Research Associates and Assistants
Rajvinder Kaur
Rajvinder Kaur is currently working as a Research Associate in Prof. Lefsrud’s group and is leading the genetic transformation aspects of the field pea to enhance the oil content. Rajvinder’s research in graduate and postdoctoral studies has always been focusing on the value-added products. She has a unique combination of skills, which includes biological chemistry, microbiology and biotechnology. She obtained her Ph.D. in 2004 from the Australian National University, Canberra, Australia and did her Post-Doctoral training on genetic transformation and biotechnology at the University of California, Berkeley, USA where she worked on sorghum to improve digestibility and lysine content in the grains through particle–gun bombardment and agrobacterium infection. After completing her post-doctoral training, she joined as a Research Scientist at Chromatin Inc., Champaign, Illinois, USA where she led the genetic transformation of cereals and grasses to incorporate desired gene stacks for improvement of biomass and bioenergy capability.
Sarah MacPherson
Dr. Sarah MacPherson joined theÌýBiomass ProductionÌýLab in the Department ofÌýBioresource Engineering Ìýin 2018. Prior to this, Sarah earned her PhD from ±«ÓãÖ±²¥ (Microbiology & Immunology), completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the UTÌýSouthwestern Medical Center, and then pursued her interests in scientific communication and post-secondary education in STEM. In her current role as Research Associate in BREE, Sarah is part of several research projects, including microbial control with UV-LEDs, controlled environment agriculture, and bio-compatible porous concrete. She additionally manages the QAQCC, an NSERC Collaborative Research and Training Experience program for graduate students. The best parts of her job? Working with students, scientific writing and learning something new every day. In her spare time, Sarah volunteersÌýat Le Nichoir Wild Bird Conservation Centre in Hudson, Quebec.
Sophie Rufyikri
Yvan Gariepy
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Post Doctoral Student
Bo-Sen (Allen) Wu
Bo-Sen Wu received his PhD in 2019 from ±«ÓãÖ±²¥ in the Biomass Production Lab of the Bioresource Engineering Department. At ±«ÓãÖ±²¥, he was involved in projects covering spectral response of photosynthesis and plant LED lighting. During his postdoc at ±«ÓãÖ±²¥, Dr. Wu pioneered and initiated a series of research with machine vision and LED lighting simulation in controlled environment agriculture. Dr. Wu has published more than 10 peer-reviewed articles in reputable scientific journals and presented 10 industrial and technical reports.
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Doctoral Studies
Philip Wiredu Addo
I am a Schulich Fellowship award recipient pursuing the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) program in Bioresource Engineering at ±«ÓãÖ±²¥ under the supervision of Prof. Mark Lefsrud. My research focuses on the optimization of postharvest technologies for medicinal plants; cannabis and hops. This project will help establish optimal and improved conditions for drying of biomass and extraction of secondary metabolites which will lead to cost savings and create significant improvements in the production model for medicinal plants. This project also seeks to contribute to the development of standards for the industry. With rapid projected growth in the coming years for the cannabis industry, the development of cost-effective postharvest processes that preserve product quality will help producers in lowering their prices and compete in the global market to showcase Canada as a world leader in this field.
Sazan RahmanÌý
Md Sazan Rahman is a Ph.D. candidate at the Department of Bioresource Engineering, ±«ÓãÖ±²¥. He is now working onÌýHVAC control in porous concrete for green building elements. The main goal of his research is to keep plants alive on green roofs and walls in any weather conditions, where porous concrete will be used as a plant-growing substrate. He also aims to control indoor temperature and humidity by environmentally controlled green walls. Mr. Sazan is from a small village (Khoshalpur Nowpara) of Kalai, Joypurhat, Bangladesh. He has completed his BSc in Mechanical Engineering from Rajshahi University of Engineering & Technology (RUET), Bangladesh, and MSc in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Saskatchewan, SK Canada.
Shafieh Salehiniw
I amÌýShafiehÌýSalehinia. I come from Iran. I hold a master's degree in Biosystems Engineering- Post Harvest Technology from Tehran University and a bachelor's degree in Mechanics of Agriculture Machines from the same university. I am a newly admitted Ph.D. student in Bioresource Engineering for fall 2021 under the supervision of Dr. Mark Lefsrud.
Sheida Rezaei
Sheida is working on the presence of humidity in greenhouses and HVAC systemsÌýknown as a detrimental factor in terms of both energy saving andÌýefficiency of the system. Sheida'sÌýproject mainly focused on decreasing relative humidity in HVAC systems. Sheida received herÌýM.Sc. in Agricultural Mechanization Engineering from the University of Tehran, Iran (2014-2016) and herÌýB.Sc. in Agricultural Mechanization Engineering from the University of Tehran, Iran (2010-2014).Ìý
Vincent Desaulniers-Brousseau
Vincent is a PhD candidate working on next-generation hydroponic systems. His education includes two B. Sc. in Biological Sciences and Agroenvironmental Sciences and one M. Sc. in Molecular and Cellular Medicine. He is a trained agrologist and has a solid knowledge of biological systems. He hopes that biopharmaceuticals can one day be produced sustainably. Similarly to other advancement of other sectors, sustainable food, fiber and nutraceutical production lies in reusing what is usually discarded as waste. His research will help in making medical cannabis production environmentally friendly, enable growers with nutrition index for optimal cannabinoid production as well as increase environmental performance of plant production systems.
