Grad students
Celine Xiao
Celine completed her BASc in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Alberta (2020). During her undergrad, she worked as a co-op student on a methane reduction project which aimed to reduce methane emissions in multiple natural gas compression facilities. In the summer of 2020, she received a research grant from the University of Calgary to investigate the energy efficiency of the MacKimmie Tower, a net-zero carbon building.
In Fall 2020, she joined the Sinton Lab as a MASc student and will be working with the Catalysis group on carbon dioxide reduction through electrocatalysis.
Panos Papangelakis
Panos completed his B.Eng in Chemical Engineering at McMaster University in 2020. During his undergrad he completed a thesis project investigating heavy metal contamination and treatment of drinking water in Indigenous Reserves in Southern Ontario. He also worked on a joint industrial research project with the University of Queensland developing an energy model for renewable power generation in the mining industry.
Panos joined the Sinton Lab in September 2020 in the Catalysis group. He is working on CO2 reduction through electrocatalysis.
Shijie Liu
Shijie joined the Sinton Lab as an undergraduate research student in 2019. His research focuses on electrochemical systems for stable and efficient CO2 conversion. He performs COMSOL simulations to better understand chemical behavior and conducts membrane-electrode assembly (MEA) CO2 electrolyzer experiments to quantify the stability and production of C1 and C2 products.
Fatemeh Arabyarmohammadi
Fatemeh Arabyarmohammadi earned a BASc in Chemical Engineering from Sharif University of Technology (SUT) in 2019. Fatemeh then began a Master’s in Chemical Engineering-Biotechnology and received a MSc degree from SUT too. For the MSc thesis, Fatemeh worked on the theoretical investigation of coupled Microbial Electrochemical Cells in micro-sized systems and the assessment of biohydrogen generation.
Fatemeh joined the Sinton Lab in January 2022 as a Ph.D. student with a focus on Renewable Fuels / CO2 electrocatalysis.
Siyu Sun
Siyu completed her BASc in Engineering Science, Energy Systems, at the University of Toronto (2022). She joined the Sinton Lab as an undergraduate research student in summer 2021, and her undergraduate thesis focused on renewable hydrogen production using geothermal energy. As a MASc student, Siyu will be working on carbon dioxide reduction through electrocatalysis.
Chengqian Wu
Chengqian holds a MASc from Queen’s University and a bachelor’s degree from Central South University, China. He developed his interests in catalysis during his master’s laying the foundation of a novel catalytic oxidation process for arsenic immobilization and devising an experimental setup for continuous mini-pilot scale testing of the technology. His research experience also includes investigation into the solvent-induced effects in acid-catalyzed C-O bond activation for synthesizing sustainable ether fuels.
Driven by a passion for doing interdisciplinary research in sustainable energy, Chengqian became part of the catalysis group of Sinton Lab in 2022, leveraging his expertise in heterogeneous catalysis and electrochemistry to develop electrocatalytic systems coupling novel anodic upgrading processes with reduction of CO and/or CO2. While outside the lab, he enjoys spending time with his pets and taking drone shots over the beautiful Don valley area.
Hanie Rezaie
Hanie holds both a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Tehran, Iran. During her studies, she focused on developing a novel thermal management system for electric vehicle (EV). After graduation, she worked as a mechanical engineer in the industry for two years, focused on batteries and EVs.
Hanie joined the Industrial Fluids group at Sinton Lab in 2023 as a MASc student, with the aim of broadening her knowledge in the interdisciplinary field of Energy and fluid mechanics. She is focusing on modifying and optimizing measurement methods to quickly and accurately assess fluid properties for EV coolants.
Mackenzie Gole
Mackenzie completed his BASc in the Department of Chemical Engineering & Applied Chemistry at the University of Toronto in 2023. His research background is in thermal catalysis, where he investigated the partial oxidation of methanol to dimethoxymethane on vanadia-based catalysts for applications in sustainable diesel synthesis. Pursuing his interest in energy and renewable fuels, Mackenzie joined the Sinton Lab as a MASc student in 2023 as part of the electrocatalysis group to produce high-value products from carbon dioxide.
Raylene Mitchell
Raylene Mitchell graduated with a Bachelor of Engineering (Electrical) degree from Memorial University in 2021 where many work opportunities and internships revolved around renewable technologies. She is passionate about technological solutions for northern regions in Canada. As an IBET Fellow, Raylene is also committed to interdisciplinary innovation.
In Fall 2023, Raylene joined the Sinton Lab at the University of Toronto under the supervision of Professor David Sinton. Raylene’s commitment to addressing the unique challenges of northern communities is at the forefront of her research goals.
Peter Cui
Peter Yuze Cui graduated with high honors, attaining his Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Toronto in June 2023. His diverse research pursuits during his undergraduate studies encompassed a wide range of topics, including the design of ergonomic installations to alleviate work-related musculoskeletal injuries for ultrasound sonographers and the application of laser and infrared thermal cameras for imaging fatigue cracks. In September 2023, he embarked on his doctoral studies as a direct-entry PhD student at the SintonLab. Within the ethylene / C3 subgroup, Peter is committed to advancing the development of state-of-the-art catalysts with a focus on achieving superior conversion efficiencies for advanced chemical fuels.
