Postdoctoral Fellow
Dr. Sherif Ismail
Postdoctoral Fellow, September 2023-Present
Education: Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering, Egypt-Japan University of Science and Technology, 2019
Dr. Sherif Ismail is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Alberta, with a strong academic foundation, holding a Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering. With extensive experience in industry collaboration, Dr. Ismail’s research focuses on sustainable solutions for converting waste into valuable resources, such as biofuels, and advancing the treatment of emerging pollutants in wastewater. He has made significant progress in optimizing processes like hydrothermal liquefaction and anaerobic digestion to enhance biogas production and resource recovery. His work on nitrogen biotransformation, including Anammox and Dissimilatory Nitrate Reduction to Ammonium (DNRA), has contributed to improving nutrient removal efficiency in wastewater treatment systems. Dr. Ismail’s research aims to develop energy-efficient and sustainable strategies to address today’s pressing environmental challenges.
Dr. Alsayed Mostafa
Postdoctoral Fellow, July 2023-Present
Education: Ph.D. in Smart-city Engineering, Inha University, South Korea, 2022
After earning his PhD degree from Inha University in South Korea, Alsayed held three postdoctoral positions in South Korea, USA, and Canada. His current research focuses on advancing thermal hydrolysis pretreatment of waste materials as well as improving anaerobic digestion/fermentation processes using micro-/nano-sized gas bubbles. Leveraging his multidisciplinary background in chemistry and engineering, Alsayed has significant contributions across several research areas, including microbial electrochemical technologies, biogas upgrading, emerging pollutants-containing wastewater treatment, recovery of nutrients from leachate/sludge, reducing greenhouse gas emissions from waste materials and green synthesis of nanoparticles for enhancing methane, hydrogen, and biochar production from waste materials.
Dr. Simran Kaur Dhillon
Postdoctoral Fellow, September 2023-Present
Education: Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, India, 2023
Dr Simran Kaur Dhillon is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Alberta. Her current research focuses on developing biosensors for environmental remediation and real-time monitoring. Her expertise spans the intersection of material science, electrochemistry, microbiology, and chemical engineering, with a particular emphasis on creating sustainable, emission-free systems for bioenergy, bioremediation, and monitoring applications based on Microbial Electrochemical Technologies (METs). Her research is centered on developing electrocatalytically active materials for bioenergy, biofuels, resource recovery, and biosensing solutions, evaluated using advanced electrochemical techniques.
Dr. Anqi Mou
Postdoctoral Fellow, December 2024-Present
Education: Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Canada, 2024
M.Sc. in Environmental Engineering, Nankai University, China, 2019
B.Sc. in Environmental Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, China, 2016
Dr. Anqi Mou is a Postdoctoral Fellow specializing in optimizing anaerobic digestion processes to maximize energy recovery from high-strength waste and wastewater, including waste activated sludge, blackwater, food waste, and distillery wastewater. By applying pretreatments, co-digestion strategies, anaerobic granular sludge, and modified granular activated carbon (GAC)-amended up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) systems, she addresses critical challenges in waste and wastewater treatment. Her research interest focuses on sludge minimization, phosphorus recovery, and resource sustainability. Dr. Mou has also collaborated with the City of Edmonton to develop sustainable waste management solutions for parks. Her work not only provides valuable insights for academic research, but also has the potential to advance environmental engineering practices, promoting a more sustainable and energy-efficient future.
Graduate Students
Tae Chung
Ph.D. Student, Winter 2021-Present
Education: M.Sc. in Environmental Engineering, 2021
B.Sc. in Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, 2018
Awards: Izaak Walton Killam Memorial Scholarship, Alexander Graham Bell Canada Graduate Scholarship-Doctoral (CGS D), Alberta Innovates Graduate Scholarship, ConocoPhillips Canada Limited Graduate Scholarship in Hydrocarbon Development
Calvin is diving deep into some cutting-edge research for his dissertation. He’s currently focused on converting carbon dioxide into biomethane and enhancing biogas upgrading processes using microbial electrosynthesis systems. He’s also making strides in developing bioelectrochemical sensors to detect naphthenic acids in oil sands process water in Alberta. His hard work hasn’t gone unnoticed; he has received numerous prestigious awards, including the Izaak Killam Memorial Graduate Scholarship, the NSERC Alexander Graham Bell Canada Graduate Scholarship, AIGSS, and the ConocoPhillips Canada Limited Graduate Scholarship in Hydrocarbon Development. When he’s not busy in the lab, Calvin enjoys spending time with his two lovely dogs, Cookie and Cocoa, hitting the tennis courts, and expanding his TCG collections.
