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Discovery, research and innovation

Screenshot of a virtual-reality game featuring a map of Port Alberni
Computer scientists Yvonne Coady and Derek Jacoby’s virtual-reality game challenges players to prepare for an imminent tsunami in Port Alberni.

The Department of Computer Science at the ·¬ÇÑÉçÇø is home to dynamic and active leaders in a broad range of research areas.  We are proud of the accomplishments of our faculty and students who have established the Department as a world-class presence in the field of IT research and as an important contributor to Canada's vibrant information economy.

Our progressive faculty and researchers attract funding in excess of $7 million per year and mentor students on cutting-edge developments and advancements.  We are supported with research grants provided be a number of sources, including the National Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) and others from within the province of British Columbia.

Research groups

Computational Biology

Computational Biology

ECS 419
  • Genomics
  • Programming languages
  • Bioinformatics
  • Data science

Computer Music (MISTIC)

George Tzanetakis; Peter Driessen; W. Andrew Schloss

ECS 602 / 604

  • New methods for controlling instruments
  • Interactive context-aware music browsing
  • Musical robots
  • Music information retrieval

Database & Data Mining (DEIA)

Daniel German; Alex Thomo; Venkatesh Srinivasan; George Tzanetakis;

ECS 442

  • Data mining
  • Bioinformatics
  • Automata and formal languages
  • Search and ranking
  • Algorithms for large social and web graphs
  • Mining software repositories
  • Big data

Geometry Processing

ECS 648

  • Geometry processing
  • Computer graphics
  • Numerical simulations

Graphics, Artificial Intelligence, Design, and Games (GAIDG) Lab

Graphics, Artificial Intelligence, Design, and Games (GAIDG) Lab

ECS 648

  • Graphics
  • Agent-based Modelling
  • Crowd Simulation
  • Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning
  • Deep Learning
  • Digital Games
  • Human Computer Interaction
  • Human-Centred Design
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Augmented Intelligence

Human-Computer Interaction & Interactive Visualization (VIXI)

; ;

Victoria Interactive Experiences with Information (VIXI) Lab

ECS 430

Machine Learning

ECS 654

  • Statistical learning
  • Online learning/sequential prediction
  • Learning theory

Parallel, Networking & Distributed Applications (PANDA)

Sudhakar Ganti; Jianping Pan; Kui Wu;

ECS 402 / 404 / 330

  • Cloud computing
  • Online social networks
  • Software defined networks
  • Smart grid
  • Green computing
  • Mobile computing
  • Wireless communication networks
  • Mobile ad hoc networks
  • Protocol design and performance evaluation applied network security

Software & Systems Engineering

Computer Human Interaction & Software Engineering (CHISEL)

Margaret-Anne Storey;

ECS 542

  • Cognitive support and technology diffusion
  • Human computer interaction
  • Implications of technology use
  • Social informatics
  • Interface design
  • Knowledge engineering
  • Software engineering
  • Technology and pedagogy
  • Visualization

Learn.Engineer.Act.Design. Lab (L.E.A.D Lab)

Jens Weber; Morgan Price

ECS 448

  • Software engineering
  • Health informatics
  • Software specifications and quality assurance
  • Security and privacy
  • Software safety
  • Certification 
  • Usability
  • Human computer interaction
  • Data and software reengineering 

Modularity Squad (MODSQUAD)

Yvonne Coady

ECS 565/567

  • Advanced modularity techniques for concurrent and distributed systems
  • Virtual and Augmented Reality
  • Applications in geospatial analysis with mobile systems and senor data

RIGI research

Hausi Müller
ECS 412

  • Self-adaptive software systems
  • Context awareness
  • Cyber physical systems
  • Smart applications 

Software Engineering Global interAction Lab (SEGAL)

Daniela Damian;

ECS 548

  • Collaborative software engineering
  • Coordination and communication in software engineering
  • software ecosystems
  • Education in software engineering
  • Global software development

Theory

Theory Lab

Bruce Kapron; Valerie King; Nishant Mehta; Sajin Koroth

ECS 642

  • Algorithms and data structures
  • Computational and constructive mathematics
  • Computational aspects of logic and verification
  • Computational complexity
  • Cryptography and data privacy
  • Theory of machine learning
  • Parallel and distributed computing
  • Theoretical aspects of networks, privacy, information retrieval, and databases

Practical Interdisiplinary Tractable Algorithms (PITA)

Ulrike Stege

ECS 411

  • Parameterized complexity
  • Computational biology
  • Human problem solving