Team Members

Principal Investigator

S. Andrew Gadsden

Andrew is a Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at McMaster University and Director of the Intelligent and Cognitive Engineering (ICE) Laboratory. He also serves as Associate Chair (Graduate Studies) and is a licensed Professional Engineer of Ontario (PEng) and certified Project Management Professional (PMP). Andrew received his PhD in Mechanical Engineering from McMaster University in the area of estimation theory and mechatronics. Currently, his research focuses on artificial intelligence, cognitive and smart systems, estimation and control theory, machine learning, and mechatronics, with applications spanning robotics, autonomous and space systems, smart manufacturing, energy systems, and healthcare technologies. He has authored more than 350 peer-reviewed publications (achieving over 8,000 citations), and has supervised more than 110 undergraduate, graduate, postdoctoral, and research staff trainees. Andrew has secured approximately $20 million in competitive research funding from government and industry partners, including NSERC, NASA, MDA Space, Mitacs, Ford Motor Company, Adastra Corporation, and Virox Technologies (to name a few). He is a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, a Senior Member of IEEE, and serves as an Associate Editor for leading international journals.

Research Faculty, Associates, and Engineers (9)

Faraz Alderson, Adjunct Faculty

Faraz is an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at McMaster University and serves as Chief Science Officer and Executive Vice President at Virox Technologies Inc., a leading Canadian company specializing in antimicrobial and disinfectant technologies. His research and professional work span chemical antimicrobials and antiseptics, green electrochemical fuel cells, structural biochemistry, solid-state chemistry, and mechanical engineering. Faraz holds a bachelor’s degree in Life Sciences and Biochemistry, a PhD in Mechanical Engineering, and a graduate certificate in International Business, complemented by executive and leadership training programs. He is a Member of the Royal Society of Chemistry (MRSC). At Virox, he oversees multiple technical and strategic departments and is a serial inventor of novel antimicrobial systems.

Naseem Alsadi, Research Associate

Naseem is a Research Associate and specializes in intelligent and decentralized systems at the intersection of AI, control theory, and distributed computation. He completed his PhD at McMaster University in the ICE Laboratory and was a recipient of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Postgraduate Scholarship (PGS-D) and the Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS). His PhD thesis focused on probabilistic state estimation, adaptive Kalman filtering, and blockchain-enabled trust mechanisms for smart systems. Currently, as a Senior Data Scientist at Adastra Corporation, he specializes in generative AI and works with major industry leaders in the manufacturing and healthcare sectors.

Quade Butler, Research Associate

Quade is a Research Associate specializing in nonlinear state estimation, stochastic filtering, and signal processing for complex dynamical systems. His work focuses on the development and analysis of advanced Gaussian filtering methods, including double exponential cubature-based filters, with applications to condition monitoring and fault detection in electromechanical systems. He holds a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from McMaster University and received the Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) during his studies. His research combines rigorous theoretical analysis with experimental validation, emphasizing numerical stability, robustness, and computational efficiency. He is interested in advancing practical, high-performance estimation algorithms for real-world sensing and monitoring applications.

David Ciampini, Adjunct Faculty

David is a mechanical engineer and researcher with over 15 years of experience across academia, aerospace, and defense. He holds a PhD, MASc, and BASc in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Toronto. His doctoral and postdoctoral research focused on modeling surface finishing and material removal processes involving granular media, pioneering cellular automata and particle-tracking models for abrasive jet micromachining and vibratory finishing. His work advanced understanding of stochastic particle–surface interactions, erosion mechanisms, and process control. In industry, he has contributed to EO/IR and radar-based stabilization platforms, multi-DOF control systems, and plant modeling using FEA, dynamic simulation, and MATLAB/Simulink. He is currently with MDA Space’s Guidance, Navigation, and Control Department focusing on dynamic system modeling and control for space applications.

Alessandro Giuliano, Research Associate

Alessandro is a Machine Learning Engineer at Autodesk in Toronto, specializing in applying advanced machine learning and AI techniques to real-world problems. He holds a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from McMaster University, where his research focused on developing innovative machine learning models, including applications of variational autoencoders and transformer-based methods for heterogeneous data integration, remote sensing, and anomaly detection. His work bridges theoretical research and practical implementation, drawing on extensive experience in neural networks, pattern recognition, and data-driven systems. Alessandro is passionate about robotics, AI, and creating intelligent solutions that improve performance and efficiency across complex engineering domains.

