Steering Committee
Co- Directors
Dr. Rozita Dara
Co-Director of AI4Food
Professor, School of Computer Science, CCMPS
Dr. Maria Corradini
Co-Director of AI4Food
Professor, and Arrell Chair in Food Quality, Department of Food Science, OAC
Dr. Maria Corradini, holding the prestigious Arrell Chair in Food Quality at the Department of Food Science, University of Guelph, focuses her research on pioneering techniques for studying food properties, biophysical behaviors, and stability. Her work integrates these advanced methods with predictive tools and computational models to deliver real-time estimations of food attributes. Dr. Corradini’s overarching goal is to enhance food safety through early warning systems, reduce food waste by optimizing distribution, and improve accessibility and sustainability. Previously an assistant professor at the University of Massachusetts – Amherst, she brings valuable experience from Rutgers University and Universidad Argentina de la Empresa. Dr. Corradini earned her PhD and MS in Food Science from the University of Massachusetts – Amherst, completing her degrees in 2004 and 2001, respectively.
Area Heads
Joe Dales
Area: Strategic Advisor, Industry and Partnerships
Co-Founder and President of RHA Ventures Inc
Joe Dales is the co-founder and president of RHA Ventures Inc., an early-stage venture capital and commercialization firm focused on accelerating innovation across the agriculture and food sectors. With more than 35 years of experience in agribusiness, agri-tech and entrepreneurship, Joe is an experienced founder and hands on investor, launching and more than 40 agricultural innovations, including crop protection products, seed technologies, biologicals, and high-growth technology companies. Joe co-founded AgCareers.com and Farms.com, two pioneering digital agriculture startup companies. Today, he mentors entrepreneurs, connects innovators with investors, and supports the commercialization of transformative technologies. He also has extensive Corporate Governance experience serving on the Board of Directors of organizations like the Canadian Agri-Food Automation & Intelligence Network (CAAIN), Western Fair Association, RHA portfolio companies, Canterra Seeds and Vive Crop Protection. Joe is actively involved in advancing Canada’s agri-food innovation ecosystem through strategic partnerships with industry, government, researchers, and investors.
Dr. Medhat Moussa
Area: Robotics
Professor and Director of Robotics Institute, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, COE
Dr. Medhat Moussa, based in the School of Engineering at the University of Guelph, focuses his research on developing advanced robotics systems capable of operating in complex, unstructured environments. With a PhD in Systems Design Engineering from the University of Waterloo, an M.Sc. from the Université de Moncton, and a B.Sc. from the American University in Cairo, Dr. Moussa has been at the forefront of robotics research since joining the University of Guelph in 2000.
He is, renowned for prototyping complete robotics systems, integrating industrial robot manipulators such as FANUC and Kuka, a variety of sensors and cameras, specialized computing hardware like FPGAs, and software for seamless equipment integration and control.
Dr. Claudia Wagner-Riddle
Area: Soil health
Professor and Stephen A. Jarislowsky Chair in Climate-Smart Soils, School of Environmental Sciences, OAC
Prof. Claudia Wagner-Riddle, specializes in biogeochemical cycling, micrometeorology, and soil-plant-atmosphere exchange. Originally from Brazil, Prof. Wagner-Riddle’s interest in soil and climate was sparked by a devastating frost that affected coffee plantations in her region, leading to her initial work with no-till and cover crops. She holds a B.Sc. in Agronomic Engineering and an M.Sc. in Agrometeorology from the University of Sao Paulo, followed by a PhD in Atmospheric Sciences from the University of Guelph in 1992.
Prof. Wagner-Riddle’s research primarily focuses on mitigating greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural systems, providing critical data to inform policy decisions by farming organizations and governments.
Dr. Shayan Sharif
Area: Poultry
Professor and Interim Vice-President Research and innovation, Department of Pathobiology, OVC
Prof. Shayan Sharif is the Interim Associate Vice-President Research (Agri-Food Partnership). In this role, Prof. Sharif oversees the Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance, a significant collaboration between the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) and the University of Guelph. He provides strategic management and support to this alliance, which represents the largest single research agreement at the University.
