Research, Design and Innovation Domain Area Committee

Rafik Goubran – Vice President (Research and International), Carleton University

Rafik Goubran knows that somewhat simple engineering solutions can have a big impact on people’s well-being. He is a leading researcher in sensors and data analytics related to the design of smart homes for independent living. He also studies ambient-based patient monitoring, pressure-sensitive mats, vital sign monitoring and microphone arrays. In short, he is helping to create environments that support an aging population. The learnings can support people with disabilities as well.

Rafik was appointed Vice-President (Research and International) at Carleton University in July 2017. Prior to this, he served as the dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Design for more than a decade. He has supervised more than 95 graduate students. And since 2004, he has co-authored 10 patents, 50 refereed journal papers, and 200 conference papers. Rafik completed a Bachelor of Science in electronics and communications engineering, and a Master of Science degree in electrical engineering at Cairo University in Egypt. He earned his Ph.D. at Carleton.

At the heart of his work is collaboration. “We need to take time to understand the problem. We need the right people in the room, including researchers from multiple disciplines, partners, and, most importantly, those with lived experience to advise and test the systems. This kind of synergy is more than the sum of its parts.”

Rafik is CAN’s Committee Chair for the Research, Design and Innovation Domain. It will explore solutions and opportunities related the design of spaces, technologies, products, and transportation. “We don’t want to come up with solutions to problems that don’t exist. We want to come up with feasible solutions that are win-wins.”

Rafik’s motto: Make a difference for others – and for society.

Varun Chandak – Founder & President, Access to Success Organization

“Just keep swimming!” – Dory

Varun is the Founder and President of Access to Success, a Toronto-based not-for-profit that supports the development of assistive tech and future leaders with disabilities. Varun has led a series of firsts at Access to Success, including the world’s first MBA conference and case competition on inclusive design, world’s first survey on the state of disability inclusion in business schools, and Canada’s first bootcamp for accessibility startups. He is now leading the launch of Canada’s first accelerator for accessibility startups. Varun holds an MBA from the Rotman School of Management and is a Chartered Accountant (India).

Varun believes in the power of collaboration, and CAN embodies that spirit. His goal is to see more support available for commercialization and scaling of startups building new and innovative accessibility tech, this is why he’s proud to be on the Research, Design and Innovation DAC.

LinkedIn

Twitter

http://accesstosuccess.ca/

Claire Davies, PhD, P.Eng – Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Queen’s University

Dr. Davies’s interest in biomedical engineering evolved while volunteering at Bloorview Children’s Hospital (now Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital), where she observed that the technology available to these children did not allow them the same freedom as other children. She has since dedicated her research to improving the lives of people with disabilities and her research focuses on co-design of assistive technology. From an industrial standpoint, for several years she was a rehabilitation engineer at the Saskatchewan Abilities Council, developed an industrial biomedical engineering Master’s program with Fisher and Paykel Healthcare in New Zealand, and has acted as an expert witness in both the Auckland and Christchurch High Courts.

Dr. Davies is keen to see more inclusivity in research and design of accessible devices and environments across Canada.

https://davies-bdat.weebly.com/

https://sites.google.com/site/tclairedavies/

Scott Hofer – Professor, Mohr Research Chair, & Director, Institute on Aging & Lifelong Health, UVic; Prof, Neurology, OHSU

Dr. Scott M. Hofer is Director of the Institute on Aging and Lifelong Health, Professor of Psychology, and holds the Harald Mohr, M.D. and Wilhelma Mohr, M.D. Research Chair in Adult Development and Aging at the University of Victoria. Dr. Hofer’s research has focused on the replicability and generalizability of results from longitudinal studies in the psychological and health sciences, with particular emphasis on integrative data analysis and innovations in study design and measurement. Over the last 15 years, he has directed the NIH-funded Integrative Analysis of Longitudinal Studies of Aging and Dementia (IALSA) network, comprised of over 125 longitudinal studies. The IALSA network, with Maelstrom Research, has developed an item-level meta-data library to facilitate identification of relevant studies and measurement harmonization.  

He and his colleagues are also leveraging digital technologies to improve the assessment of neurocognitive and patient-reported outcomes into the home and clinic to enable earlier and more accurate detection of change and improve the diagnosis and treatment of individuals with dementia. 

Kevin Ng – Content Lead, Rick Hansen Foundation

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” – Lao Tzu

Kevin is the Content Lead for the Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification™ (RHFAC) program. He manages the development of the technical content of the program, and chairs its Technical Subcommittee. His experience also includes developing accessibility design standards, conducting accessibility audits of existing sites, and completing accessible design reviews at the pre-construction phase for various projects in healthcare, educational, recreation and residential sectors.

CAN’s mission aligns with Kevin’s goal of creating safe and inclusive environments and communities to allow people with disabilities to participate and live independently. He wants to share his experience and knowledge working in accessible design and planning and help identify new opportunities and innovative solutions to improve accessibility. What Kevin would like to see is an increased knowledge of universal design principles and its adoption in all areas. Accessibility should not be an add-on but a core foundation as it affects everyone.

LinkedIn

Jerry Houtart – Amylior