Background
My research sits at the interface between laboratory experimentation, machine learning (ML) & data science (DS), and geoscience engineering and draws on numerous interdisciplinary research projects, both in industry and academia, that I have worked on over the past decade.
On the fundamental research side, I'm focused on using state-of-the-art laboratory facilities in the Department of Civil and Mineral Engineering to study induced earthquakes related to large-scale fluid injection as part of hydraulic fracturing. This includes conducting triaxial and true-triaxial rock mechanics experiments where detailed measurements of stress, deformation, fluid pressure, ultrasonic velocity & attenuation, and acoustic emission (AE) are collected. We focus on the calibration of AE sensors to enable quantitative seismology analysis AE waveforms.
On the applied research side, I'm interested in applying ML and DS to solve engineering problems. As AI R&D Lead at a technology startup in the mining section, I worked to bring an AI product to market. It was through this experience that I learned firsthand how challenging it is to deploy a robust and reliable ML model in a production environment. I'm interested in collaborating with industry partners and researchers at U of T to see where this technology could be applied to drive transformative change.
Professional Experience
Senior Research Associate, The Hospital for Sick Children (2017 – Present)
AI Research Scientist, Laussen Labs (2017 – Present)
AI Research & Development Lead, KORE Geosystems (2016 – 2020)
Algorithm Research & Development Lead, Itasca IMaGE (2015 – 2016)
Education and Designations
PhD, Civil and Mineral Engineering, University of Toronto (2015)
MASc, Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto (2010)
BASc, Mechanical Engineering, University of New Brunswick (2008)
Research Interests
Ultrasonic and Acoustic Emission Testing
Experimental Rock Mechanics and Rock Physics
Applied Seismology
Applied Machine Learning and Deep Learning
Time Series Analysis and Signal Processing
Computer Vision
Bioinformatics
Research Group
I am always looking for curious and motivated graduate students. Feel free to contact me if you’re interested in joining the group.
Teaching
| Course Code | Title & Description | Session | Day(s) | Start Time | End | Section |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CME538H GradList | Fall 2022 | Scheduled by the Office of the Faculty Registrar. |
News mentions
CivMin professors awarded DSI funding for collaborative projects
CivMin’s Professor Sebastian Goodfellow (MIE MASc 1T0, CivE PhD 1T5) and Professor Marianne Hatzopoulou (CivE PhD 0T8), both CivMin alumni, are on teams which have each been awarded $100,000 for collaborative projects under the Data Sciences Institute (DSI) Catalyst Grant. Goodfellow, along with a team of doctors at Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), has been awarded… Read more »
Prof. Sebastian Goodfellow | Using seismic experience and machine-learning models to detect pediatric arrhythmias
November 27, 2022 | The Varsity
CivMin’s Prof. Goodfellow on team awarded massive CIHR grant
Physiological earthquakes: Predicting cardiac events combining seismic experience with AI in the hospital It is rare for a mineral engineering professor to receive funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), as it usually falls to biomedical engineering research and others directly involved with health care. Professor Sebastian Goodfellow, from the Lassonde Mineral… Read more »
CivE PhD candidate wins two CIM awards
Negin Houshmand (CivE PhD candidate) received two awards at the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM) event, CIMBC22 Convention & Expo, in Vancouver. Houshmand was awarded The Canadian Rock Engineering society award for Innovative Rock Engineering Research and second place in the Student Poster Competition at CIMBC22 for the poster titled Rock Hardness… Read more »
U of T Engineering students dig through snowplow data to measure Toronto’s response to winter storms
Analysis suggests that the City’s performance improved over the winter of 2022 Last January, as 55 centimetres of snow blanketed Toronto over a period of just 15 hours, the city’s snow-clearing fleet appeared to struggle to keep up. But was it actually different than other storms, or did it just seem that way? For three… Read more »
Rock music: Listening for induced earthquakes, research by CivMin’s Prof. Goodfellow, is among nine U of T Engineering projects funded through CFI
CFI’s John R. Evans Leaders Fund will support research into seismicity, water treatment, bioengineering and more. From hydraulic fracturing (‘fracking’) to enhanced geothermal systems, human activities can impact the ground beneath our feet, and have even been known to induce minor earthquakes. Professor Sebastian Goodfellow (CivMin) knows how to listen for hidden signals that can tell us… Read more »
Introducing Sebastian Goodfellow, CivMin’s newest faculty member
Sebastian Goodfellow joined us January 6, 2020 as Assistant Professor. CivMin asked a few questions so we can all get to know him a little better. Q&A What excites you most about your research? Much of my research is focused on conducting experiments on rock samples at the centimetre scale. One of the major… Read more »