Monisha Alam
Ph.D. Student, Fall 2021-Present
Education: M.Sc. in Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, 2017
B.Sc. in Civil Engineering, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, 2012
Awards/Scholarships: Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) Postgraduate Scholarship, President’s Doctoral Prize of Distinction, Westmoreland Coal Company Graduate Scholarship in Environmental Engineering, Petro-Canada Graduate Scholarship
Monisha Alam is a PhD student at the University of Alberta specializing in pioneering waste-to-energy research. Her current research focuses on anaerobic fermentation of wastewater sludge to produce renewable energy and value-added products. With an MSc in environmental engineering from the same university, Monisha has earned numerous prestigious scholarships at the federal, provincial, and institutional levels in recognition of her academic and research excellence. She is driven by a commitment to addressing global climate challenges through innovative approaches that reduce waste and generate clean energy. In her downtime, she enjoys exploring nature, traveling, and spending time with her son.
Romana Saila
Ph.D. Student, Fall 2022-Present
Education: M.Eng. in Water Resources, University of Alberta
Award/Scholarship: Westmoreland Coal Company Graduate Scholarship in Environmental Engineering
Romana Saila is a PhD student in Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Alberta. Her research focuses on the production of volatile fatty acids (VFAs) from sludge fermentation, exploring their potential as an alternative carbon source for the biological nutrient removal (BNR) process, with a specific focus on optimizing fermentation processes in the context of Canadian climate conditions. Romana’s work investigates the impact of microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) on sludge fermentation, with particular attention to antibiotic resistance gene (ARG) proliferation. Her research contributes to the field of sustainable waste-to-energy solutions and environmental protection.
Yadong Fan
Ph.D. Candidate (Co-supervised with Dr. Dominic Sauvageau)
Education: M.Sc., Environmental Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, China
Sami Khaskheli
Ph.D. Student, Spring 2023-Present
Education: MS in Environmental Engineering from the US Pakistan Center of Advance Studies in Water (USPCASW), Mehran UET Jamshoro, Pakistan; B. E in Mechanical Engineering from Mehran University of Engineering & Technology Jamshoro, Pakistan.
Award: Higher Education Commission (HEC) Pakistan Overseas Scholarship, The University of Alberta Graduate Recruitment Scholarship.
Sami Khaskheli is a PhD student in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Alberta. His research focuses on anaerobic digestion, converting organic waste and high-strength wastewater into biomethane, particularly upgrading biomethane to renewable natural gas (RNG) through microaeration for sustainable applications. He is also collaborating on high-solid anaerobic digestion (HSAD) projects, investigating the impact of seasonal variations. In alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Sami’s research aims to contribute to producing clean, affordable energy while addressing critical waste management challenges. His goal is to advance sustainable waste-to-energy solutions that promote environmental protection. Sami has been awarded the University of Alberta Graduate Recruitment Scholarship and the Higher Education Commission (HEC) Pakistan Overseas Scholarship.
Anindya Amal Chakrabarty
M.Sc. Student, Environmental Engineering, Winter 2023-Present
Education: B.Sc. in Civil Engineering, Khulna University of Engineering & Technology, Bangladesh.
Anindya Amal Chakrabarty is currently pursuing a Master’s degree, focusing on Anaerobic Digestion (AD) as part of his research. His main research focus is exploring the seasonal variation of Source-Separated Organics (SSO) and its impact on AD processes. His work delves into how changes in organic waste composition across different seasons influence the efficiency of AD, contributing to more effective waste-to-energy solutions. With a deep interest in sustainable energy and environmental preservation, Anindya aims to optimize AD technology for enhanced biogas production and resource recovery. His research is dedicated to advancing renewable energy technologies and fostering sustainable waste management practices.
Samruddhi Shekhar Sali
M. Eng. Student, Environmental Engineering, Fall 2024-Present
Samruddhi Shekhar Sali is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering. As she approaches the final semester of her studies, she is focused on advancing her capstone project, which centers on Anaerobic Digestion (AD). Her research explores innovative methods to enhance methane production in high-solids anaerobic digestion (HSAD) by utilizing nanobubbles. With a strong interest in sustainable waste-to-energy technologies, Samruddhi aims to optimize HSAD processes for improved biogas generation, contributing to renewable energy solutions and sustainable waste management practices.
Research Assistant
Parisa Niknejad
Research Assistant, October 2023-Present
Education: MSc, Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta
Parisa holds an M.Sc. in Environmental Engineering from the University of Alberta and currently works as a Research Assistant. Her research focuses on sustainable solutions in solid waste management, water and wastewater treatment, and waste-to-energy. She has published in high-impact journals, presented at international conferences, and received the Chevron Graduate Scholarship. Since 2021, she has developed advanced methods for waste management and collaborated with EPCOR and the City of Edmonton. Her goal is to contribute to sustainable practices and technologies in environmental engineering through innovative research and practical applications.