Meet Our Researchers

Hassan Hassanzadeh

Dr. Hassanzadeh is a professor in the Department of Chemical and  Petroleum Engineering. He holds a B.Sc. from the Petroleum University of Technology, formerly known as the Abadan Institute of Technology (AIT), an M.Sc. from the University of Tehran, and a Ph.D. from the University of Calgary. Dr. Hassanzadeh is the Principal Investigator and Director of the SHARP research consortium. Further information about Dr. Hassanzadeh research areas can be found in his Google Scholar. 

Email: hhassanz@ucalgary.ca

Phone: Office: 403.210.6645

View Dr. Hassanzadeh's faculty page

Mabkhot BinDahbag

Dr. Mabkhot BinDahbag is a Postdoctoral Associate and Laboratory Manager with the SHARP Research Consortium—a collaboration of multiple oilsands companies—within the Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering at the University of Calgary. He specializes in the design, fabrication, and simulation of high-pressure 1D, 2D, and 3D physical models for evaluating thermal-solvent recovery processes, including ES-SAGD. His expertise includes advanced numerical simulation using the CMG Suite, PVT phase behavior modeling, and the development of proprietary analytical methods for comprehensive fluid characterization, such as automated SARA fractionation and GC-SimDist-GPC. He has also developed a novel diagnostic technique for the simultaneous measurement of water cut and solvent concentration in stable emulsions. Dr. BinDahbag’s research focuses on enhancing oil recovery efficiency, improving understanding of rock–fluid interactions, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions through innovative chemical approaches involving urea, dimethyl ether (DME), and nanoparticles. In his role as Laboratory Manager, he oversees the operation and HSE compliance of high-pressure, high-temperature facilities and manages the upkeep of advanced analytical instrumentation. He has authored more than 25 peer-reviewed publications and provides technical mentorship to graduate researchers.

Mahmood Abdi

Dr. Abdi is a postdoctoral fellow in the SHARP research group. He received his PhD in Chemical Engineering in 2026 from the University of Calgary, and his BSc and MSc in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Tehran (2012–2018). During his doctoral studies, he focused on computational thermodynamics and experimental investigations of bitumen–solvent–water systems.

Currently, as a postdoctoral fellow, his research involves both experimental and computational thermodynamic analysis of solvent–bitumen–water phase behavior, as well as phase equilibria in electrolyte solutions.

Hadi Saboorian Jooybari

Hadi earned his PhD in Chemical and Petroleum Engineering with a specialization in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Calgary in May 2023. He obtained his BSc and MSc degrees in Petroleum Engineering both from Petroleum University of Technology (PUT), Iran. Before joining the University of Calgary, Hadi was a senior reservoir engineer in the Reservoir Studies Division of the Petroleum Engineering Department at National Iranian South Oil Company (NISOC). He joined NISOC in 2007 as a reservoir engineer and during nearly a decade of his career in NISOC, he was involved in a wide range of reservoir engineering projects. As a postdoctoral fellow in the SHARP research group, he is currently working on analytical modelling and numerical simulation of degasification to develop practical methods for safe extraction of methane and natural sequestration of CO2 in deep gas-saturated water resources.

Dennis Atta

Dennis got his BSc and MSc in Petroleum Engineering at the University of Mines and Technology, Tarkwa, Ghana, and Universiti Teknologi Petronas, Malaysia, respectively. His MSc thesis focused on the experimental evaluation of amino acids as chemical agents for enhanced oil recovery. Currently, Dennis is a PhD student at the University of Calgary. He joined the SHARP research group in July 2023 and his research is focused on evaluation of solvent-aided recovery processes using 3D physical model experiments and simulation.

Amr Mahgoub

Amr obtained his B.Sc in Mechanical Engineering from Fontys University of Applied Sciences in 2021, Eindhoven, The Netherlands. Following that, he gained three years of experience in the Semiconductor sector with ASML, where he worked as a production/qualification engineer. Motivated to advance his academic journey, Amr made the decision to pursue a master's degree in chemical engineering at the University of Calgary. As of September 2023, Amr is a member of the SHARP research group. His current research is centered around experimental investigations involving solvent-aided thermal recovery and the liquid-liquid phase equilibrium of solvent-bitumen systems.