Prof. Sharif, a Prof. of Immunology, brings over 23 years of experience in academia. His research focuses on diseases of poultry, particularly avian influenza, and he explores methods to control these infectious diseases through the development of novel vaccines.
Prof. Sharif has received numerous prestigious honors throughout his career, including being named a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences in 2022 and receiving the Research Leadership Chair at the University of Guelph in 2017.
Area: Computational Mathematics
Professor and Associate Dean of Research and Graduate Studies, Department of Mathematics & Statistics, CCMPS
Dr. Monica Gabriela Cojocaru is currently a Professor and Associate Dean of Research and Graduate Studies in the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences at the University of Guelph. She earned her Ph.D. in Mathematics from Queen’s University in 2002 and completed an NSERC postdoctoral fellowship at the Centre des Recherches Mathématiques (CRM) in Montreal in 2003.
Throughout her career, she has held visiting positions at the Fields Institute, Harvard University, Northwestern University, University of Brescia, and Lehigh University.
Prof. Cojocaru’s research focuses on non-smooth dynamical and complex systems, particularly equilibrium problems in economic modeling (Wardrop), game theory (Nash), and physical equilibria. She investigates fundamental questions about equilibrium existence, uniqueness, stability, and sensitivity in contexts such as transportation, network dynamics, and dynamic and evolutionary games.
Dr. Youbin Zheng
Area: Greenhouse Technologies
Professor, School of Environmental Sciences, OAC
Dr. Youbin Zheng is a full professor in the School of Environmental Sciences at the University of Guelph, editor-in-chief of the Canadian Journal of Plant Science, and a board member of Agricultural Research and Innovation Ontario. In the early stages of his research career, Dr. Zheng focused on using controlled environment facilities to study the effects of environmental pollution on plant physiology, biochemistry, growth and yield. Over the past two decades, he has expanded upon this foundation, integrating his broad expertise in plant, soil, and environmental sciences to support various sectors of the horticulture industry. These include indoor cannabis production, controlled environment ornamental, vegetable and berry productions, nursery and landscape management, green roofs, and urban agriculture, as well as organisations applying horticultural technologies to improve environmental quality. In recent years, Dr. Zheng has been actively collaborating with artificial intelligence (AI) experts to apply AI technologies in controlled environment agriculture, aiming to sustainably produce high-quality, high-yield fresh produce and medicinal plants.
Dr. Mohsen Yoosefzadeh Najafabadi
Area: AI-Driven Plant Breeding and Computational Biology
Assistant Professor, Department of Plant Agriculture, OAC
Dr. Mohsen Yoosefzadeh Najafabadi leads the Dry Bean Breeding & Computational Biology Program in the Department of Plant Agriculture at the University of Guelph. His research integrates plant breeding, genetics, multi-omics, and artificial intelligence to accelerate the development of high-yielding, climate-resilient, and disease-resistant dry bean cultivars for Canadian agriculture. He specializes in applying advanced computational tools, hybrid AI, and hyperspectral imaging to link genomic, phenomic, and environmental data for data-driven breeding decisions. Dr. Yoosefzadeh Najafabadi’s work bridges fundamental plant science and practical applications through partnerships with government, industry, and producer organizations. He is committed to advancing digital transformation in agri-food systems and developing open-source platforms that support equitable, transparent, and sustainable food production and crop improvement.
Dr. Zhao Zhao
Area: Human Computer Interaction
Assistant Professor, School of Computer Science, CCMPS
Zhao Zhao is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at the University of Guelph specializing in Human-Computer Interaction. Her research harnesses wearable-based physiological sensing to model user state and inform adaptive interfaces. Grounded in human-centered design, participatory methods, and mixed-methods evaluation, she builds and studies systems—from mobile tools to social robots—that personalize daily interactions and promote well-being. By integrating physiological data with intelligent decision-making, her work advances responsive technologies that help people thrive alongside multiple intelligent entities.
Dr. Kristen Edwards
Area: Cattle Systems Innovation
Assistant Professor and Veterinary Epidemiologist, Department of Population Medicine, OVC
Dr. Kristen Edwards is an Assistant Professor in Veterinary Epidemiology at the Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph. A three-time graduate of Guelph (BSc 2010, DVM 2014, PhD 2025), she spent 11 years in cattle practice in both the United States and Ontario before returning to academia. Her research focuses on improving the health and welfare of dairy, beef, and dairy-beef cross calves through advancements in management, nutrition, and data-driven herd health decision-making.
