WHO WE ARE
Meet the
Directors and industry advisor behind IHT Lab
Dr. Vicente Gonzalez
Co-Director of the Lean Construction 4.0 Area
Dr. Vicente Gonzalez is a world-leading expert at the interface of Lean Construction and Computer Science, and has recently published the Lean Construction 4.0’s book that illustrates the potential of this combined research approach to tackle the pressing issues of the AEC Industry. His research work spans over 13 years, including 12 years at The University of Auckland - New Zealand.
The standing of his research work has been recently acknowledged with the award of a prestigious Tier 1 Canada Research Chair (CRC) in Digital Lean Construction. Dr. Gonzalez has published 87 journal papers, 75 conference papers, 1 book, 2 book chapters, curated 5 conference proceedings and secured $63+ million in research and teaching grants and corporate sponsorships over his career. He has supervised to completion 100+ undergraduate (thesis-based) and graduate students, including 13 PhD students.
Dr. Gonzalez has worked in construction projects in Chile, developed CEM consultancy for engineering and construction projects in Chile, NZ and Australia, and founded 2 technology-based startup companies. The outcomes of his team’s research have been applied to projects totalling over CAN$3.9+ billion over the world, including some of the largest transport infrastructure projects in New Zealand.
Dr. Gaang Lee
Co-Director of the Computer-Driven Behavioural Area
Dr. Gaang Lee has extensive research experience in monitoring workers’ behavioural and psychophysiological responses during their ongoing work to improve construction tasks and environments in a way that ensure worker safety, health, and productivity. To this end, he has applied and advanced knowledge in different domains, such as wearable biosensing, signal processing, machine learning, neurocognitive science and psychophysiology. He has published 9 papers in highly reputable journals and 10 conference proceedings based on those studies.
In addition to his academic achievements, Dr. Lee possesses practical knowledge gained from five years of experience in the construction industry. He served as a licensed site engineer, a BIM coordinator, a BIM consultant, and a corporate strategy manager.
During this time, he successfully completed various prestigious building projects, such as the Shangri-la high-rise hotel (Mongol) and the Samsung proton therapy centre (South Korea), serving the roles of a licensed site engineer and a BIM coordinator for Samsung C&T. He also consulted for BIM strategies of two turnkey bids. Furthermore, Dr. Lee took charge of corporate technology management and BIM adoption strategies at Samsung C&T for one year.
Dr. Qipei (Gavin) Mei
Co-Director of the Sensing and AI Area
Dr Qipei (Gavin) Mei is an expert in AI technologies. His research centres on the application of sensing technologies and machine learning to develop smart and sustainable infrastructure systems for the future. So far, he has secured $3+ million in research grants exploring the application of AI, XR and Robotics for improving the design, construction, and maintenance of infrastructure and buildings. He has published over 30 journal and conference papers, including numerous articles in top-ranked journals in his field.
Currently, he is supervising 10+ undergraduate students and 10+ graduate students. In addition to his academic work, Dr. Mei has spent two years working as a structural engineer, in charge of the structural design of stadiums, floors, and bridges using composite materials. He is currently a registered PEng with Apega. Furthermore, he has a continuous interest in entrepreneurship and has co-founded a company valued at $2 million CAD out of his research work.
Dr. Ali Golabchi
Co-Director of Entrepreneurship and Industry Engagement
Dr. Ali Golabchi is a researcher, innovator, educator, advisor, and tech enthusiast. His expertise lies in the transformation of cutting-edge research into practical, real-world applications, driven by his commitment to bridging the gap between academia and industry. He has over a decade of experience in managing and facilitating research endeavors between academia and industry, contributing to successful planning, execution, and uptake of various research projects.
Ali holds a PhD from the University of Alberta and an MSc from the University of Michigan, and actively oversees the development and implementation of technology-based, data-powered, science-driven solutions aimed at enhancing safety and productivity across various sectors. He has vast experience in spearheading and contributing to various research and innovation initiatives and projects, reflected by a proven record of scientific contributions and achievements.
Ali actively collaborates with tech start-ups, multinational corporations, universities, standardization bodies, and government agencies. He is also an Adjunct Professor and has years of experience mentoring and training students in academic and industrial settings.
