Physics and Astronomy Research Faculty - All

Professor Pauline Barmby Dr. Pauline Barmby
Research Areas: My research is in the investigation of galaxy histories. Using multi-wavelength imaging from telescopes on the ground and in space, I study recent star formation, the properties of star clusters, and mass-losing stars in nearby galaxies.
Research web site: http://www.physics.uwo.ca/~pbarmby/Research.shtml
Email: pbarmby [at] uwo.ca
Professor Shantanu Basu Dr. Shantanu Basu - Department Chair
Research Areas: I study the dynamics of star and planet formation, as well as that of the larger interstellar medium. Current topics of interest include the fragmentation properties of interstellar clouds, the formation and evolution of circumstellar disks, magnetic fields in the near-stellar environment, and applications of mathematical and statistical methods to astrophysics.
Research web site: http://www.astro.uwo.ca/~basu/rh.htm
Email: basu [at] uwo.ca
Professor Peter Brown Dr. Peter Brown
Research Areas: I am interested in answering basic questions about the origin and evolution of small bodies in the solar system. These include the origin of metoroids,the origin of meteorites, the physical structure of meteoroids and the flux and interaction of larger meteoroids at Earth.
Research web site: http://aquarid.physics.uwo.ca/~pbrown/research.htm
Email: pbrown [at] uwo.ca
Professor Jan Cami Dr. Jan Cami
Research Areas: My main interest is in the circumstellar matter surrounding evolved stars (AGB stars) and in the astrochemistry of the interstellar medium although I have studied the molecular content and dynamics of external galaxies as well. I study the Diffuse Interstellar Bands (DIBs) and their relation to Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs).
Research web site: http://www.astro.uwo.ca/~jcami
Email: jcami [at] uwo.ca
Professor Margaret Campbell-Brown Dr. Margaret Campbell-Brown
Research Areas: Millions of meteoroids, which are fragments of comets and asteroids, hit the Earth each day. These objects provide an opportunity to study the distribution and composition of many comets and asteroids. High-resolution images of meteoroids ablating in the atmosphere can be used to determine their composition, and continuous radar observations have a wealth of information about the history and current state of small bodies in our solar system.
Research web site: http://aquarid.physics.uwo.ca/~mcampbell/research.htm
Email: margaret.campbell [at] uwo.ca
Professor Blaine Chronik Dr. Blaine Chronik
Research Areas: Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Positron Emission Tomography; multimodality imaging systems; MRI gradient coils; electromagnetic peripheral nerve stimulation in humans.
Research web site: http://clarke.physics.uwo.ca
Email: bchronik [at] uwo.ca
Professor Michael G. Cottam Dr. Michael G. Cottam
Research Areas: My principal research field is in the quantum theory of condensed matter systems. Within this field, my current research projects focus on surface physics, nanomaterials science, and nonlinear processes in solids.
Research web site: http://www.physics.uwo.ca/~mgc
Email: cottam [at] uwo.ca
Professor John R. deBruyn Dr. John R. deBruyn
Research Areas: I use light scattering, flow visualization, and rheological techniques to study the flow and microscopic structure of complex fluids such as polymers, gels, and foams. I also do experiments on granular materials, and I study the effects of proteins on the growth of bone-related minerals using light scattering.
Research web site: http://www.physics.uwo.ca/~debruyn/overview.shtml
Email: debruyn [at] uwo.ca
Professor Giovanni Fanchini Dr. Giovanni Fanchini
Research Areas: My research activity encompasses the preparation of carbon-based and organic nanomaterials and their use for the fabrication of optical and electronic devices such as thin film transistors and solar cells.

Specific characterization and modeling activities focus on the spectroscopic investigation of electronic devices during operation.
Research web site: http://physics.uwo.ca/~gfanchin
Email: gfanchin [at] uwo.ca
Professor Sarah Gallagher Dr. Sarah Gallagher
Research Areas: My research encompasses multiwavelength programs concerning the co-evolution of supermassive black holes and their host galaxies. Specifically, I study energetic quasar winds, and galaxy evolution and star formation in compact galaxy groups.
Research web site: http://www.astro.uwo.ca/~sgall/index.html
Email: sgalla4 [at] uwo.ca
Professor Lyudmila Goncharova Dr. Lyudmila Goncharova
Research Areas: Our research focus is the investigation and modification of surfaces of materials which have not been extensively investigated with surface science and ion scattering techniques.
Research web site: http://www.physics.uwo.ca/~lgonchar/research/interests/index.shtml
Email: lgonchar [at] uwo.ca
Professor David F. Gray Dr. David F. Gray
Research Areas: Stars are not only beautiful, but are one of the cornerstones of astronomy. I study starlight and from it deduce interesting physical characteristics such as a star's rotation rate, the nature of the gas motions (called granulation) at the surface, pulsations & oscillations, and magnetic cycles similar to the sun's 10 year pattern. My work also includes getting precise stellar temperature and some of the most accurate radial velocities yet determined.