Abolfazl Rahimnejad, Research Associate

Abolfazl is an R&D Engineer at Sander Elektronik AG, Switzerland, where he develops intelligent emergency lighting systems and conducts fault diagnosis and root-cause analysis within after-sales engineering. Previously, he was a Postdoctoral Fellow at the TCDT Lab in collaboration with the RIZE Lab under a Mitacs Fellowship, focusing on schema-agnostic federated learning using encoder-based and transformer architectures. He also holds a Research Associate at McMaster University’s ICE Laboratory, working on data-driven state estimation, safe reinforcement learning, and robust optimization for smart-grid applications. Abolfazl holds a PhD in Engineering Systems and Computing and has published widely on smart systems, machine learning, and cyber-physical systems.

Brett Sicard, Lab Manager

Brett is pursuing a PhD degree in the Intelligent and Cognitive Engineering (ICE) Laboratory at McMaster University. He completed his Master of Applied Science in Mechanical Engineering at McMaster University in 2023 and a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering with a specialization in mechatronic engineering at the University of Guelph in 2019. He is a three-time Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) winner and was awarded the John H.T. Wade award for the top mechanical engineering MASc thesis. Brett’s research is focused on hybrid physics-based and data-driven modeling for condition monitoring with applications to machine tools and aerospace systems. In addition, Brett is a Sessional Instructor at McMaster university where he has taught Robotics (MECHENG 4K03) and Mechanical Engineering Design Elements (MECHENG 2DA3). He is the ICE Lab Manager and is responsible for equipment and supplies acquisition, student training, data management, and day-to-day operations. Brett also has industry experience where he worked as an engineering designer at Jaylor Fabrication and a manufacturing engineer at Skyjack.

John Yawney, Adjunct Faculty

John is an Adjunct Associate Professor with a professional focus on applied analytics, artificial intelligence, and data-driven decision-making. He also serves as Chief Analytics Officer at Adastra Corporation, where he leads the North American AI practice and global AI competency centers. He advises organizations on the effective and responsible use of analytics and AI to support strategic outcomes. His experience spans analytical solution design, AI deployment at scale, and AI leadership, grounded in a strong foundation in applied mathematics, statistical reasoning, and computational thinking. Across both academic and industry settings, John is particularly interested in translating complex analytical methods into practical, trustworthy insights, and in mentoring teams to build sustainable analytical and AI capabilities.

Youssef Ziada, Adjunct Faculty

Youssef is a senior engineering and operations leader at Ford Motor Company, where he oversees large-scale industrial execution for advanced manufacturing and gigafactory programs across North America. He leads multidisciplinary teams responsible for complex capital projects exceeding $1 billion, with a focus on industrialization strategy, capital efficiency, and joint-venture integration. His expertise spans manufacturing systems, program execution, and cross-functional leadership in high-throughput production environments. Youssef combines deep technical knowledge with strategic oversight to drive operational excellence, accelerate production readiness, and scale next-generation manufacturing platforms. He holds a Ph.D. and brings extensive experience bridging engineering rigor with enterprise-level execution in the automotive and advanced manufacturing sectors.

PhD Candidates and Students (11)

Emery Guo, PhD Student

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Jacob Hendriks, PhD Student

Waleed Hilal, PhD Candidate

Waleed is a PhD candidate in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at McMaster University and a member of the Intelligent and Cognitive Engineering (ICE) Laboratory. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Guelph, with a focus on advanced mechatronics and sustainable energy systems. His research interests lie at the intersection of estimation theory, machine learning, and artificial intelligence, with a particular emphasis on anomaly and fault detection, cognitive dynamic systems, and data-driven state estimation. His work focuses on developing robust learning-based methods for intelligent monitoring and decision-making in complex engineered systems. In parallel with his academic research, Waleed collaborates on applied research initiatives with industry partners. He currently serves as Head of US AI Presales at Adastra Corporation, where he leads the design and evaluation of advanced AI and analytics solutions across multiple industries. He has also contributed to public-sector research through the Ontario Health Data Platform, supporting large-scale data analytics related to COVID-19 trends in Ontario.

Sadben Khan, PhD Student

Sadben is pursuing a PhD degree with the Intelligent and Cognitive Engineering (ICE) Laboratory at McMaster University. He is currently the structural analyst at MDA Space for the end-effector of the Canadarm 3 as part of Canada’s contribution to the Artemis program. Previously to MDA, Sadben completed his Bachelors and Masters of Applied Science in Aerospace Engineering at TMU (formerly known as Ryerson University). His research is focused on adding complex structural phenomena related to thermo-elastic distortion to real time motion controllers used by space manipulators.

Nishanth Kulkarni, PhD Student

Alex McCafferty-Leroux, PhD Candidate

Alex is currently pursuing a PhD in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at McMaster University with the Intelligent and Cognitive Engineering (ICE) lab. He earned his bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering (with Distinction) from Carleton University in 2022, specializing in robotics and control. Alex’s research is focused in the area of intelligent and adaptive control with applications to aerospace robotics and spacecraft. Alex has held the Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) for the past two years, and has received several awards for teaching assistant excellence from the department. He is also the robotics specialist on the air-LUSI project, which is an inter-agency collaboration between NASA, NIST, USGS, UMBC and McMaster University.

