Marina Freire-Gormaly, PhD, EIT, LEED GA
Assistant Professor
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Faculty of Engineering
York University
marina.freire-gormaly@lassonde.yorku.ca
Dr. Marina Freire-Gormaly is an Assistant Professor in the Mechanical Engineering Department at the Lassonde School of Engineering at York University. Her research focusses on the development of sustainable water treatment systems, energy recovery systems, COVID-19 aerosol transmission in indoor environments and energy sustainability. She also is interested in applying machine learning for the development of new technologies. Her research interests are also in advanced manufacturing, smart systems using Internet of Things & artificial intelligence, and advanced additive manufacturing methods. She has also worked at Ontario Power Generation (OPG) on the Darlington New Nuclear Project and the Darlington Refurbishment Project. She contributed to a World Bank project evaluating Canada’s ‘Regulatory Indicators for Sustainable Energy’ (RISE). She currently serves as the Chair of Student Affairs for the Canadian Society of Mechanical Engineers (CSME). She is passionate about research and teaching energy systems to inspire the next generation of engineers to tackle society’s growing sustainability challenges. Her research interests include energy systems, optimization and design for global engineering contexts.
Current Members
Robert Liang, Ph.D. focuses on nanomaterials synthesis, water applications, additive manufacturing, and energy applications. His current research includes graphene additives in rubber and epoxy formulations, as well as nanobubble applications.
Current Students
Thipphathong (Dorothy) Piluk, P.Eng., M.E.Sc., is a PhD student working with the lab. She completed her Bachelors and Masters at Western University in London, ON, and worked consulting in the engineering industry. She is currently conducting research on the performance of a desalination system for remote and resource-constrained communities.
Belen Barrios is an innovative Mechanical Engineer (EIT) with PMP and CSPO credentials. She is currently completing her master's research on advancing cleaning methods for reverse osmosis (RO) membranes through a novel ultrasound horn design. Her study seeks to extend the maintenance period of RO membranes, reduce energy consumption, and improve water quality, backed by hypotheses tested using various characterization techniques, including FTIR and Raman Spectroscopy.
Danillo is a master's student in the lab working on the application of nanobubbles to mitigate eutrophication in bodies of water. He holds a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Algarve and an Master of Business Administration (MBA) in project management from the University of Sao Paulo. He is an engineering professional with five years of combined experience in mechanical engineering and academic research, spanning product development, nuclear energy, automation, and water treatment.
Akibul Halim is a Masters student in the Mechanical Engineering department. He is currently working on a carbon capture process. He completed his B.Sc. in Chemical Engineering from Jashore University of Science and Technology(JUST), Bangladesh in 2024. In his undergraduate thesis, he synthesized Ti incorporated hydrogel for the photo degradation of Rhodamine B solution under solar irradiation.
Victor Eke is a spirited global citizen from Nigeria who received his bachelor’s degree in Chemical and Petrochemical Engineering from Akwa Ibom State University in Nigeria. He is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering at York University. His research interests encompass process modeling, simulation, optimization, and sustainable energy technologies, with a focus on advancing sustainability in mechanical engineering. His work specifically targets energy systems, carbon capture technologies, life cycle assessment (LCA), and techno-economic assessment (TEA). Victor aims to develop and optimize direct air capture (DAC) systems to concentrate CO2 for sequestration or utilization, addressing challenges such as efficiency and scalability to support decarbonization initiatives and the transition to renewable energy sources.
Felix Bourget is a second year undergraduate student of mechanical engineering. He is the helping hand around the lab and currently working on graphene nanoplatelet additives in rubber formulations for enhanced wear resistance. Felix also has a hand in a reverse osmosis system designed to test various semi-permeable membrane coatings. His motivation for research stems from a desire for a greener, more sustainable future.
Wolfgang is a second year undergraduate student of mechanical engineering. He is working in the Freire-Gormaly lab as a Lassonde Undergraduate Research Award (LURA) recipient. His research is focused on aircraft cabin ventilation systems. Previous work at the Freire-Gormaly lab has involved CFD work to analyze the transmission of airborne diseases inside commercial aircraft cabins. His research entails an experimental validation of those simulations using a real airplane, supplied by the NRC.
Luna Marouf was engaged in making and testing different types of filter membrane coatings for the reverse osmosis (RO) water purification system. She was involved in analyzing and creating samples of graphene with various functional groups, testing them using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Ultra-violet visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy. Her testing aimed to determine the potential uses of graphene. Additionally, Luna was researching different applications of functionalized graphene, such as aerogels for lithium-ion batteries, rubber tires, and rotary blades.
