Two UBC Okanagan School of Engineering professors are among 71 UBC researchers to receive new funding from the B.C. Knowledge Development Fund (BCKDF).
Dr. Qian Chen, Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering, and Dr. Klaske van Heusden, Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering join six other UBC Okanagan researchers in being recognized.
The BCKDF supports the development of cutting-edge research infrastructure—such as laboratories, tools and equipment—helping B.C. institutions attract top researchers, foster innovation, and strengthen partnerships with industry and community.
“Congratulations to Dr. Chen and Dr. van Heusden on this well-deserved recognition. Their innovative work reflects the strength and ambition of engineering research at UBC Okanagan—advancing solutions that improve lives, strengthen industry partnerships and create lasting societal impact,” said Dr. Will Hughes, Director, School of Engineering.
Dr. Qian Chen — Digital Integration for Robotic Fabrication in Construction
Award: $113,041
Dr. Qian Chen’s project, Digital Integration for Robotic Fabrication in Construction (DIRFIC), aims to advance rapid and affordable housing solutions by streamlining digital workflows in industrialized construction.
Her research focuses on digital and immersive technologies, optimization algorithms, and fabrication-aware design to accelerate the digital transformation of construction. She earned her Doctor of Science in Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering from ETH Zurich, where her work advanced digital supply chain coordination using lean production methods, BIM innovations, and optimization tools.
Before joining UBCO, Dr. Chen supported the UK Construction Productivity Taskforce at the University of Cambridge. At UBC Okanagan, she leads the Construction Integration and Digitalization Lab, working closely with industry and municipal partners on circular economy strategies, configurator design, and digital fabrication processes that improve performance and sustainability in construction.
“DIRFIC would be a timely application since robotic technologies and supply chain integration are changing the construction and manufacturing landscape. It will deliver methods about design for robotic fabrication of building components and intelligent decision support for improved fabrication productivity. By reducing the cost and complexity of digital fabrication, DIRFIC can help SMEs and startups adopt construction automation technologies and maximize the practical benefits, in turn making the Canadian construction and manufacturing job market more attractive to skilled workers.” said Dr. Chen.
Dr. Klaske van Heusden — Data-driven Control for Safety-critical Applications
Award: $79,842
Dr. Klaske van Heusden’s project focuses on the algorithms required to make the next generation of automated systems safe. Her research enhances high-performance, high-precision robotics and mechatronics through learning-based control. Her work supports emerging applications in agriculture and health care, improving sustainability and safety.
Dr. van Heusden completed her PhD at EPFL (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne), where she developed the first data-driven feedback-controller design method guaranteeing closed-loop stability. She also holds an MSc in Mechanical Engineering from Delft University of Technology and completed postdoctoral work at UC Santa Barbara, developing control algorithms for the artificial pancreas.
Before joining UBCO Engineering, she led interdisciplinary biomedical research projects in UBC’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, contributing to the development of closed-loop anesthesia delivery devices and, more recently, sensing and control for robotic welding.
“This infrastructure will allow us to move our fundamental research to applications. We are grateful for the BCKDF support for our research and their commitment to providing a high-quality training environment to support the automation and robotics sector in BC,” said Dr. van Heusden.