Featured Engineering Projects & Innovation Initiatives
Featured Engineering Projects & Innovation Initiatives
Lead Researcher | Khalifa University | 2020-2023
Funding: ASPIRE Research Grant (~$270,000)
Engineered continuous flow and fixed-bed photocatalytic reactor systems for CO2 reduction and clean hydrogen production translating lab-scale experimental data into rigorous industrial scale-up models.
Key Achievements:
Designed & operated continuous flow photocatalytic reactors with full UV/solar irradiation, gas-liquid-solid phase management, and residence time control
Executed full DOE campaigns (UV-Vis, FTIR, GC, mass flow controllers) to map kinetic constants and identify critical process parameters (CPPs)
Built COMSOL Multiphysics & Aspen Plus models achieving 5% predictive accuracy reducing experimental iterations by 50%
Established rigorous materials characterization protocols: BET, TGA, TEM, SEM, XRD, AFM, Raman, FTIR
Developed ISO/IEC 17025-compliant SOPs and QA/QC protocols for lab-scale operations
Outcome: Enabled confident scale-up decision-making and established a directly deployable process engineering methodology applicable to CRO/CDMO, specialty chemical, and energy sector roles.
Facility Development Director | RIC2D, Khalifa University | 2023-2025
Investment: ~$6.8M+ | Facility: 600 sq. m
Commissioned a world-class advanced process and materials research facility from an empty shell delivered on time, on budget, and audit-ready from day one of occupancy.
Key Achievements:
Managed full end-to-end delivery: equipment selection, vendor qualification, contract negotiation, installation, and commissioning of 20+ advanced analytical & process instruments
Engineered laboratory layouts, utility zoning, HAZOP-style safety systems, and EHS compliance frameworks for high-voltage, high-temperature, and high-pressure environments
Implemented full ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation framework, SOPs, preventive maintenance schedules, and QA/QC systems from scratch
Delivered the facility in under 7 months against an 18-month industry benchmark achieving 97% equipment uptime and immediate audit-readiness
Enabled 5 funded research projects and 2 industrial collaborations from day one of facility operations
Awards: KU Excellence in Laboratory Safety Award (2024) | Distinguished Service Award (2024)
Data Science Lead | Khalifa University | 2023-2025
Developed a machine learning model capable of predicting global desalination EPC cost across diverse technologies, configurations, and operating conditions enabling data-driven investment and design decisions at an industrial scale.
Key Achievements:
Compiled and processed a large global desalination dataset spanning multiple technologies, geographies, and operating conditions
Applied regression, PCA, PLS, and neural network models (Python, MATLAB) to predict process cost with high accuracy
Co-developed a web-based desalination cost prediction platform accessible to engineers and industry decision-makers
Demonstrated applied AI/ML capability directly applicable to industrial process economics, plant design optimization, and technology selection
Publication: Desalination, 608, 118829 (2025) | Directly transferable to energy sector, water infrastructure, and industrial process optimization roles.
Co-Founder & Technical Lead | Abu Dhabi, UAE | November 2022 Present
Developing a scalable, economically viable process for selective recovery of critical metals (Au, Ag, Cu, Pd, Ni) from electronic waste addressing the global e-waste crisis and critical material supply chain vulnerability.
Key Achievements:
Developed proprietary photocatalytic and hydrometallurgical process technology at Khalifa University (KU Ref: 2022-067)
Designed sequential process stages for selective metal recovery with high efficiency and minimal chemical waste
IP independently evaluated by TreMonti Consulting: IP Protectability HIGH | Product Benefit vs. Existing Solutions HIGH
Contributed to scale-up strategy, technology transfer evaluation, and commercialization pathway development
Currently seeking strategic partners for pilot-scale demonstration and market entry
Contribution: experimental validation, process modeling, and scale-up strategy. IP filed under Khalifa University (KU Ref: 2022-067).
Industry Relevance: Clean-tech venture demonstrating entrepreneurial execution, IP development, and technology commercialization capability across mining, recycling, and circular economy sectors.
Process Simulation Lead | Masdar Institute / Khalifa University | 2016-2020
Evaluated the economic viability and technical feasibility of multiple clean energy process concepts including photocatalytic H2S splitting for hydrogen production, CO2 utilization, and membrane distillation to support investment and scale-up decisions.