Garnet Maxwell an undergraduate student majoring in mechanical engineering. I am currently working on the litter audit project, which aims to use drones and object detection models to increase the efficiency of the process.
Alumni and Past Students
Liam Horrigan earned his Master's of applied science in Mechanical Engineering under the supervision of Prof. Freire-Gormaly. He graduated from the University of Toronto in Mechanical Engineering and worked in the industry for several years. He conducted research on anti-fouling systems for resilient water systems.
Amanda served as a Graduate Research Assistant at the MFG Lab within the Lassonde School of Engineering. She earned her Master’s of Applied Science in Mechanical Engineering in 2023 under the co-supervision of Dr. Marina Freire-Gormaly and Dr. Paul O’Brien. Her research centered on the investigation and characterization of composite Silica aerogel nanostructures obtained through magnetron sputtering, focusing on Copper deposition atop the Silica aerogel supports. Her findings offered essential insights into an underexplored area, laying the groundwork for thin-film deposition techniques in the production of non-homogeneous nanocomposite Silica aerogel supports. Amanda’s future pursuits aimed to advance this field of study further.
Kishon Webb earned his Master's of applied science in Mechanical Engineering under the supervision of Prof. Freire-Gormaly. He worked on conducting ANSYS FLUENT modeling of COVID-19 aerosols.
Mubariz Nagi earned his Master's of applied science in Mechanical Engineering under the supervision of Prof. Freire-Gormaly and the co-supervision of Prof. Thomas Cooper. He graduated recently from the Lassonde School of Engineering. He worked on Aerogel Materials for novel Water and Air Purification systems.
Arma Khan earned her Master's of applied science in Mechanical Engineering under the supervision of Prof. Freire-Gormaly. She conducted research on aerosol spreading in light of COVID-19.
Brandon Truong earned his Master's of applied science in Mechanical Engineering under the supervision of Prof. Freire-Gormaly. He graduated from the University of Toronto in Chemistry. He conducted experimental research on anti-fouling membrane coatings for resilient water systems.
Hannah Yorke Gambhir was a recent graduate of the Lassonde School of Engineering. She worked with the lab designing renewable water treatment systems and low-cost dialysis systems. She also served as the Project Manager for ESSENCE (CubeSat team at York) and as the Engineering Affiliate Challenge Master for Destination Imagination. Additionally, she worked with the lab for the Helen Carswell STEAM program for Black and Indigenous high school students.
Neeha Rahman was a recent graduate of the Lassonde School of Engineering. She worked with the lab designing renewable water treatment systems and low-cost dialysis systems. She also collaborated with the lab on the Helen Carswell STEAM program for Black and Indigenous students to explore engineering.
Roshan Roy was a recent Lassonde Engineering graduate. He had a positive attitude when facing challenges and did not quit until the work was done right. He had a passion for 3D modeling and simulation. He worked with the lab on COVID-19 aerosol transmission research and supported the design and development of experimental systems.
Melina Tahami graduated from Mechanical Engineering at the Lassonde School of Engineering. She worked with the lab on designing renewable water treatment systems, focusing on wind-powered systems. She later worked at Ontario Power Generation as a Work Control Team Lead.
Harman Nagra was a Mechanical Engineering undergraduate student at the Lassonde School of Engineering. He was passionate about design and 3D modeling. He worked with the lab primarily on research regarding COVID-19 aerosol transmission. Harman also assisted in the design and modeling of an anti-fouling system.
Sarah Powell was an undergraduate student in Physics & Astronomy. She worked with the lab on experimental studies in water treatment for remote and resource-constrained communities.
Abu Raihan Ibna Ali worked as a Research Assistant with a MASc in Mechanical Engineering from York University, where he conducted investigations on airborne disease transmission from respiratory-generated aerosol in indoor environments such as aircraft cabins, escalators, etc., using advanced modeling and simulation techniques. He also experimentally investigated aerosol transmission in commercial aircraft cabins. During his BSc, he investigated heat transfer efficiency-enhancing nanofluids for electronic, automotive, and industrial processes.
Wilyam Hayelom is an aspiring mechanical engineer who enjoys the journey of academia. He finds success through his various projects. With his drive, Wilyam has a goal of working in the automotive industry. Over the summer of 2024, he was heavily involved in a reverse osmosis membrane testing apparatus including instrumentation, various sensors and hardware manipulation.
Min Khant Tun was an undergraduate mechanical engineering student at York University. He was engaged in a research project on an Automated Drone-Based Litter Audit System, utilizing deep learning and machine learning for the rapid identification and classification of litter.