Puhua Sun
Puhua holds his MASc from the State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing at the China University of Petroleum, along with a bachelor's degree from the same institution. His fascination with catalysis blossomed during his master's studies, focusing on catalytic transferring hydrogenolysis of bio-based reactants and modification of porous catalytic materials. His research experience also includes investigating the kinetics of C-C and C-H bond activation for upgrading light alkanes, process simulation, and life cycle assessment to promote sustainable energy solutions.
Motivated by his passion for innovative research in catalysis and sustainable energy, Puhua joined Sinton Lab in 2024. Here, he leverages his expertise in heterogeneous catalysis and electrochemistry to develop The Electrically-Powered Synthesis of Ethylene and Scaling for Ethylene electrolyzers and eDAC.
Haoyang Deng
Haoyang joined Sinton Lab as an Undergraduate Thesis research student in 2023 summer. He completed his BASc in Mechanical and Industrial Engineering at the University of Toronto (2024) and then joined the industrial fluids ground as a MASc student. Haoyang specializes in Solid mechanical and Mechatronics system design. His role encompasses automating and integrating our current experimental setups tailored for thermal fluid screening and integrating efficient data management capabilities thereafter. Additionally, he will fortify the setup's adaptability to diverse materials while contributing to the collection of experimental data for different materials and their mixtures.
Roozbeh Alishahian
Roozbeh received his Hon. B.Eng. (2023) in Mechanical Engineering at Lassonde School of Engineering. His early undergraduate research involved modeling fiber propagation through atmospheric turbulence and designing macro experimental setups. He later focused on tissue engineering with additive manufacturing (Bioprinting), concentrating on systems architecture, controls, mechanical design, and materials testing.
Roozbeh joined Sinton lab in 2023 as a MASc. candidate, taking the role of systems architecture in the Industrial Fluidics team. He is co-supervised by Prof. Moosavi from the AI4ChemS research group at ChemE. Department. His current project is the realization of an AI-driven autonomous thermal fluids laboratory, focusing on designing the instrumentation and automation/integration of all devices.
Yuxuan Gao
Yuxuan earned his B.Eng. in Chemical Engineering from the Harbin Institute of Technology. During his undergraduate studies, he worked on a diverse range of research topics, including stretchable battery designs, non-noble-metal ORR catalyst designs, and lithium-O₂ battery systems.
In 2024, Yuxuan completed his M.Eng. in Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry at the University of Toronto. During his M.Eng., he joined the Sinton Lab and started working on his Meng project, focusing on developing an efficient system to capture carbon dioxide from the ocean water. Yuxuan began his doctoral studies in September 2024. As a PhD student, he will continue his research on CO₂ capture and conversion through electrocatalysis.
Tevin Devasagayam
Tevin completed his B.Eng in Mechanical Engineering at Toronto Metropolitan University in 2021. He joined the Sinton Lab in April 2024 as an M.Eng student at the University of Toronto, where he will work with the eDAC team. Bringing extensive experience in prototyping, mechanical design, and electromechanical systems, Tevin's expertise will be essential in developing and automating pilot-scale capture and regeneration systems. His additional industry experience in the manufacturing sector further aids in the scaling of lab apparatus to pilot-scale projects. Tevin is passionate about sustainable engineering solutions and is dedicated to advancing technologies that address climate change.
Muhan Yu
Muhan Yu completed her BASc with honors in Mechanical Engineering in the University of Toronto in June 2024. Throughout her undergraduate studies, she explored a variety of research areas, ranging from 3D printer design to prosthetic thumb development. Muhan also gained valuable industrial experience during her co-op at Veoneer Canada, where she designed numerous assembly line fixtures. In September 2024, she began her doctoral studies as a direct-entry PhD student at SintonLab. As part of the ethylene subgroup, Muhan is dedicated to advancing cutting-edge systems aimed at enhancing conversion efficiencies for advanced chemical fuels.
Liam Israels
Liam graduated from Western University with a BESc in Mechanical Engineering (2024). During his time at Western, Liam completed various internship roles focusing on materials research, mechanical design, and innovation consulting. Liam started and led the Western Engineering Green Technology Club, which built a Direct Air Capture device. His team was awarded the Best Research Award at the global Carbon Removal Challenge, in New York City.
Liam joined the Sinton Lab in September 2024. As a member of the e-DAC team, Liam is designing methods to scale electrochemical Direct Air Capture solutions.
Chirag Saxena
Chirag completed his BASc in Mechanical and Industrial Engineering at the University of Toronto in 2024 and then joined the Industrial Fluids group at Sinton Lab as an MEng student. During his undergraduate studies, he specialized in Energy and Manufacturing streams and completed a two-year co-op work term at a leading North American natural gas company in Calgary, Alberta. Chirag joined Sinton Lab with the goal of broadening his knowledge in the interdisciplinary fields of energy and fluid mechanics. He is currently assisting the team in modifying and optimizing measurement methods to quickly and accurately assess fluid properties for EV coolants.
Haoming Ye
Haoming completed his B.Eng in Mechanical Engineering at McGill University in 2024. In September 2024, he joined the Industrial Fluids group at the Sinton Lab, University of Toronto, as a M.Eng student. With a strong interest in the mechatronics and thermofluids fields, and hands-on experience in fuel cell and piping systems design, CFD airflow analysis, and control system development, Haoming is focused on designing the layout and the automation process for the self-driving lab (SDL) and conducting experiments.