Key Achievements:
Built Aspen Plus steady-state process models at Pre-FEED level with full mass/energy balances, equipment sizing, and utility integration
Delivered comprehensive Pre-FEED Techno-Economic Analysis (TEA): CAPEX/OPEX breakdown, sensitivity analysis on feedstock cost, product price, and conversion efficiency
Developed SuperPro Designer models for biomass-to-energy processes (anaerobic digestion, pyrolysis) with investor-ready feasibility reports
Ran parametric batch jobs on HPC cluster (SLURM) for design-space sweeps and model calibration
Applied gPROMS for coupled PDE/ODE mechanistic modelling and process optimization
Publications: Energy Technology (2021) | Case Studies in Chemical and Environmental Engineering (2025) | Methodology directly applicable to technology commercialization, project feasibility, and engineering consulting.
Ph.D. Researcher | Khalifa University | 2016-2023
Developed predictive computational models for complex multiphysics photocatalytic reactor systems integrating fluid dynamics, mass transfer, photon transport, and reaction kinetics with experimental validation for scale-up confidence.
Key Achievements:
Built 3D COMSOL Multiphysics models coupling fluid flow, photon transport, and reaction kinetics for microfluidic and parallel-channel reactor geometries
Validated models against experimental HPLC/UV-Vis data achieving high predictive fidelity
Applied CFD insights to optimize reactor geometry, catalyst loading, and operating conditions for maximum process performance
Bridged computational and experimental domains delivering both simulation capability and hands-on experimental execution in a single engineering role
Publications: Chemical Engineering Science (2021, 2023) | Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology A (2024) | Demonstrates advanced simulation capability for reactor design, process optimization, and scale-up across CRO/CDMO, specialty chemical, and advanced manufacturing environments.
Ph.D. Researcher (Equal Contribution) | Masdar Institute / Khalifa University | 2018-2019
Designing an unrecoverable catalyst into a recoverable system — and proving it works at scale.
Key Skills Demonstrated:
Continuous-flow reactor design and assembly (fixed-bed, recirculating loop)
Functional nanomaterial synthesis: nAg/Kaolin immobilized on borosilicate glass beads
Surface deposition and controlled thermal annealing (10-step protocol)
Materials characterization: Raman spectroscopy, TEM-EDX, FIB-SEM
Quantitative microbial disinfection campaigns: DOE, serial dilution, reusability testing
First-order kinetic modelling and process scale-up reasoning
Kaolin is a proven antimicrobial material — but it is a powder, and powders are a recovery liability in any water treatment process. I addressed this by synthesising and immobilising nAg/Kaolin composite onto borosilicate glass beads via a 10-step spray deposition and annealing protocol, optimised specifically for coating stability and film integrity. The result: a fixed, reusable antimicrobial support that eliminates the recovery problem entirely.
I then designed and assembled the continuous-flow reactor system from scratch — plastic syringes, a peristaltic pump, recirculation loop, and mini-reactors configured as a fixed-bed. No off-the-shelf kit. Before running a single microbial sample, I validated the immobilisation by running Raman spectroscopy, TEM-EDX, and FIB-SEM on the coated beads, confirming coating integrity and nAg distribution on the surface.
The experimental campaign was structured: positive and negative controls, serial dilution, and repeated reusability tests run over 288 hours. The system achieved complete microbial disinfection within 2 hours and demonstrated no loss of activity across all reuse cycles. I derived first-order kinetic constants from the disinfection data — kd = 2.76 and 2.56 cm h⁻¹ across two independent runs — confirming system reproducibility. The engineering outcome: a scalable, recoverable antimicrobial reactor design with demonstrated reusability, eliminating the primary barrier to deploying kaolin-based systems in real water treatment infrastructure.
Key Outcomes:
Complete microbial disinfection within 2 hours under continuous-flow conditions
Confirmed reusability over 288-hour experimental duration with no activity loss
Immobilisation integrity verified pre- and post-activity by Raman, TEM-EDX, FIB-SEM
First-order kinetic constants: kd = 2.76 cm h-1 (Run 1) and 2.56 cm h-1 (Run 2)
Solved the kaolin powder recovery problem via fixed-bed configuration -- enabling scale-up potential
Publication: Ozer, L.Y., Yusuf, A. (equal contribution), et al. "Water microbial disinfection via supported nAg/Kaolin in a fixed-bed reactor configuration." Applied Clay Science 184 (2020) 105387 | doi.org/10.1016/j.clay.2019.105387