Natalie Arthurs
Senior Manager
With extensive experience in economic development and a focus on innovation, commercialization, and tech sector growth, Natalie’s areas of expertise include connecting with companies to solve complex business challenges and bringing the right talent and resources to help them seize new opportunities using AI technologies. She is also adept at combining strategic vision with practical expertise to drive transformative results. Natalie is responsible for executing the AI Hub’s mandate to accelerate AI adoption and innovation across the Canadian ecosystem. She has a proven track record of forging impactful partnerships across academia, industry, and government. Natalie has a Master of Public Administration from Queen's University and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Waterloo.
Saba Siddiqi
Research Lead
With a strong mathematical background, Saba understands algorithms and methods from a mathematical and intuitive viewpoint. Having been a part of the AI Hub for the past five years, she leads and manages research teams to help SMEs plan and implement AI solutions to help their businesses grow. She has been a part of several successful projects to help the real estate, healthcare, education, and security sectors with AI solutions, web applications, mobile applications, and REST APIs. Her research interests include exploring machine learning models to solve real-world problems. Saba holds a bachelors degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering and a masters degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering, specializing in Artificial Intelligence from the University of Waterloo. At the AI Hub, she also helps students develop technical and interpersonal skills, thereby helping them get ready for the workforce.
Amber Moores
Industry Liaison: AI Hub
A firm believer in the importance of a positive client experience, Amber specializes in helping organizations reach their goals using the AI Hub’s expertise. With over a decade of experience in B2B sales management in the tourism sector, she brings authenticity, tact, integrity, diplomacy and confidentiality to the table. She holds an Honours Bachelor of Commerce degree in Hospitality and Tourism with a minor in Professional Business Communications from TMU, a Sales for Technical Professionals Certificate from SAIT, and a Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) designation. Additionally, Amber has also completed a course in AI and Business Strategy from the University of Waterloo.
Carol Guo
Principal Investigator
Carol has extensive experience in financial modelling and risk management. Her areas of expertise also include data analytics, computer vision, natural language processing, and generative AI. She has a Master of Management in Artificial Intelligence from Queen’s Smith School of Business and a masters degree in Mathematical Finance from the University of Toronto. Her initial interest in applying artificial intelligence to the financial sector has evolved to revolutionize and help businesses in other industries to benefit from AI. As a Principal Investigator and Responsible AI Lead at the AI Hub, she is in the process of setting up a Responsible AI framework, and to ensure that the services and tools provided to clients by the AI Hub meet responsible and ethical AI standards.
Navaneeth Ramanathan Jawaharlal Nehru
Principal Investigator
Nav has comprehensive experience in building large-scale AI applications in the learning and development industry, and this has enabled him to develop a niche in generative AI and large language models (LLMs). His expertise includes cloud engineering principles that enable him to build optimized and scalable solutions. Nav is passionate about the practical application of AI in real-world scenarios, and exploring how these innovations can be scaled and supported by modern software solutions. Nav has contributed to several projects at the AI Hub, formulating end-to-end solution architectures and deploying them successfully. A project he fondly recalls is one where he helped develop and deploy a dynamic AI -powered application connecting home cooks with customers, similar to a personalized meal service. Nav holds a bachelors degree in information technology and a postgraduate certificate in artificial intelligence.
Steve Bakos
Principal Investigator
With nearly a decade of experience in artificial intelligence, Steve’s expertise spans reinforcement learning, adversarial machine learning, natural language processing, and various other domains. He has developed machine learning models to predict kidney transplant wait times in Ontario, thereby saving millions in energy costs, and has also created multilingual chatbots for a nationwide parking lot company. Steve has an undergraduate degree in Computer Science from Ontario Tech University and a Computer Programmer Analyst diploma from Durham College. He is currently completing his master’s degree in Computer Science from Ontario Tech University. As a Principal Investigator at the AI Hub, he works with large language models, utilizing both open-source and latest foundational models. He enjoys staying up-to-date with AI-related news and working on personal AI projects such as AI-powered virtual YouTubers, automated AI resume scanners, and LLM-based recommendation food apps.
Tejas Vyas
Principal Investigator
An AI researcher specializing in artificial intelligence and software engineering, Tejas’ expertise lies in natural language processing, computer vision, and deep learning, with a focus on practical applications in healthcare, music, and sports analytics. He has extensive experience in software development and artificial intelligence, and has spearheaded several projects at the AI Hub. By collaborating with industry partners, he was able to develop AI-based support systems for healthcare, enhance music creation through AI, and employ AI chatbots for aging-related services. Through his work, Tejas leverages AI to solve complex problems and create innovative solutions. He has been published numerous times and plays a major role in advancing AI technologies. He has degrees in computer science and mathematics, and is currently pursuing a PhD in Computer Science.
