Dr. Edward R Sykes

Ed Sykes was born in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. He received an Honours B.Sc. (1992) in Mathematics and Computer Science (Summa Cum Laude) from McMaster University, the M.Sc. (2005) in Computer Science from McMaster University and in July 2012 defended his Ph.D. in Computer Science from Guelph University. He has the B.Ed. (1993) from the University of Western Ontario, the M.Ed. (1998) and the Ph.D. (2006) in Education (Cognition and Learning) from Brock University. 

On July 1, 2024, Sykes commenced his new role as an Assistant Professor in the School of Computer Science (SoCS), College of Engineering and Physical Sciences (CEPS) at the University of Guelph. His research explores critical areas in AI for Health, focusing on AI-driven solutions for chronic disease management, elder care, and healthcare accessibility. Through his work, Dr. Sykes develops advanced AI and ML models to enhance healthcare accessibility and resource allocation, targeting challenges such as early detection, fall prediction, and personalized care strategies for aging populations. Central to his research is the integration of diverse data types—biological, audio, and video—to identify predictive biomarkers for conditions like cardiovascular disease and diabetes. By leveraging data from wearable devices and smart clothing, Dr. Sykes advances health monitoring and predictive analytics, with projects emphasizing pattern recognition, multi-source data integration, and extracting actionable insights from complex health datasets. His work contributes to the next generation of personalized medicine, using AI to proactively manage health outcomes and support chronic disease and elder care through tailored, data-driven approaches.  

Before joining the University of Guelph, Sykes played a pivotal role in founding the Centre for Applied AI (CAAI) at Sheridan College, where he was the inaugural Director. The CAAI, originally the Centre for Mobile Innovation, is dedicated to applied AI research, that develops innovative solutions through collaboration with industry and community partners. Under Sykes's leadership, the centre attracted over $15 million in funding, supported more than 25 faculty members as Principal Investigators, provided research opportunities for over 300 students through part-time and co-op placements, and established partnerships with over 25 industry/community entities, including notable organizations such as IBM, Apple, Telus, Rogers, PointClickCare, Geotab, SOTI, the Town of Oakville and many others. Sykes also serves as an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Computing and Software Department at McMaster University, and co-supervises MSc and PhD students.  

Awards:

1. Minister's Award of Excellence (2020).  Minister of Colleges and Universities, for contributions in the community during COVID-19. Out of the 200+ submissions, I was one of the 39 recipients selected (19.5% award rate)
2. NSERC Synergy Award (2020).  Mobile computing research in mHealth; value: $100,000