Brett Sicard, PhD Candidate

Piotr (Peter) Wiatr, PhD Student

Connor Wilkinson, PhD Candidate

Connor received his bachelor’s degree in Applied Mathematics Engineering from Queen’s University (Ontario, Canada) with a dual focus on Mechanical Engineering, winning the Ralph and Nellie Jeffery Scholarship. He is currently pursuing a PhD in Mechanical Engineering and Artificial Intelligence at McMaster University with a keen focus in Explainable Artificial Intelligence. Connor’s research interests include machine learning techniques, explainable AI, and cognitive dynamic systems. Connor is also a full-time employee at Adastra Corporation (Toronto, Ontario) where he acts as a Principal Data Scientist and Resource Manager, managing a team of five intermediate-to-senior data scientists and scoping, designing and delivering advanced AI solutions for a myriad of industrial applications.

Yuandi (Eddy) Wu, PhD Student

Eddy is a PhD student with a background in mechanical engineering and applied machine learning. He completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Toronto and his master’s degree in the Intelligent and Cognitive Engineering (ICE) Laboratory at McMaster University. His research focuses on data-driven modelling of dynamical systems, with emphasis on physics-informed machine learning as a means of embedding physical constraints and structure into learning-based models. This has extended to neural implementations of operators and operator-theoretic approaches for representing system evolution and uncertainty. His work targets condition monitoring, virtual sensing, and surrogate modelling for engineered systems where sensing, modelling fidelity, and computational cost are limiting factors.

Kevin Dong, PhD Student (Guelph)

Kevin Dong is the Senior Mechatronics Engineering Laboratory Coordinator in the College of Engineering at the University of Guelph, where he supports senior‑level courses across mechanical, electrical, and computer engineering, helping students bridge theory with hands‑on practice. A graduate of the University of Guelph with an MSc in Engineering Systems & Computing, Kevin spent several years in industrial automation before returning to the College in 2016. In addition to his full-time duties, he is pursuing a PhD (part-time) at the University of Guelph in the area of aerial robots and was recognized with the Dean’s Award of Distinction for his contributions to education and student development.

MASc Students (10)

Raveen Appuhamy, MASc Student

Raveen is a Master of Applied Science (MASc) student in Mechanical Engineering at McMaster University, where he also completed his undergraduate degree. His research specializes in electrochemical energy systems, with a focus on electrolyte testing for hydrogen peroxide fuel cells. He aims to optimize the performance of the dual-compartment cell and advance the capabilities of this sustainable energy technology. He also utilized his mechanical engineering skills with the ICE Lab for other projects, employing additive manufacturing techniques, including FDM and Resin 3D printing, advanced design techniques, as well as subtractive manufacturing methods with machining.

Shawn Braley, MASc Student

Teaken Brazeau, MASc Student

Obayed Elsayed, MASc Student

Obayed is an MASc student at McMaster University with a background in electrical engineering and machine learning. He completed his undergraduate studies in Electrical Engineering at McMaster University, graduating with honors. His research is aimed at Explainable Artificial Intelligence, with focus on mechanistic interpretability methods for modern machine learning models. The current project is directed toward layerwise interpretability and layer contribution in transformer architectures, aiming to understand how representations or semantics change across layers and how individual layers, neurons or other components contribute to overall model behavior and performance. This work helps clarify how deep learning models function internally and how their behavior can be better understood and assessed.

Zoe Carter, MASc Student

Thomas French, MASc Student

Thomas is an MASc student in the Intelligent and Cognitive Engineering (ICE) Laboratory at McMaster University. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering with a specialization in smart systems in 2024. His research focuses on the development of estimation theory and machine learning-based fault detection algorithms for robotic manipulators in space applications. He has also worked on the design and construction of an in-lab 7-degree-of-freedom robotic arm used as an experimental testbed. Thomas is experienced in various manufacturing techniques including welding, milling, turning (manual and CNC), and additive methods like 3D printing. Thomas is also a 2025-2026 Ontario Graduate Scholarship winner.

Nicholas Grzelak, MASc Student

Nicholas graduated from McMaster University with a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and Management in 2024 with a specialization in smart systems. He is currently pursuing a MASc in Mechanical Engineering at the Intelligent and Cognitive Engineering (ICE) Laboratory. Working with Genome Canada, he is exploring Self Driving Labs (SDLs) to advance cultivated meat research. He has designed and manufactured a robotic platform suitable for autonomously passaging cells. In his work he has investigated AI to aid in data acquisition and control. Since 2025, he leads a team consisting of volunteers and undergraduate researchers in this pursuit.