Sam Plati
Faculty Research Advisor
Sam Plati is an innovative educator dedicated to advancing pedagogical excellence by integrating Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) principles, emerging technologies, and quality assurance frameworks. As a Professor at Durham College, he engages students in hands-on learning that enhances critical thinking and prepares them for real-world challenges. Leveraging his expertise in data analytics and AI, Sam develops forward-thinking curricula that equip future leaders with essential data literacy and analytical skills. As a Subject Matter Expert, Same has co-created graduate programs in Data Analytics and Artificial Intelligence, shaping cutting-edge educational content in Machine Learning, Deep Learning, and Visualization.
Priyamvada Tripathi
Faculty & Lead Facilitator, AI GUIDE
Dr. Priyamvada (Pia) Tripathi is a professor at Durham College who specializes in AI and Data Analytics. She holds a PhD in Computer Science from Arizona State University, with research collaboration at MIT Media Labs. Dr. Tripathi has published extensively and holds multiple patents. With over a decade of experience, Dr. Tripathi has led AI and data science initiatives for top organizations. She co-founded a leading AI company, driving innovations in Health Tech and EdTech. At Durham College, she develops industry-relevant curricula, preparing students for careers in the rapidly evolving AI landscape. Her teaching emphasizes practical skills, ethical considerations, and real-world applications of AI in business.
Andrew Mark Dale
Research Assistant
Andrew holds a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Ontario Tech University and a Graduate Certificate in Artificial Intelligence from Durham College. He joined the AI Hub as a Research Assistant and subsequently completed his co-op at the hub, as well. While studying at Durham College, he had the opportunity to work on interesting projects such as the Autonomous Litter Detection and Delivery System (ALDDS). This capstone project was presented at the Durham College IT Expo and at the President’s Breakfast for local politicians and donors. He has a keen interest in data science and applied artificial intelligence, particularly within healthcare and robotics, and enjoys working with large and challenging datasets.
Afoma Egwuatu
Research Assistant
Research Assistant Afoma is a Computer Programming student at Durham College and works as a Research Assistant at the AI Hub. Her expertise lies in both front-end and back-end development, and database design. She specializes in creating robust, scalable database solutions that enhance the efficiency and performance of AI applications. She enjoys working on database systems, design, implementation, and cloud technology, and is focused on enhancing her skills in software development. As someone who is invested in continuous learning, Afoma is interested in learning about advancing AI technologies. She is also eager to be involved in projects that span from software proposal to deployment.
Graeme Jeffreys
Research Assistant
Research Assistant Graeme is currently pursuing his Advanced Diploma in Computer Programming and Analysis from Durham College. At the AI Hub, he focuses on application support and identifies various funding opportunities for future projects. He also assists in the research and development of AI solutions. Graeme plans to pursue a bachelors degree in his field of study after his graduation in May 2025.
Shahabuddin Syed
Research Assistant
Shahabuddin is currently pursuing his Graduate Certificate in Artificial Intelligence from Durham College. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science Engineering. His areas of expertise include machine learning, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and software engineering. As a Research Assistant at the AI Hub, he is involved in many of the hub’s projects. Shahabuddin also has experience in data analysis and has been a part of projects within finance, healthcare, and other domains, where he successfully applied his skills to develop innovative solutions and optimize processes.
Shoaib Shaikh
Research Assistant
Shoaib has a keen interest in Data Science, Python and coding, in general. His areas of expertise include machine learning and deep learning. He has worked as a Junior SQL Developer, Quality Analyst, Associate Data Scientist, Automation Engineer, and Machine Learning Engineer. He has hands on experience with ML models and has conducted comparative research between quantum machine learning and classical machine learning. Prior to pursuing his Graduate Certificate in Artificial Intelligence from Durham College, Shoaib was responsible for developing recommendation systems for hotel websites. He holds a bachelors degree in Information Technology from the University of Mumbai and a Masters in Business Administration from ICFAI University.
John France
Research Assistant
John is currently in his last year in the Computer Programming and Analysis program at Durham College and has previously studied mathematics and cognitive science at the University of Guelph. He represented Durham College in the 2024 Ontario Skills Competition in Coding, winning a silver medal. At the AI Hub John has worked on both the frontend and backend of web-based projects.