Research web site: http://www.astro.uwo.ca/~dfgray
Email: dfgray [at] uwo.ca
Professor Wayne Hocking Dr. Wayne Hocking
Research Areas: The Atmospheric Dynamics Group studies dynamical motions in the atmosphere at heights from ground level to 100 km altitude. We use a variety of instruments, including radar, radiosonde balloons, high resolution turbulence probes and theoretical modeling. We are especially interested in motions at small scales, such as turbulence and internal buoyancy (gravity) waves, but also study longer term motions like atmospheric tides and planetary waves.
Research web site: http://www.physics.uwo.ca/~whocking/
Email: whocking [at] uwo.ca
Professor Richard Holt Dr. Richard Holt
Research Areas: The Atomic Physics & Laboratory Astrophysics group uses fast-ion-beam laser spectroscopy techniques to measure properties of atoms of astrophysical and fundamental interest. The results have an impact on studies of Galactic nucleosynthesis, stellar interiors, and tests of calculations of relativistic and quantum electrodynamic effects in two-electron atomic systems.
Research web site: http://www.physics.uwo.ca/~holt/Lab_Astro_Research_Group.html
Email: rholt [at] uwo.ca
Professor Martin Houde Dr. Martin Houde
Research Areas: My research is focused on understanding the physical processes that lead to the formation of stars. A substantial part of my efforts is concerned with characterizing the magnetic fields and turbulence that are believed to be important agents that determine the physical conditions in molecular clouds, sites of star formation. My research group also develops and tests instruments within the Submillimetre Astronomical Laboratory, which are then deployed at premier millimetre/submillimetre astronomical observatories.
Research web site: http://www.astro.uwo.ca/~houde/research.html
Email: mhoude2 [at] uwo.ca
Professor Jeff Hutter Dr. Jeffrey L. Hutter
Research Areas: My research focuses on soft materials and nanomaterials, including hydrogels, biominerals, and nanowires. In order to understand the structure and mechanical properties of these materials, I employ atomic force microscopy, video microscopy, small-angle neutron scattering, and light scattering.
Research web site: http://www.physics.uwo.ca/~hutter/research.shtml
Email: jhutter [at] uwo.ca
Professor Carol Jones Dr. Carol Jones
Research Areas: Circumstellar material is common among massive, early-type stars and often takes the form of an equatorial disk.

I construct computational models of these disks to try to understand how they form and what their physical conditions are. Numerical radiative transfer techniques are used to predict spectra and images of the circumstellar material. Models are constrained by comparison to images obtained via the rapidly developing field of optical interferometry and to spectroscopy obtained at a wide variety of wavelengths. This research offers many computationally challenging problems.
Research web site: http://www.astro.uwo.ca/~cjones/home.html
Email: cejones [at] uwo.ca
Professor John D. Landstreet Dr. John D. Landstreet
Research Areas: I model the intensity and polarisation spectra of various types of stars to try to extract information about the physical state (chemical abundances, presence of convection or of a magnetic field, etc) and atmospheric physical processes (mass loss, mixing, diffusion, etc) in those stars.
Research web site: http://www.astro.uwo.ca/~jlandstr
Email: jlandstr [at] uwo.ca
Dr. Ting-Yim Lee Dr. Ting-Yim Lee
Research Areas: Use of tracer kinetics modelling to study biological processes in the human body. Current research focus is on the application of dynamic contrast enhanced CT scanning to study tissue perfusion in a variety of diseases including stroke, heart attack and cancer.
Research web site: http://www.imaging.robarts.ca/~tlee/
Email: tlee [at] imaging.robarts.ca
Dr. Charles McKenzie Dr. Charles McKenzie
Research Areas: My group research focuses on development of new image acquisition and reconstruction methods for increasing the speed at which MR images can be taken. We particularly specialize in development and application of Parallel MRI reconstruction methods. These rapid imaging techniques are widely applicable in MRI and we are mainly using them to improve techniques for investigating prostate cancer, liver disease, respiratory diseases and diseases of the musculoskeletal system.
Research web site: http://www.parallelmri.uwo.ca/index.php
Email: cmcken [at] uwo.ca
Professor Silvia Mittler Dr. Silvia Mittler
Research Areas: The Laboratory for Photonics of Surfaces and Interfaces concentrates on evanescent optical techniques (waveguides, surface plasmon resonances and Au nanoparticles) for the development of (bio)chemical sensors. Surface functionalization technology is a necessary tool here too. They also use their optical technology for evanescent microscopy: scattering and fluorescence for cell-substratum interaction studies. Biomineralization on templating surfaces is a new topic.