Patrick Kosierb, MASc Student

Patrick received a bachelor’s degree in Mechatronics Engineering from McMaster University in 2024. Patrick is working towards a MASc in Mechanical Engineering at McMaster University with a research focus on applied estimation theory, virtual sensor development, and robotic manipulator design at the Intelligent and Cognitive Engineering (ICE) Laboratory. In addition to virtual sensing, Patrick is responsible for designing and manufacturing a 7 degree-of-freedom robotic manipulator experimental setup to house various experiments and data collection for AI research. His research area is focused on supporting the development of advanced spaced-based robotic systems.

Ethan Nabuurs, MASc Student

Kalle Stewart, MASc Student

Alumni Graduate Students (42)

Quade Butler, PhD (2025)
Naseem Alsadi, PhD (2025)
Alessandro Giuliano, PhD (2025)
Hung Yi (Steven) Chiang, MASc (2024)
Yuandi (Eddy) Wu, MASc (2024)
Tao Yan, PhD (2024)
Brett Sicard, MASc (2023)
Faraz A. Alderson, PhD (2023)
Zhe Xu, PhD (2023)
Abolfazl Rahimnejad, PhD (2022)
Richard Bustos, PhD (2022)
Uygar Yeprem, MASc (2022)
Cesar Wen Zhu, MASc (2022)
Tyler Jamieson, MASc (2022)
Brian Nguyen, MASc (2022)
Joseph Lee, MASc+AI (2022)
Onur Surucu, MASc+AI (2022)
Andrei Buin, PhD (2021)
Andrew Lee, PhD (2021)
Elyse Hill, PhD (2021)
Andrew Newton, MASc (2021)
Alexander (Sasha) Moksyakov, MASc+AI (2020)
Mohammad Ali Lordifar, MASc (2020)
Grant (Toby) Hall, MASc (2020)
Freeman Mak, MASc (2019)
Jacob Goodman, PhD (2019)
Insuck Baek, PhD (2019)
Stefano Rossi, MASc (2019)
Bowen Xu, MASc (2019)
Andrew Cataford, MASc (2018)
Jinho Kim, PhD (2018)
Richard Bustos, MASc (2018)
Jarod Horn, MASc (2018)
Andrew Lee, MASc (2017)
Brian Schwarz, MASc (2017)
Chris Gunther, MASc (2017)
Kevin Chang, MASc (2017)
Kurtis Boulter, MASc (2017)
Neal Smith, MASc (2017)
Stephanie Bonadies, MASc (2016)
Tarush Lall, MASc (2016)
Ross Kistler, MASc (2015)

Undergraduate Student Researchers (55)

Jake Koffman (2026)
Nandika Rayaroth (2026)
Kiran Suresh (2026)
Yuyue (Jack) Zhou (2026)
Teaken Brazeau (2026 & 2025)
Jamie Ha (2026 & 2025)
Emelia Pringle (2026 & 2025)
Himanshu Singh (2026 & 2025)
Evan Budz (2025)
Andrew Chai (2025)
Sakshi Chaudhari (2025)
Mahum Khawaja (2025)
Yusra Liverakos (2025)
Laura No (2025)
Connor Stronks (2025)
Daniel Benaich (2025 & 2024)
Ansh Bhargava (2025 & 2024)
Derron Li (2025 & 2024)
Conor O’Reilly Juarez (2024)
Omar Wehbe (2024)
Sepehr Makarian Abdolahi (2024 – 2022)
Patrick Kosierb (2024 – 2022)
Conling Tang (2023)
Jadyn Powell (2023 & 2022)
Alessandro Giuliano (2021)
Emma Hoover (2021, 2019)
Paige Phillips (2021 & 2020)
Uygar Yeprem (2021)
Steven Yang (2021 – 2018)
Joel Deen (2020)
Tia Shin Fat (Darren) Chay Loong (2020)
Liam Easterbrook (2019)
Andrew Newton (2019 & 2018)
Brian Nguyen (2019 & 2018)
Kye Morris-Takamoto (2019 & 2018)
Tony Habib (2019)
Owen Botelho (2018)
Vaishnavi Kotha (2018)
Justin Joseph (2017)
Elyse Hill (2017)
Matthew Riediger (2017)
Haniyah Saleh (2017)
Benjamin Cordell (2016)
Jennifer Coninglio (2016)
David Hanlon (2016)
Emily Duan (2016)
Hannah Corcos (2016)
Nathan Niewoehner (2016)
Julianna Posey (2016)
Michael Roberts (2016)
Tess Wootton-Klebanoff (2016)
Stephen Zidek (2016)
Corey Ayres (2015)
Cory Nettleton (2015)
Myela Paige (2015)