Principal Investigator
Postdoctoral Researchers
Kevin Kung
Ph.D., Chemical Engineering, MIT, started 2021
Biomass-Based Carbon Removal Processes Through Machine Learning
PhD Students
Mohammad Aliahmadi
Ph.D. student, started 2021 (Co-advised with Shahabaddine Sokhansanj)
Optimization of Biomass Supply Chains
Jason Zhao
Ph.D. student, started 2025 (Co-advised with Bhushan Gopaluni)
Machine Learning-based Control
Marcus Zhong
Ph.D. student, started 2025 (Co-advised with Chester Upham)
Machine Learning for Catalyst Design
Master Students
Jeff MacDonald
M.Sc. student, started 2023 (Co-advised with Shahabaddine Sokhansanj)
Biomass-Based Carbon Removal Processes
Undergraduate Students
Alumni
Former students, researchers and visitors in the SOLID Lab
| Name | Degree | Current Status | Project | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | ||||
 | Jingyi Wang | Ph.D. (2020–2025) | Control Engineering at AIMS | Automatic Digital Twin Development: Sparse Nonlinear Identification Approaches |
| 2024 | ||||
| Vijay Pediredla | Postdoc (2022–2024) | AI Scientist at Alberta Newsprint Company | Machine Learning for Pulping |
| Liang Cao | Ph.D. (2019–2024) | Postdoc at MIT | Interpretable and Stable Soft Sensor Modeling for Industrial Applications |
| Yixiu Wang | Ph.D. (2019–2024) | AI Scientist at BYD Auto | Data-driven Degradation Modelling of Lithium-ion Batteries |
| Sirui Zhao | Visiting Ph.D. (2023–2024) | In progress at China University of Petroleum (Beijing) | Optimization of Natural Gas Pipeline Systems |
| Pengcheng Guo | Visiting Ph.D. (2023–2024) | Assistant Professor at Northwest A&F University | Semi-supervised Learning |
| 2023 | ||||
| Kaixun Hua | Postdoc (2020–2023) | Assistant Professor at South Florida University | Global Optimal Clustering and Decision Trees |
| Yan Yu | Postdoc (2023) | Research Associate at Oak Ridge National Laboratory | Biomass Pretreatment and Pyrolysis |
| Ahmed Al-Shafei | Visiting Ph.D. (2023) | In progress at the University of Calgary | Future Power System |
| Morimasa Okamoto | M.Sc. (2021–2023) | AI Researcher at Tokyo Gas Co. Ltd | Deep Learning-based Approximation of Model Predictive Control Using Mixture Network |
| 2022 | ||||
| Yun Li | Ph.D. (2020–2022) | Transfer to Tu Delft because of visa issue | Deep Learning-based Model Predictive Control |
| Chengjie Li | Visiting Ph.D. (2021–2022) | Associate Professor at South China Agricultural University | Control of Industrial-scale Grain Drying Process |
| Luo Zhao | Visiting Ph.D. (2021–2022) | Scientist at the 41st Institute of China Electronics Technology Group Corporation | Microgrid Optimization |
| Yutian Xu | Visiting Ph.D. (2021–2022) | Postdoc at Harbin Institute of Technology | Control of Nonlinear Systems |
| Mingfei Shi (Math) | M.Sc. (2020–2022) | Algorithm Engineer at Alibaba | Global Optimization of Clustering Problems |
| Ningyuan Xu | Undergraduate (2021–2022) | MSc student at the University of British Columbia | Brain & Behavior Prediction using GAN and Transformer |
| Sandy Luo | Undergraduate (2021–2022) | Master Student at Brown University | Transfer Learning for Battery Life Prediction |
| Gregory Li | Undergraduate (2021–2022) | Ph.D. student at the University of British Columbia | Hybrid Models for Bioenergy |
| Shraman Pal | Undergraduate (2022) | Ph.D. Student at Purdue University | Brain & Behavior Prediction using GAN and Transformer |
| Abhishek Ramesh Gopalan | Undergraduate (2022) | Business Analyst at Cavin Kares | Deep-learning-based Control of Industrial-scale Grain Drying Process |
| Manika Jain | Undergraduate (2022) | Software Engineer at JPMorgan Chase | Deep Learning-based Scheduling |
| 2021 | ||||
| Mahdi Mehrtash | Postdoc (2020–2021) | Assistant Professor at University of Nevada, Reno | Global Optimization of Power Systems |
| Mengqi Fang | Postdoc (2020–2021) | Machine Learning Scientist at Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute | Machine Learning and Process Monitoring |
| Qian Chen | Visiting Ph.D. (2020–2021) | Assistant Professor at Yangtze University | Optimization of Gas Pipeline Networks |
| Rana Barghout | Undergraduate (2020–2021) | Ph.D. student at the University of Toronto | Hybrid Models for Biorefining |
| 2020 | ||||
| Qinyu Zhu | M.Eng. (2020) | Software Engineer at Amazon | Modelling of Epidemics Trend of COVID-19 in British Columbia with Public Health Controls |
| Ying Xiong | Postdoc (2019–2020) | Data Scientist at the Boeing Company | Machine Learning for Pulping |
| Abhishek Lekhi | Undergraduate (2019–2020) | MSc student at Georgia Institute of Technology | State of Health Estimation for Battery Systems |
| Riley Ballachay | Undergraduate (2019–2020) | Data Scientists | Machine Learning for Biorefining |
| 2019 | ||||
| Edward Wang | Undergraduate (2018–2019) | MD/Ph.D. student at Western University | Machine Learning for Biorefining |
| Gengpei Cai | Undergraduate (2019) | Ph.D. student at the University of British Columbia | Machine Learning for Biorefining |
| Yifan Lu | Undergraduate (2019) | Ph.D. student at the University of Wisconsin Madison | Deep Learning-Based Optimization of Battery Systems |
| Kenneth Febian | Undergraduate (2019) | Process Engineer at Wood | Deep Learning-Based Optimization of Battery Systems |