Prof. Manickavasagan (Manick) Annamalai
Area: Food Engineering
Professor, and Founder and CEO, Bioimaging Research Solution Inc., COE
Prof. Manickavasagan Annamalai, P.Eng., FCSBE, is a professor at the University of Guelph with expertise in food processing, imaging, and sensor-based quality systems. He received his PhD in Biosystems Engineering from the University of Manitoba and worked in the food industry for eight years before joining academia. He has published more than 120 peer-reviewed journal articles and edited 10 scholarly books. Beyond academia, he is the Founder and CEO of Bioimaging Research Solution Inc., which develops advanced imaging technologies for food and agricultural applications.
Dr. Tongzhe li
Area: Behavioral and Experimental Economics
Professor and Arrell Family Chair in Behavioral and Experimental Economics
Department of Food, Agricultural and Resource Economics, OAC
Tongzhe Li is a Professor in the Department of Food, Agricultural and Resource Economics (FARE), University of Guelph. She is Arrell Family Chair in Behavioral and Experimental Economics and founding director for the FARE Laboratory for Experimental and Applied Economics. Tongzhe obtained her Ph.D. in Economics at Washington State University in 2015. Her passion is combining economic theory and behavioral approaches to understand the complex economic, political, and social context of a problem. She has published extensively using lab and field experiments to address agri-food-environmental issues, by studying how real people behave. Outside of work, Tongzhe can be found exploring the world, sometimes with her badminton racket in hand, other times with her snorkeling gear
Dr. Neil Bruce
Area: Digital Twin and Augmented Reality
Professor, School of Computer Science, CCMPS
Dr. Neil Bruce is known for his research spanning computer vision, deep learning, machine learning, and computational neuroscience, with a focus on understanding perception and building intelligent systems inspired by human information processing. His work applies machine learning and data science to draw principled inferences from complex visual and behavioral data, contributing to both foundational science and real-world engineered systems. His recent research directions include AI applications in health—particularly mental health—brain–computer interface–adjacent and human-cybernetic systems with AI in the loop, and AR/VR platforms that integrate sensing technologies such as eye tracking to enable adaptive, human-centered experiences. He is also recognized for his commitment to responsible AI, contributing to ethical, safe, and human-preserving AI design and discourse.
Dr. Gurjit Randhawa
Area: Precision Agriculture
Assistant Professor, School of Computer Science, CCMPS
Dr. Gurjit Randhawa is an Assistant Professor at the School of Computer Science, University of Guelph, Canada. He earned his Ph.D. and M.Sc. in Computer Science from the University of Western Ontario, Canada, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Waterloo, Canada. His interdisciplinary research bridges artificial intelligence, robotics, and computational sciences to advance precision agriculture, sustainable engineering, and bioinformatics.
Dr. Randhawa leads research projects integrating AI-driven computer vision, machine learning, and autonomous robotics for real-time crop disease detection, yield prediction, and agri-environmental monitoring. His current work includes developing smart robotic imaging systems and AI algorithms for precision scouting, pest and disease management, and data-informed decision support in agriculture.
Dr. Randhawa’s research has been supported by major Canadian funding agencies, including the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness (OMAFA), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), the Digital Research Alliance of Canada, and Mitacs. His broader vision is to develop AI-enabled robotic systems that enhance agricultural sustainability, improve crop resilience, and transform field phenotyping and smart farming practices.
Collaborators
Dr. Sean Lyons
Professor and Associate Dean of Research and Graduate Studies, Department of Management, Gordon S. Lang School of Business and Economics
Dr. Sean Lyons, currently serving as Associate Dean of Research & Graduate Studies and Professor of Leadership & Management at the Dean’s Office, specializes in studying inter-generational differences and their profound impacts on workplace dynamics and management strategies. His research, widely recognized and featured in Time Magazine, the Globe & Mail, and other prominent media outlets, focuses on generational disparities in work values and attitudes. Dr. Lyons collaborates extensively with both private and public sector organizations to identify and address inter-generational challenges. He holds a PhD in Management from the Sprott School of Business at Carleton University (2004), an MA in Public Policy and Administration from Carleton University (1998), and a BPA from the University of Windsor (1995).