Kenneth Hamilton

Ken graduated with a BSc in Oil and Gas Engineering, with minor in Digital Engineering in 2024 from University of Calgary. He started his MSc in Petroleum Engineering at the University of Calgary in August 2024. As a member of the SHARP research group, Ken is working on measurement and modelling of interfacial phenomena with practical applications across diverse fields such as in-situ bitumen recovery, food, pharmaceuticals, nanotechnology, carbon capture and sequestration.

Mohammad Javad Mohammadi

Mohammad Javad obtained his B.Sc. in Chemical Engineering from the Persian Gulf University (PGU) of Bushehr, Iran in 2016. He joined the SHARP research group in Fall 2017 to pursue an M.Sc. degree in Petroleum Engineering at the University of Calgary. His research at SHARP is focused on experimental and modelling studies of solvent-aided thermal recovery of bitumen from oilsands.

Ammar Aldalawy

Ammar holds B.Sc. and M.Sc. degree in Petroleum Engineering from Kirkuk (2009) and Baghdad (2013) Universities respectively in Iraq. He has eight years of oil field experience as a cementing field engineer and as a senior petrophysicist with local companies in Iraq. He served with the society of Petroleum Engineers as the Chairperson of SPE Erbil Section-North Iraq area (2018-2020). Ammar currently is a graduate student in Petroleum Engineering at the University of Calgary and joined the SHARP research group in January 2021. Ammar’s current research in SHARP focuses on measurements of diffusion coefficients of gases in liquids.

Taher Youssouf

Taher is a Master of Science student in Chemical Engineering at the University of Calgary. He brings hands-on experience in Unit Contact Engineering from Cenovus Energy, where he contributed to process optimization, equipment reliability, and safety improvements across multiple refining units. His background also includes research in upstream acid fracturing simulation with Trican Well Services and water treatment technologies at the University of Calgary. Taher holds a Bachelor of Science in Energy Engineering from the University of Calgary and a Petroleum Engineering Technology diploma from SAIT. His current research at SHARP focuses on experimental and modeling studies of solvent-aided thermal recovery processes.

Shadi Kheirollahi

Shadi obtained her B.Sc. degree in Chemical Engineering in 2017. She started her graduate studies in Chemical Engineering at the University of Calgary in September 2019. Shadi joined the SHARP research group as an M.Sc. student in January 2020. She is currently working on molecular diffusion and dispersion coefficients measurement in porous media and diffusion coefficients measurement of binary liquid systems.

Egor Purlats

Egor earned his BSc in Petroleum Engineering from Tomsk Polytechnic University in 2021 and subsequently completed his MSc in the same field at Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology in 2023. His undergraduate studies focused on reservoir pressure maintenance, while his graduate work delved into the effectiveness of the CCUS (Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage) project. Presently, Egor is actively pursuing his PhD thesis within the SHARP research group, where he is investigating gas generation during bitumen aquathermolysis.

Binyu Wang

Binyu obtained his B.Sc. in Petroleum Engineering from the China University of Petroleum, Beijing. He is currently enrolled as a doctoral student at the same institution. Binyu joined the SHARP research group as a visiting student in September 2024. His research primarily focuses on the displacement-imbibition coupling mechanisms between the matrix and complex networks in tight oil reservoirs.

Mohamed Abdelshafy

Mohamed Abdelshafy is a Petroleum Engineering graduate and an Engineer-in-Training (E.I.T) registered with the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA). He holds two Master of Engineering degrees from the University of Calgary: one in Petroleum Engineering and another in Energy and Environment Engineering. He also holds a Bachelor’s degree in Petroleum Engineering and Gas Technology from London South Bank University.

Mohamed previously worked as a Gas Leak Surveyor, performing pipeline inspections across Saskatchewan using advanced methane detection technologies. His research at SHARP focuses on phase behavior and mechanistic studies of solvent-aided bitumen recovery processes, involving both experimental and simulation work.

Syed Sanaullah Shah Bukhari

Sanaullah earned his BSc degree in 2018 from UET Lahore's Department of Petroleum & Gas Engineering. In addition, he achieved the International General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety from NEBOSH (UK). With over a year of hands-on experience in oilfield operations (specifically subsurface production operations) and reservoir engineering, he gained valuable insight. This practical exposure enabled him to discern various career avenues and bolstered his determination to pursue an MSc in Petroleum Engineering. Presently, Sanaullah is an MSc candidate in petroleum engineering at the University of Calgary. Actively engaged as a member of the SHARP research group, he is involved in screening of various solvents for developing more efficient in-situ bitumen recovery processes.