Dr. Yitong Li
Co-Director of Resilient and Sustainable Infrastructure
Dr. Yitong Li is an emerging scholar in the field of resilient and sustainable infrastructure, with a research program that integrates engineering, data science, and organizational decision-making to address complex challenges in the built environment. Her work focuses on infrastructure–social–organizational integration to support resilient and equitable infrastructure planning, construction, and recovery. She leverages advanced analytical approaches (artificial intelligence, data analytics, and simulation) to
enhance construction productivity, improve infrastructure system performance, and inform climate-resilient mitigation and adaptation strategies for infrastructure investment and policy decisions.
Dr. Li has authored more than 20 peer-reviewed journal and conference publications and has contributed to interdisciplinary research on infrastructure resilience, disaster recovery, and construction automation. In addition to her research contributions, Dr. Li is an active member of the scholarly community. She serves as a reviewer for numerous leading journals and conferences. To date, she has reviewed more than 70 manuscripts for over 10 reputable journals. In recognition of her service and the quality of her
reviews, she received the 2023 Outstanding Reviewer Award from the ASCE Journal of Construction Engineering and Management.
Neil J. McFarlane, P.Eng., B.Sc. (CivEng)
Industry Advisor
Neil's 40-year career has spanned project management and construction in both public and private sectors. He has experience as an Owner, Contractor, and Consultant.
After graduating with a Civil Engineering degree from the University of Alberta in 1979, Neil began his career with Alberta Infrastructure. He later transitioned to McFarlane Construction, focusing on Design-Build project management. In 2009, he founded a consulting firm to assist Owners with project procurement.
Returning to Infrastructure in 2011, Neil led the Royal Alberta Museum project and was promoted to Assistant Deputy Minister. He concluded his public service as Executive Lead for Change and Project Management at Alberta Transportation.
Neil served as Chair of the Canadian Design-Build Institute (CDBI) from 2012-2014 and contributed to the national standard CCDC 30 IPD contract. He co-chaired the Edmonton Construction Association Owner's Forum and received the Claude Alston Award in 2020 for significant contributions to the construction industry.
Neil believes in collaboration and knowledge sharing. As Industry Liaison for the Hole School of Construction Engineering at the University of Alberta, he continues to contribute to the industry
OUR MOTTO is to..
Harness the power of cutting-edge digital and smart technologies to solve pressing construction and infrastructure challenges, with a strong emphasis on human-centred solutions.
OUR AIM is to develop..
Tailored,
Sustainable,
Inclusive solutions
.. designed to enhance safety, productivity, and efficiency in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry, grounded on solid engineering science and a predilection to focus on end-user’s needs to solve industry problems.
Graduate Researchers
Meet our student researchers supervised by Dr. Vicente Gonzalez, Dr. Gaang Lee and Dr. Qipei (Gavin) Mei
PhD in Civil Engineering, University of Alberta
Zhong Wang
I am developing robotic and sensor-based inspection systems for construction, with a focus on confined spaces and user-centric design.
Supervised by Dr. Vicente Gonzalez
PhD in Civil Engineering, University of Alberta
Yulun Wu
I am working on the integrated solutions of procedural content generation and generative AI in construction safety training content generation, visualization and collaboration in Extended Reality.
Supervised by Dr. Vicente Gonzalez
PhD in Civil Engineering, University of Alberta
Kexin Liu
I am working on using digital twin based Extended Reality (VR, AR, and MR) to enhance fire safety management on construction sites, reducing construction workers' injuries and death and property loss.
Supervised by Dr. Vicente Gonzalez
PhD in Civil Engineering, University of Alberta
Amira Saleh
I am developing a Predictive Analytics Model that can be used to support on-site safety, production planning, and control decisions holistically.
Supervised by Dr. Vicente Gonzalez
PhD in Civil Engineering, University of Alberta
Zeyu Mao
I am currently engaged in research aimed at exploring how to use digital twin technology to improve the efficient management of construction constraints within the Lean Construction background.
Supervised by Dr. Vicente Gonzalez
PhD in Civil Engineering, University of Alberta
Mohammed Sabek
I am building an AI-based model to recognize different construction activities and machinery.