David Desharnais Leroux
Sam Burgner
Yasmeen Hitti
Patrick Kpai
Patrick is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Bioresource Engineering at ±«ÓãÖ±²¥, under the supervision of Dr. Mark Lefsrud. He holds a BSc. in Earth Sciences from the University of Ghana, Legon, a BSc. (Hons.) and MSc. in Environmental Technology from the University of Pretoria in South Africa. He has previously worked as a Geophysicist and as a Marketing and Services Specialist in Ghana and South Africa, respectively. Patrick is presently focusing on optimizing nutrients, managing hop latent viroid (HLVd), and evaluating how microbial biostimulants affect cannabis.ÌýHe hopes to apply his knowledge towards the sustainable cultivation of cannabis within the ever-evolving cannabis industry.
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Masters of Science
Justin Bohemen
Justin is a MSc student in Bioressource Engineering under the supervision of Dr. Lefsrud at ±«ÓãÖ±²¥. He completed his BSc in Agro-Environmental Sciences at ±«ÓãÖ±²¥ with specializations in Plant Production and Professional Agrology. He is interested in optimizing the production of biomass and secondary metabolites within the cannabis plant by using more efficient production methods. In the future, Justin sees himself playing an important role in the industry as a professional agrologist.
Manish Ojha
Manish Ojha completed his undergraduate degree in Biotechnology at Kathmandu University and is now an MSc student in Bioresource Engineering at ±«ÓãÖ±²¥. His project is focused on bio-compatible reclamation (Eco-Restoration). Manish uses porous concrete blocks coupled with indigenous plant species as an engineering solution for the reinforcement of coastal areas.Ìý
Tangina Aktar Tamanna
Tangina Aktar Tamanna joined the  Biomass Production Lab in the Department of  Bioresource Engineering in 2023. Prior to this, she was working as a lecturer in Khulna Agricultural University for 2 years. She earned her first master’s and undergraduate degree from Sylhet University, majoring in Agricultural Engineering. She is interested in integrating urban infrastructure with agriculture for sustainable agricultural development. Her project focuses on evaluating bio-receptive porous concrete as a plant growth substrate for urban agriculture.
Mohammad Reza Khan Bolouki
Mohammad Reza Khan Bolouki is currently enrolled in the M.Sc. in Bioresource Engineering under the supervision of Professor Lefsrud. He is originally from Tehran, Iran where he obtained his bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from Science and Research University in 2019. His areas of academic interest and his research are focused on Cannabis production and analysis, specifically the ESI ionization behavior of cannabinoids in multiple matrices.
Natalie Wu
Natalie is originally from Toronto but came to Montreal to study nutrition. She received her BSc. in Nutritional Science at ±«ÓãÖ±²¥ and is currently finishing up her MSc. in the department of Bioresource Engineering. She working on the nutritional and environmental impact of the No Harm Diet under the supervision of Dr. Mark Lefsrud and Dr. Anne-Sophie Brazeau.
Tyler Joiner
Tyler Joiner is a MSc student in Bioresource Engineering whose thesis will focus on biofuel combustion processes. His interest in physics, thermodynamics, and emission minimization drove him towards this field. With a BS in Environmental Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, Tyler hopes to use his background for sustainability-driven research. His goal is to obtain his PhD in this field and to eventually become a professor at a university that prides itself on its research.
Alireza Zabihi
Ali is a master's student in Bioresource Engineering at ±«ÓãÖ±²¥, where he began his studies in February 2024. His research focus is on renewable energy, particularly biomass combustion, gasification, and the filtration of pollutants resulting from these processes, such as tar and unburned hydrocarbons like NOx and SOx. Currently, he is working on developing catalysts and adsorbent filters to reduce these pollutants associated with biomass combustion using porous concrete. Ali hails from Tehran, Iran, and previously earned his master's degree in Biosystems Engineering with a specialization in Renewable Energy from Tarbiat Modares University in Tehran from 2017 to 2020.
Ahmed Bassam Mahmoud
Ashutosh Kushwaha
Kyle Lucherini
Rachael Warner
Samuel Eichhorn Bilodeau
Victorio Morello
Vidya Sagar KunchamÌý
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Undergraduate StudentsÌý
Carina Dumais
Carina is a fourth-year Bioresource Engineering Undergraduate student at ±«ÓãÖ±²¥. She has completed two internships and a summer job in the environmental and agricultural fields. Since January 2021, she has been working with Professor Lefsrud to test biocompatible concrete samples that were designed in part to counter erosion along shorelines.Ìý
Ilies Tazi
My name is Ilies Tazi and I am in my fourth year in the Bioresource Engineering program with a specialization in Agrology at ±«ÓãÖ±²¥. I am interested inÌýtechnological knowledge and experience in the field of precision agriculture in controlled environments. A field that I believe can have the potential to address some of our most urgent issues as a society.Ìý
Christopher Patterson
Daniil Katkov
Guillaume Céré
Olivia Mendelson
Rebecca Martinez
Tatiana Rayvich
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