Principal Investigators

Space is inherently multi-disciplinary, requiring collaboration among scientists and engineers with a diversity of expertise. ISSET includes the following Principal Investigators:

• Dr. A. Amirfazli

  Department of Mechanical Engineering, Associate Professor and Canada Research Chair in Surface Engineering.

  Dr. Amirfazi conducts research in surface engineering and instrumentation, specifically on controlling solid surface properties such as wetting, surface charge, biocompatibility, and micro/nano topography in microgravity and simulated microgravity environments.

• Dr. P. Boulanger

  Department of Computing Science, Professor and iCORE Industrial Chair in Collaborative Virtual Environments.

  Dr. Boulanger develops shared virtual environments, advanced multi-point video conferencing, new display technologies, and video streaming that support advanced systems for scientific data visualization. Dr. Boulanger worked with Dr. R. Rankin to construct a 3-D visualization of geomagnetic field lines that were distorted by the action of the solar winds on the Earth's magnetosphere.

• Dr. R. Cavell

  Department of Chemistry, Professor Emeritus.

  Dr. Cavell has extensive experience with X-ray and particle beam analysis of materials. His recent research has concentrated on the development and application of microfocused synchrotron X-ray beams for the chemical and structural analysis of inhomogeneous materials, in particular meteorites. He was a member of the establishment team for the Canadian Light Source (CLS) and is presently responsible for constructing two X-ray microfocused beamlines at CLS, the HXMA and VESPERS microprobes. He is an affiliate of the Pacific Northwest Consortium (PNC/XOR, led by - UWashington with Simon Fraser Univ and PNNL, Hanford WA) beamline at the Advanced Photon Source (APS) which operates a microfocused beamline. Dr Cavell was also one of the applicants who established ACSES at the University of Alberta and a founding member of the Alberta Synchrotron Institute. Dr. R. Fedosejevs, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Professor.

• Dr. J. A. W. Elliott

  Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, Associate Professor, Canada Research Chair in Interfacial Thermodynamics

  Dr. Elliott’s research involves the application of thermodynamics (equilibrium and nonequilibrium, statistical and continuum) to develop theoretical descriptions of processes at interfaces in a diversity of areas. Dr. Elliott is involved in the ongoing development of the Statistical Rate Theory of interfacial transport, which she has applied to adsorption kinetics and surface diffusion (important steps in catalytic reactions and chemical sensing). In addition, Dr. Elliott and a graduate student have developed equations to describe ultrafiltration concentration polarization. In Dr. Elliott’s current research, thermodynamics is being used to understand 1) microgravity fluid behaviour of multiphase systems of interest to the oil sands industry and 2) cryobiology fundamentals. Cryobiology is the study of life at temperatures too low to support life, with a major application being the preservation of cells and tissues for transplant.

• Dr. R. Fedosejevs

  C.R. James/MPBT/NSERC Senior Industrial Research Chair in Laser and Spectroscopic Techniques and Scientific Director of the Canadian Institute for Photonic Innovations Network of Centre of Excellence.

  Dr. Fedosejevs is a co-investigator in the ORBITALS project led by Ian Mann in the Physics Department. Fedosejevs will develop a high-energy proton telescope instrument designed to measure the spectral and spatial distribution of protons with energies of 3 to 100MeV in the radiation belts surrounding the Earth. The instrument is being designed and developed in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Alberta and will be tested using high energy particle sources at the Advanced Laser Light Facility in Montreal and the TRIUMF facility in Vancouver.

• Dr. M. Heimpel

  Department of Physics, Associate Professor.

  Dr. Heimpel's research concerns planetary dynamics, specifically the geophysics of Mercury and the modeling of convection patterns on Jupiter and Saturn for planetary missions. His 3-D computer APPROVED by the University of Alberta Academic Planning Committee March 14, 2007 16 of 37 modeling work, applied to describe how Jupiter's atmospheric winds form that planet's distinctive bands, was published in Nature.

• Dr. C. Herd

  Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Associate Professor.

  Dr. Herd's research focuses on the geologic evolution of planetary bodies in the Solar System, with a particular emphasis on Mars, through application of micro- to nano-scale instrumentation to planetary samples, and simulation of conditions of formation using the High Temperature Planetary Petrology Lab. He is responsible for the Alberta Meteorite Collection, Canada's second-largest meteorite collection, and is the PI for a landed Mars instrument concept study with MacDonald Detwiler and Associates Space Missions. Dr. Herd holds a Visiting Scientist position with the Lunar and Planetary Institute in Houston, Texas.

• Dr. W. Jaeger

  Department of Chemistry, Professor.

  Dr. Jaeger, a 2002 Steacie Fellow, has established a new Laboratory for Laser Spectropscopy and Atmospheric Sensing, in collaboration with Dr. Tulip (Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering), a specialist in laser research and instrumentation development for medical and environmental applications. This team has won a competition to submit a proposal to NASA for a Scout Mission to Mars for a viable scientific plan for the mission and prototype development for the scientific instrumentation, focused on a trace gas sensor for H2O, CH4, and CO4 for the Martian atmosphere.

• Dr. M. Jagersand

  Department of Computing Science, Associate Professor.

  Dr. Jagersand develops adaptive sensory control methods that allow robots to perform fine-grained object manipulation and grasping. He develops visual-motor modules for planning and control, which are particularly well suited for space environments and remote robotic systems.

• Dr. C. F. Lange

  Department of Mechanical Engineering. Associate Professor.

  Dr Lange's research program focuses on several aspects of the Phoenix Mars Lander, including the concept, preliminary design, and numerical characterization of instrumentation for image-based measurement of wind speed and direction; the study of wind effects on water vapour transport within the Martian atmosphere; the numerical and experimental study of dust devils on mars and their impact on the Phoenix Lander; and instrumentation for meteorological data.

• Dr. I. R. Mann

  Department of Physics. Professor and Canada Research Chair in Space Physics.

  Dr. Mann's research focuses on understanding solar-terrestrial coupling, specifically the excitation of global scale waves in near-Earth space, the aurora, and understanding the dynamics of the Van Allen radiation belts.

• Dr. B. Rivard

  Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Associate Professor, Associate Chair (Research)

  Dr. Rivard is a geologist with particular interest in the development of applied geological remote sensing. Remote sensing can be used to investigate processes that have modified planetary surfaces over wide ranging spatial and temporal scales. These modifications are represented in the material properties of the surface (mineralogy, composition, texture, physical state). The measurements of reflected and emitted radiation in the laboratory, the field, or from airborne or spaceborne platforms carry fundamental information about the material properties.

• Dr. Y. Y. Tsui

  Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Professor, Associate Chair (Graduate Studies)

  Dr. Tsui's research program aims to unfold the many details in laser matter interactions and also to develop useful applications that could benefit Mankind. A comprehensive set of diagnostic and modeling capabilities to probe and to analyze the very complex, fast evolving and interrelating phenomena in laser matter interactions are being developed. Many of these diagnostics and models are being applied to a wide range of fields.