Ahmed El-Shazly

Ahmed obtained his BSc in chemical engineering from Toronto Metropolitan University in 2010. He also holds an MSc in Petroleum Engineering from New Mexico Tech (2017). Ahmed has several years of work experience in the oil and gas industry. He worked for reputable oil companies such as Precision Drilling and Husky Energy. He started working with reservoir simulation softwares since 2007 while working with Husky Energy. He has over 16 years of experience in reservoir simulation and worked on conventional and unconventional reservoirs and various reservoir simulators. Ahmed joined SHARP research team in March 2024 to pursue his PhD in petroleum engineering at the University of Calgary. Ahmed’s research interests are petroleum fluids phase behaviour, fluid phase equilibria, and reservoir simulation with applications to solvent-aided thermal recovery of bitumen and heavy oil. 

Humberto Martínez

Humberto holds a B.Sc. and M.Sc. in petroleum engineering from Universidad Industrial de Santander. During his master's studies, he focused on designing and constructing a prototype at a laboratory scale to replicate enhanced oil recovery (EOR) techniques under high-temperature and high-pressure conditions. He developed experimental protocols to examine the effects of flue gas addition to cyclic steam stimulation. With over two years of industry experience, he actively contributed to an In-situ Combustion pilot project in Colombia, monitoring and analyzing the combustion front movement via changes in physicochemical properties of production fluids. Humberto joined the SHARP research team in May 2024 to pursue his Ph.D. in petroleum engineering at the University of Calgary. Humberto's PhD research is on asphaltene deposition during solvent injection with applications to solvent-aided thermal recovery of bitumen and heavy oil.

Chen Luo

Chen obtained a B.Sc. in Petroleum Engineering and an M.Sc. in Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering from the College of Engineering and Technology at Changjiang University and Southwest Petroleum University, respectively. He is currently a Ph.D. student at China University of Petroleum (Beijing). In October 2024, Chen joined the SHARP research group as a visiting student. His research primarily focuses on the thermal recovery of heavy oil, including in-situ combustion and steam flooding. He is engaged in researching the development mechanism of hydraulic fracturing-assisted oil displacement composite viscosity reduction for deep, low-permeability heavy oil.

Maria-Isabel Sandoval Martinez

Maria-Isabel is a Petroleum Engineer and holds a master’s degree in Hydrocarbons from Universidad Industrial de Santander (UIS), Colombia. During her graduate studies, she conducted research on solvent injections as an Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) technique. With over seven years of experience, Maria-Isabel is a results-driven Reservoir Engineer specializing in Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) and Chemical EOR technologies. Her background includes extensive work in reservoir simulation, laboratory experimentation, and research project management. Currently, she is pursuing a Ph.D. in chemical Engineering at UIS. In July 2025, she joined the SHARP Research Group as a visiting student, where she is conducting research focused on the evaluation of interfacial viscoelasticity effects on surfactant injection performance for enhanced oil recovery.

Syeda Fardees Zaidi

Fardees completed her B.Eng. in Petroleum Engineering from NED University of Engineering & Technology, Karachi, Pakistan, in October 2023. With a research background and three publications on asphaltene deposition, she was selected to participate in the SPE University Program held in Abu Dhabi in October 2023. There, she won second prize for her project, and her research work was showcased at the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition & Conference (ADIPEC) 2023. She later worked as a Field Engineer in the Managed Pressure Drilling department at Weatherford for about a year, gaining hands-on experience in the oil and gas industry. In August 2025, she joined the University of Calgary as an MSc student in Chemical Engineering, specializing in Petroleum Engineering. As a member of the SHARP Research team she works on advancing solvent-aided thermal heavy oil and bitumen recovery processes.

Sushmita Sarker Chnapa

I am Sushmita Sarker Chnapa, who joined the SHARP research team in Fall 2025 as an M.Sc. student specializing in Petroleum Engineering. I completed my B.Sc. in Petroleum and Mining Engineering at Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet, Bangladesh in 2023. Recognized for my research in reservoir characterization, I was awarded the prestigious National Science and Technology Fellowship from the ministry of Bangladesh in 2024. At present, my graduate research focuses on experimental studies of solvent-aided thermal bitumen recovery from oil sands in Alberta, contributing to advancements in sustainable and efficient heavy oil recovery methods.