Meet Dr. Fuhar Dixit, who earned his Ph.D in Chemical Engineering in 2023 at UBC. We caught up with Dr. Dixit to ask him about his exciting career and the path that led him there.
Professional Role
I am currently a postdoctoral scholar at UC Berkeley, where I manage the Department of Defense funded projects focused on cleaning up sites contaminated with PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), also known as “forever chemicals.” These pollutants are found at military and airport sites across North America and are extremely difficult to measure with current analytical methods. My work focuses on understanding how these chemicals are transported in the environment and improving detection techniques to identify difficult to measure forms of PFAS.
In January 2026, I will be joining the University of Tennessee, Knoxville as an Assistant Professor in the Precision Health Engineering (PHE) cluster. My research will combine chemical and environmental engineering with AI, mathematics, medicine, nursing and public health to address challenges affecting humans and the environment.
Experiences during University
Looking back at my time at CHBE UBC, the most important support came from my advisor, Madjid Mohseni, and the department as a whole. I appreciated the freedom to explore new ideas and the opportunity to attend a wide range of seminars and guest talks within the department and across campus. I also appreciate the collaboration within CHBE. I enjoyed working with my departmental peers so much that at one point, I told Dr. Mohseni that I would write a paper with each student in our group before I graduated, and I pretty much achieved that, while also collaborating with students across other research groups.
Being involved with agencies like IC-IMPACTS and RES’EAU allowed me to engage directly with real-world problems, working alongside operators in the field to develop practical solutions. The department’s support was instrumental in helping me secure key scholarships, including Mitacs, Vanier Scholarship, Alexander Graham Bell Award, and Banting Fellowship.
Events like CHBE Research Day and the departmental 3MT competitions were invaluable for building my confidence and skills in presenting research. Proposal development courses and writing workshops improved my scientific communication. I am especially grateful for the support of Marlene Chow and the Vancouver Summer Program, which helped me build my teaching portfolio.
I also feel fortunate to have interacted with nearly every faculty and staff member in CHBE, each of whom provided valuable lessons, whether feedback on teaching from Jonathan Verrett, Pranav Chintalapati and Gabriel Potvin, periodic guidance from advisors Drs. Ellis and Haynes, or scientific input from Drs. Wilkinson, Yadav, Taghipour, and Smith. My peers were amazing. I still fondly recall foosball tournaments, cricket, hiking trips, and Grad Council events like Nowruz that enriched my graduate experience.
I also want to highlight the incredible support from my landlords, who held a special place in my life during my time in Vancouver. I stayed in the same house for seven years, and they treated me like family. In fact, the reason I am visiting this September is to attend my landlord’s 96th birthday celebration.
What truly sets CHBE at UBC apart is the combination of exceptional students, world-class resources, and unconditional departmental support.
Career Beginnings
The guidance I received from my advisor, Madjid Mohseni, and my PhD committee was instrumental in preparing me for my career path and professorship. I am especially grateful to the department for allowing me to have three external committee members, Benoit Barbeau (Polytechnique Montréal), Pierre Bérubé (UBC Civil), and Karl Linden (CU Boulder). Their feedback, support, and resources helped me draft strong papers that have collectively gained over 500 citations in the past three years.
One of the most important things CHBE taught me was perseverance. For instance, I did not receive the Vanier Fellowship the first time I applied. But with the support of Dr. Mohseni, the department, and valuable feedback from faculty across CHBE, I was able to significantly improve my application and was awarded the fellowship the following year. Experiences like this, where the department believed in me, offered honest feedback, and created space to grow were foundational. That same perseverance helped me secure a postdoc at UC Berkeley, participate in the Nobel Laureate meetings, and ultimately land a faculty position. The mindset and confidence to keep pushing forward were truly shaped at CHBE.
My time at CHBE also gave me valuable teaching experience, which I did not have as a postdoc at UC Berkeley. The Vancouver Summer Program and my teaching assistant roles at UBC helped me build a strong teaching portfolio. Jonathan was particularly helpful in guiding me through drafting my first teaching statement in 2022.
In terms of resources, I had access to nearly everything I needed for my research. When specialized equipment like LC-MS/MS for PFAS analysis was not available within the department, the university’s chemistry department readily supported me. Overall, UBC and CHBE were very well equipped.
I was fortunate to receive a tenure-track offer as a graduate student from another reputed Canadian institution. However, my postdoctoral experience at Berkeley expanded my understanding of the broader North American academic system and diversified my expertise, particularly by working in a microbiology lab, which has inspired my interdisciplinary approach that I will continue in Knoxville.
Beyond skills and resources, my time at CHBE taught me what it truly takes to be a professor and gave me a clear picture of academic life.
Impact of CHBE at UBC
It is a privilege to work with some of the brightest minds in Canada and from around the world who choose UBC for its strong academic reputation and collaborative environment. It is always an honour to collaborate with UBC alumni and colleagues, they bring a level of excellence and integrity that reflects the strength of the program.
What makes CHBE unique is its atmosphere. It is intellectually rigorous but also supportive. The culture is competitive in a healthy way, where collaboration is highly encouraged, and students often work together across labs and disciplines. The curriculum is designed to teach and challenge, but also allows space to explore interests beyond core research, this balance brings out the best in students without overwhelming them.
The department is also incredibly well-resourced, both in terms of facilities and funding opportunities. Students have access to cutting-edge tools and technologies, as well as platforms to gain real-world experience. Programs focus on practical, industry-relevant exposure, and opportunities for fieldwork and site visits are built into the training.
Becoming a Professor
As I begin this next chapter as a professor, I am most excited about the opportunity to turn good science into real-world impact. Working at the intersection of environmental engineering and precision health, I see tremendous potential to develop technologies that not only improve public and environmental health but also spark innovation, create startups, generate jobs, and contribute to long-term economic prosperity.
I am driven by the challenge of bridging disciplines, identifying societal needs, and building practical, scalable solutions rooted in good science. The chance to work with students, collaborators, and industry partners to bring those ideas to life is what truly inspires me.
What keeps me motivated is curiosity and the belief that good science should not stay confined to academic journals.
Advice to Current Students
- Do not be afraid to leave Vancouver, it’s a beautiful place and UBC is an incredible institution, but if you get the chance to grow, whether through research, industry, or academic opportunities elsewhere, take it. Exposure to different environments, systems, and ways of thinking can be transformative, both professionally and personally.
- Be entrepreneurial, which does not just mean starting a company, it means identifying problems, taking initiative, collaborating across disciplines, and turning good science into something that matters beyond the lab. Seek out opportunities that challenge you, connect with people outside your immediate expertise, and stay open to directions you might not have considered at first.
- Lean into the CHBE community. Talk to faculty, ask for feedback, attend seminars outside your area, and get involved in real-world projects whenever possible. The environment is rich with resources and people who want to see you succeed, but you have to learn the art of perseverance and take the first step.