Research web site: http://www.physics.uwo.ca/~smittler/overview.html
Email: smittler [at] uwo.ca
Professor Gordon Osinski Dr. Gordon Osinski
Research Areas: My research interests are diverse and interdisciplinary in nature. My work synthesizes field, remote sensing, and laboratory observations with a range of geochemical data.
Research web site: http://www.uwo.ca/earth/people/faculty/osinski.html
Email: gosinski [at] uwo.ca
Professor Els Peeters Dr. Els Peeters
Research Areas: I use observational data to study molecules and dust in interstellar and circumstellar environments, in particular galactic and extragalactic star forming regions. My main focus is the study of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon molecules (PAHs).
Research web site: http://www.astro.uwo.ca/~epeeters/research.shtml
Email: epeeters [at] uwo.ca
Professor Tamie Poepping Dr. Tamie Poepping
Research Areas: Ultrasound (imaging and Doppler) research and system development; hemodynamic (blood flow) studies and simulations; particle image velocimetry studies.

My research focus is the development of ultrasonic techniques for non-invasive imaging and flow visualization, primarily to elucidate the connections between vascular tissue changes and local hemodynamics.
Research web site: http://www.physics.uwo.ca/~poepping/research-interests.shtml
Email: poepping [at] uwo.ca
Dr. Giles Santyr Dr. Giles Santyr
Research Areas: Relaxation times are the basis for the rich soft tissue contrast available in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). The general goal of my research is to use knowledge of tissue relaxation to optimize conventional MR imaging as well as develop innovative contrast agents. Current projects involve the use of hyperpolarized noble gases (HNG's), specifically helium-3 and xenon-129. HNG's permit functional lung imaging, particularly at ultra-low magnetic fields, as well as imaging of blood flow and inflammatory processes associated with cancer and obstructive pulmonary disease.
Research web site: http://www.imaging.robarts.ca/~gsantyr/index.htm
Email: gsantyr [at] imaging.robarts.ca
Professor Robert Sica Dr. Robert Sica
Research Areas: My primary research tool is the Purple Crow Lidar (PCL), which measures temperature, composition and dynamics of Earth's atmosphere from the surface to 110 km altitude. Students in my group also have opportunities to work with the Canadian Network for Atmospheric Changes PEARL observatory in Eureka, Nunavut, using lidar systems to measure polar ozone, temperature and dynamics.
Research web site: http://pcl.physics.uwo.ca/rjshp/Research.html
Email: sica [at] uwo.ca
Professor Aaron Sigut Dr. Aaron Sigut
Research Areas: My main research interests are the radiative transfer and hydrodynamical processes occurring in circumstellar disks surrounding hot stars. I also have research projects involving the modeling of the emission line spectra of active galactic nuclei and the quantitative analysis of stellar atmospheres using non-LTE radiative transfer. All of my research projects involve large-scale, computational modeling.
Research web site: http://altair.astro.uwo.ca/~asigut/
Email: asigut [at] uwo.ca
Professor Peter Simpson Dr. Peter Simpson
Research Areas: The Positron Beam Laboratory at Western uses beams of positrons (the anti-particle of the electron) as a probe to study the structure of solids, especially electronic materials.
Research web site: http://www.physics.uwo.ca/~psimpson
Email: psimpson [at] uwo.ca
Professor Mahi Singh Dr. Mahi Singh
Research Areas: The aim of the present project is to study the electronic, thermal , optical and magnetic properties of Nanosructures high temperature superconductors (HTS) and photonic band gap materials (PBS).
Research web site: http://www.physics.uwo.ca/~msingh/research.html
Email: msingh [at] uwo.ca
Professor David W. Tarasick Dr. David W. Tarasick
Research Areas: Experimental Ozone and Ultraviolet Research and Monitoring using both ground-based techniques and airborne ozonesondes.
Research web site: http://exp-studies.tor.ec.gc.ca/e/index.htm
Email: David.Tarasick [at] ec.gc.ca
Professor Paul Wiegert Dr. Paul Wiegert
Research Areas: I'm interested in the dynamics of the Solar System, particularly its smaller bodies, asteroids, comets and meteoroid streams. I'm also interested in the dynamics of planets around other stars, and in celestial mechanics in general.
Research web site: http://www.astro.uwo.ca/~wiegert/
Email: pwiegert [at] uwo.ca
Professor Eugene Wong Dr. Eugene Wong
Research Areas: Our research group focuses in on radiation treatment. The spirit of our research is create tools to aid generation of the best treatment, individualized for each patient. This is done by seeking the role of radiotherapy amongst the treatment options and optimizing radiotherapy in the context of multi-modality therapies. This also entails seeking patient-specific information relevant to radiation therapy, such as tumour characteristics, and exploiting the strengths and mitigating the limitations of radiation.
Research web site: http://www.physics.uwo.ca/~ewong/Research.shtml
Email: ewong4 [at] uwo.ca