not sure if I should go into computer engineering or computer science. I had the chance to attend the UBC Engineering Open House before applying to UBC. There, I saw a strong student community with people sharing a genuine passion for what they do. This convinced me that engineering at UBC was for me as it offered a program in a field I was interested in, and I immediately saw myself being a part of its community.

WHAT HAS MADE YOUR TIME AT UBC MEMORABLE?

The variety of experiences I had at UBC was what made my time at UBC memorable. Both in class, outside of class, and through internships, I had the chance to partake in a wide variety of projects, initiatives and events. From helping run EUS events such as a dog therapy event to a chariot race during E-Week, to attending a graduation ceremony as a student senator, to publishing a paper at a scientific conference, to going on a hike in the Swiss alps with friends during my internship in Switzerland. I am extremely grateful for all these opportunities to do a wide variety of things during these last five years.

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR MOST VALUABLE NON-ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE STUDYING AT UBC?

My work as the Student Wellbeing Coordinator for the Faculty of Applied Science has been my most valuable experience studying at UBC.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE IN YOUR PROGRAM. WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED THAT IS MOST VALUABLE?

The most valuable thing I learned while at UBC is the importance of having an interdisciplinary skillset. Today’s engineering solutions require an understanding of their non-technical requirements as much as their technical ones. The many projects we have to work on always require us to think beyond technical aspects. Understanding how humans interact with our solutions, the potential environmental and business impact of an approach are important considerations for the success of any project. I came to realize this during my first two internships. I was confused at first why certain decisions were being made, but I quickly realized that there was much more to consider when making engineering decisions beyond just the technical aspect.

HOW ARE YOU APPLYING THE SKILLS YOU LEARNED THROUGH YOUR STUDIES AT UBC?

An important skill I learned while at UBC is learning how to balance your time and knowing your limits. Engineering is difficult, particularly due to the high course load of the program. Many times, I placed myself in a situation where I worked too hard for too long. In my fourth year, I began to realize the importance of taking breaks and learning to stop. The important thing is to make sure to give yourself time to see friends, binge on a new TV show, or go out for walks. After taking on these habits, I began to feel more rested. Although a non-academic skill, I am continuing to actively consider my time today, making sure I don’t overwork myself on any project.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE A STUDENT ENTERING YOUR DEGREE PROGRAM?

I would give two pieces of advice that perhaps contradict one another, but I see as particularly relevant given the move to online classes. One: get out there and seek new experiences. University is a truly unique environment where you can discover what interests you and find experiences that will help you beyond graduation. Whether classes are online or they resume in-person courses, make sure to seek opportunities and get involved on projects and initiatives. Two: remember to take breaks. Beyond school and extracurriculars, my university experience was shaped by the friends I made and the trips and hangouts we had over the years. Sometimes, we forget to take time to nurture these relationships. And now that classes are online for the first semester, we must all be proactive in taking some time off.

HOW DO YOU FEEL YOUR DEGREE HAS BENEFITTED YOU COMPARED TO A DIFFERENT FIELD OF STUDY?

I think engineering is an interesting field for the breadth of knowledge it covers compared to other fields of study. It requires a strong foundation in the sciences but also teaches how to apply this scientific knowledge to real-world projects. As an engineering student, you develop a good appreciation of the impact a particular solution may have on the people and environment. Through a lot of hands-on work, you learn how to work with others, prototype and test your ideas and manage a project to completion.

WHERE DO YOU FIND YOUR INSPIRATION?

I draw my inspiration from addressing big and small problems around me. I’ve found that the process of looking for a solution to problems takes me on a path of learning and discovery. Even a small question can be an interesting opportunity to learn new things and can lead to a significant outcome. I’ll usually keep a mental note of challenges I encounter during my day to day activities and dedicate some time each week to experiment with a few ideas. While I do not expect anything concrete to come out of these brainstorming sessions, I always manage to learn something new, or better, find new questions to ask about the problem at hand.

WHAT ARE YOUR IMMEDIATE AND/OR LONG-TERM PLANS FOR THE FUTURE?

My immediate plans are to begin working as a web developer and to eventually pursue a master’s in human-computer interaction. My goal is to create a career where I can continue to learn and experiment with ideas regularly. In the long-term, I plan on going back to Europe to reconnect with my roots. I am originally from France and always wanted to return to live a part of my career there.

WHAT ARE YOUR FUTURE PLANS TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN OUR WORLD?

I am a strong believer that you can make a difference in the world at the local level. Opportunities for positive change exist all around us. I want to continue to improve my skills in software development and user experience. At the same time, I want to maintain a lifestyle where I can jump onto new opportunities to bring change in my community. I think this is my way for me to bring a difference in our world.

Read the original article at https://apsc.ubc.ca/spotlight/quentin-golsteyn

ECE PhD Candidate Awarded Prestigious Microsoft Research Grant

Farah Deeba, a fourth-year PhD candidate currently researching innovative techniques for monitoring placenta health in mothers, is now the recipient of the prestigious Microsoft Research Dissertation Grant, worth up to $25,000.

Through her research, Farah is exploring better ways of tracking placenta health; in an interview with Microsoft, she said “th e placenta, despite being the single most important factor responsible for a healthy baby and a healthy mother, remains neglected in pregnancy monitoring.” Farah continued, “As a woman, I feel a special connection to my research topic. I believe my research will promise health and security to every pregnant woman during this precious but vulnerable stage of life.” Her passion and dedication are imbued throughout her work and have facilitated her deep interest in the topic.

The funding will assist her in extending her research to a ‘point-of-care’ application for pregnancy monitoring, which means the monitoring can be done wherever the patient is being treated, outside of a lab. Farah additionally plans to use the grant to support travel to conferences, and to purchase GPUs to speed up the data analysis.

The Microsoft Research Dissertation Grant, founded in 2017, provides select doctoral students throughout North America with a grant worth up to $25,000 to support the completion of their research. In just its four-year lifespan, the award has only grown more competitive; this year, only 10 students were selected out of a pool of 230 deserving applicants, for an acceptance rate of just 4%. This year’s recipients came from numerous different intuitions, all with highly respected technical programs, including the likes of Carnegie Mellon, Stanford, and of course, UBC. Farah was the sole recipient from a Canadian institution.

Not only are the recipients presented with invaluable funding to support both tuition costs and their research, but they are also invited to participated in a career development summit this coming fall. Though it’ll be virtual this time around, Farah and her fellow cohort will have the chance to mix and match with other Microsoft Research award recipients, research scientists, and make key connections before pursuing life after the completion of their doctoral degree.

At UBC, Farah works as a research assistant with Professor Robert Rohling in the Robotics and Control Laboratory, focusing on developing techniques for enhanced disease detection and tissue characterization using ultrasound. Prior to coming to UBC, she completed her M.Sc. in Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Saskatchewan. She is also no stranger to research; throughout her time as a graduate student, she has authored/co-authored 21 peer-reviewed journals and international conference papers.

Congratulations on your great achievement Farah!

You can learn more about Farah, her research, and the Microsoft Research Dissertation Grant.