Dr. Mahsa Khalili

Associate Member

B.ASc. [Mechanical Engineering] (Sharif University of Technology)
M.ASc. [Mechanical Engineering] (Sharif University of Technology)
M.ASc. [Biomedical Engineering] (University of British Columbia)
Ph.D. [Biomedical Engineering] (University of British Columbia)

Research Interests

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Dr. Mahsa Khalili’s research integrates biomedical engineering, artificial intelligence, and human-centred design to advance wearable and assistive technologies that enhance health outcomes for individuals with mobility impairments or chronic health conditions.

Her postdoctoral research focused on developing and clinically validating AI-based multimodal wearable systems capable of detecting out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) using multi-modal biosensors. Her PhD work focused on designing and evaluating adaptive, sensor-integrated wheelchair systems and autonomy-based frameworks that promote user independence and context-driven adaptability.

Dr. Khalili’s research at ICORD will address the secondary health complications and social isolation associated with mobility impairments by:

  • Developing advanced sensing technologies for remote monitoring of physical and physiological health beyond clinical settings.
  • Creating context-adaptive assistive technologies that dynamically enhance mobility, daily activities, and social participation.

Through this interdisciplinary approach, her work aims to transform the lived experience of mobility impairment and improve long-term health outcomes.

Recent collaborations

Within ICORD, Dr. Khalili collaborates with Dr. Jaimie Borisoff and Dr. Ben Mortenson on projects advancing assistive technology design and evaluation. Externally, she is an active member of CanSAVE (Canadians Saving Arrest Victims Everywhere), a national network dedicated to improving the detection and response to out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. She also collaborates with researchers at the Mayo Clinic, University of Michigan, and University of Illinois Chicago on multi-institutional studies focused on reducing diagnostic errors in emergency departments.

Techniques employed in the lab

  • Wearable sensors
  • Biomechanical and physiological data acquisition and modelling
  • Artificial intelligence for biosignal analysis
  • Human-centred design and usability evaluation
  • Clinical and field-based validation studies

Affiliations with Organizations

  • Associate Member, Centre for Aging SMART, UBC
  • Research Collaborator, Mayo Clinic Rochester
  • Associate Editor, Assistive Technology Journal

Awards

  • Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada Postdoctoral Fellowship (2025–2027)
  • Michael Smith Health Research BC Postdoctoral Fellowship (2022–2025)
  • Clinical Trials Training Platform Postdoctoral Fellowship (2024–2025)
  • NSERC Postgraduate Doctoral Scholarship (2019–2021)
  • UBC Four-Year Doctoral Fellowship (2019–2021)
  • Best Student Paper Award (IEEE International Conference on Automation Science and Engineering, 2021)
  • Killam Graduate Teaching Assistant Award (UBC, 2020)
  • Best Student Paper Award (Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA), 2017)

Recent publications

Visit Dr. Khalili’s Google Scholar page here.