Kevin Matsui
Managing Director of the Centre for Advancing Responsible and Ethical Artificial Intelligence (CARE-AI), UoG
National Expert Committee
Dr. William Hsiao
Area: Ontology and Data Harmonization
Associate Professor, Faculty of Health Sciences at Simon Fraser University
Dr. William Hsiao is an associate professor in the Faculty of Health Sciences at Simon Fraser University and principal investigator of the Centre for Infectious Disease Genomics and One Health (CIDGOH). His research applies data science and knowledge engineering to support data sharing, integration, and harmonization across public health, animal health, and food systems through a One Health lens. His team develops FoodOn.org, a widely adopted open ontology that standardizes food and agricultural terminology to strengthen traceability and interoperability across the agri-food sector, alongside GenEpiO.org, a companion ontology supporting infectious disease and public health genomics. Prior to joining SFU in 2020, Dr. Hsiao was chief bioinformatician and senior scientist at the BC Centre for Disease Control Public Health Laboratory and a clinical associate professor at the University of British Columbia. He was awarded the Michael Smith Health Research BC Scholar Award in 2019, and remains committed to advancing ethical, data-driven innovation across health and agri-food systems while training the next generation of bioinformaticians.
Dr. Mahtab Kamali
Area: Artificial Intelligence Architecture
Artificial Intelligence Architect
Dr. Mahtab Kamali is an expert in the development and deployment of AI systems within highly regulated, mission-critical environments. With over a decade of experience across diverse industries, she specializes in building transparent, “white-box” multi-agent networks that balance autonomous execution with rigorous auditability. Spanning both agentic and non-agentic AI, Dr. Kamali has spent years working directly across the table from enterprise leadership translating cutting-edge research into profitable, deployed products and high-value corporate partnerships.
Her recent work focuses on embedding mechanistic interpretability, deterministic guardrails, and comprehensive data lineage into complex decision pipelines. By ensuring that autonomous workflows remain explainable and compliant under volatile, high-stakes conditions, she bridges technical robustness with ethical governance. Recognizing that trust is the cornerstone of enterprise adoption, Dr. Kamali is a dedicated advocate for advancing PII (Personally Identifiable Information) protection frameworks and system-wide transparency.
International Advisory Committee
Dr. Esther Meenken
Senior Statistician in AgResearch, New Zealand
Dr. Leanne Wiseman
Australian Research Council (ARC) Future Fellow and Professor in Intellectual Property Law, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia
Dr. Leanne Wiseman is an interdisciplinary scholar whose research lies at the intersections of intellectual property (IP) law and digital technologies, with particular attention to balancing IP rights with genuine access to information. She is recognised for high quality, interdisciplinary, policy relevant and impactful research that addresses critical questions about the role that IP plays in hindering or enabling access to new digital technologies. Leanne has a particular interest in the legal dimensions of the adoption and uptake of digital technologies and access to information in agricultural industries in national and international contexts. From this research, Leanne’s current research focus has shifted to examining the role that IP can play in hindering or enabling the international Right to Repair. The Agricultural machinery Right to Repair movement highlights the important role that access to data plays in securing our food future.
Our Team
Sakib Shahriar
Sakib Shahriar is a PhD Candidate in Computer Science at the University of Guelph. His research focuses on large language models (LLMs), natural language processing, privacy, multimodal AI, and human-AI interaction. He has worked on evaluating LLMs for sensitive information detection, privacy-aware data processing, and responsible AI deployment. His current interests include applying LLMs to agriculture and food-sector challenges, with a focus on practical prototyping, usability, reliability, and human impact.
Tarika Jain
Tarika Jain holds a Master’s degree in Cybersecurity and Threat Intelligence. Her research interests include privacy, ethical and responsible AI, data governance, cybersecurity, and digital trust. She is particularly interested in developing governance frameworks and approaches that enable the secure, transparent, and responsible use of AI and data across digital ecosystems.