Supervised by Dr. Vicente Gonzalez
PhD in Civil Engineering, University of Alberta
Qian Li
I am currently involved in a research project focused on vision language models and lean production planning in construction.
Supervised by Dr. Vicente Gonzalez
MSc in Civil Engineering, University of Alberta
Andrea Sanchez Aguirre
My research centers on elucidating the efficient application of production models for goods within the realm of construction.
Supervised by Dr. Vicente Gonzalez
Postdoc in Civil Engineering
Meesung Lee
I have been exploring what insights we can obtain from human brains for managing the interaction between humans and their diverse surroundings in a more human-centered direction.
Supervised by Dr. Gaang Lee
Postdoc in Civil Engineering
Heejae Ahn
I am investigating the physiological effects of quadruped robot behaviors used for on-site patrol on workers and designing navigation algorithms to minimize their negative impacts.
Supervised by Dr. Gaang Lee
PhD in Civil Engineering, University of Alberta
Ghanim Saqib
I am interested in developing mechanism-reflective and human-centered wearable biosensor systems for proactive health monitoring across vulnerable populations, including older adults, firefighters and construction workers
Supervised by Dr. Gaang Lee
PhD in Civil Engineering, University of Alberta
Eren Shahrokhishahraki
I am passionate about human-centered design in construction environments, integrating human cognition into equipment operation through brain sensing and eye-tracking technologies to reduce human error and improve safety
Supervised by Dr. Gaang Lee
MSc in Civil Engineering
Amir Mohammadpourfard
I am developing an AI-assisted design system that automatically drafts and revises residential floor plans in Revit using a large language model, with the goal of accelerating early-stage architectural design
Supervised by Dr. Gaang Lee
PhD in Structural Engineering, University of Alberta
Hao Xie
I am working on the application of computer vision and machine learning to extract information from engineering drawings and to automate structural design.
Supervised by Dr. Qipei (Gavin) Mei
PhD in Structural Engineering, University of Alberta
Mohammad Talebi Kalaleh
I am currently engaged in the research that use smartphones as sensors for indirect bridge health monitoring.
Supervised by Dr. Qipei (Gavin) Mei
PhD in Structural Engineering, University of Alberta
Jiangyu Zeng
My research is about the application of smartphones for crowdsensing based bridge condition monitoring.
Supervised by Dr. Qipei (Gavin) Mei
PhD in Structural Engineering, University of Alberta
Hui (Polo) Zuo
My research focuses on using point cloud data and digital twin for infrastructure defect detection and management.
Supervised by Dr. Qipei (Gavin) Mei
PhD in Structural Engineering, University of Alberta
Sida Ai
My research focuses on using computer vision to measure the dynamic response of structures and assess the health condition of them.
Supervised by Dr. Qipei (Gavin) Mei
PhD in Structural Engineering, University of Alberta
Beilei Ji
My research focuses on developing machine learning based surrogate models for pipelines subjected to permanent ground movement.
Supervised by Dr. Qipei (Gavin) Mei
PhD in Engineering Management, University of Alberta
Xiang Yuan
My research focuses on the use of Augmented Reality to improve the training of construction workers.
Supervised by Dr. Qipei (Gavin) Mei
PhD in Engineering Management, University of Alberta
Chao Fan
My research focuses on ergonomics and occupational safety of construction workers using computer vision/machine learning.
Supervised by Dr. Qipei (Gavin) Mei
PhD in Building Engineering, University of Alberta
Qibin Hu
My research is about the application of AI technology for automatic wood floor design.
Supervised by Dr. Qipei (Gavin) Mei
MSc in Structural Engineering, University of Alberta
Zahra Hassani
I am working on the application of smartphones for serviceability condition assessment for buildings
Supervised by Dr. Qipei (Gavin) Mei
MSc in Structural Engineering, University of Alberta
Yuchen Qian
I am working on using smartphones to evaluate serviceability condition of buildings.
Supervised by Dr. Qipei (Gavin) Mei
MSc in Structural Engineering, University of Alberta
Farshid Heshmati
My research focuses on developing machine learning based surrogate models for pipelines subjected to permanent ground movement.
Supervised by Dr. Qipei (Gavin) Mei