Oakes Lab

The Oakes Lab focuses on knowledge engineering for complex cyber-physical systems. We start with the expert’s domain knowledge, capture it in models, and then utilize it to better construct, optimize, verify, and validate complex systems.

OAKES = Objective: Accelerating Knowledge Engineering for Complex Systems

Lab Members

PhD Students

Carlos Pambo
Since 2024
Recommendations and patterns for accelerated DT construction

Lei Zhao
Since 2024
Systematic DT engineering, DT engineering for permafrost studies

Master’s students

Kérian Fiter
Since 2024
Rapid creation of DT visualizations

Alumni Students

Name	Role	Years	Topic
Louis Malassigne-Onfroy	Research assistant	2024	Visualization of digital twin architectures
Amélie Bosphore	Research assistant	2024	Implementation of modelled machine learning pipelines
Justin Caisse	Research assistant	2023 - 2024	Ontological modelling of machine learning pipelines

Open Opportunities

I am actively looking for motivated and talented individuals for undergraduate, Masters, and PhD positions.

Available projects and potential topics:

Accelerating Digital Twin Construction: A Domain Knowledge-driven, Low-Code Approach
Analyzing and improving the quality of digital twin models and systems [paper]
Improving the explainability of digital twin architecture and service results [paper]
Utilizing machine learning techniques (such as reinforcement learning, LLMs, and recommendations) and ontological modelling for digital twin construction and evolution [paper]

If you have another research idea which aligns with my interests, I would love to hear it! Please send me a message.

What do I offer:

A position at Polytechnique Montréal, a world-class institution affiliated with the Université de Montréal and Mila, located in a global cultural capital
Supportive mentoring on many aspects of graduate life
Cutting-edge research and technologies
Collaboration with local and global experts
Opportunities to publish in excellent venues, present at top conferences, and perform international research visits
Competitive funding is available

What do I expect:

A friendly yet professional attitude
Ability to perform high-quality research and publish worthwhile contributions
Strong self-motivation skills and the ability to ‘push’ projects
Attendance to and engaging presentations at conferences
Completion of degree requirements with high course marks
- Note that we conduct our research and discussions in English. At Polytechnique, some graduate courses may have to be taken in French

Contacting Me

See my Contact page for up-to-date contact information, including my email and office location.

When sending me an email to inquire about a position, I kindly ask that you do the following:

Please demonstrate that you are aware of my research interests and publications.
(Required) Please answer the following questions, with 200 to 500 words each.
- What excites you about research?
- What are your research interests?
- How do your research interests match my own?
- What’s your favourite project you’ve worked on?
(Required) Attach a up-to-date CV
(Required) Attach your transcript(s)
(Optional) Attach at least one reference letter
(Optional) Attach your relevant publication(s) or report(s)

I apologize, but due to the volume of requests, I will not be able to respond to your email unless it matches the above conditions.

Please be detailed and specific. Your email should give me a sense of who you are, what you want to research, and why you would like me specifically to be your supervisor.

Under-represented groups are especially encouraged to apply!

To know more about the Polytechnique application process, please see the following links: