A Natural Problem Solver

"I've always wanted to quench my thirst for learning," says Sana Sharif, a third-year electrical and computer engineering PhD student based in Barrie.

"From childhood, I was always keen to see how things are built. I would reverse-engineer my toys!"

Last spring, she received a Lakehead Luminary Award from Lakehead's Student Success Centre, celebrating her many contributions on and off campus.

Journeying from Pakistan to Lakehead

Sana's PhD supervisor is Dr. Waleed Ejaz. She's also worked with researchers in Canada, the United States, Malaysia, and Pakistan. "When we collaborate, it opens up so many more avenues." One of the recent research papers she co-authored looks at how equipping unmanned aerial vehicles with digital twin technology has the potential to better respond to natural disasters.

Sana earned her undergraduate and master's degrees in computer engineering in her native country, Pakistan, then emigrated to Canada in 2014.

After starting her family and becoming a Canadian citizen, she decided to return to school in 2021 for her Master of Electrical and Computer Engineering degree. She chose Lakehead because of its small class sizes and accessible professors, she says.

"I can find my professor without a crowd of other students, and I can discuss my research goals and how the work is going."

Cutting-Edge Wireless Technology Research

Today, those research goals include being at the forefront of 6G wireless technology.

The first few generations of data transmission via cell phone and text message were slower, but the next generation provides high-speed internet and supports mobile with better voice quality and faster connections.

"Under 6G, it's not only words," Sana says. "It's about image transmission and video transmission. It's also about transmitting bulk data in milliseconds."

Sana's research is attracting attention. She won third place in the 2025 Canada Students and Young Professionals Congress hosted by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).  

Sana is focused on optimizing resources for semantic communication—a wireless communication system that transmits meaningful data rather than raw data.

"For example, if a building was on fire, instead of sending an image of the building, semantic communication sends only the meaning: The building is on fire," Sana explains. "This reduces both transmission costs and storage costs."

Projected to be available in the next five years, 6G data transmission may be a thousand times faster than what we have right now with 5G. It has fascinating implications in a wide range of areas in machine-to-machine communication—from self-driving cars to networked factories to robotic surgery.

One of Sana's recent research papers looked at the potential use of 6G in "smart traffic systems" that make roads safer and reduce traffic congestion. "Such a system would turn all the traffic lights on an emergency vehicle's route green so that it could reach its destination quickly."

She believes that harnessing the potential of 6G wireless networks will create a more interconnected and intelligent world.

Mentoring and Inclusion for the Win

Sharing her skills and experiences is an essential part of Sana's success. For several years, she's been part of mentoring programs with Mitacs, a leading Canadian innovation organization that connects businesses and researchers.

Through the global research intern program, Sana guides visiting researchers during their time in Canada. She also mentors female researchers in a women-in-STEM accelerator project, offering advice and insights from her own experience.

She says she values the perspectives from her mentees, and that her efforts are also a way of echoing the mentoring her own professors provided.

Sana (third from left) received a 2024 Graduate Studies Research Excellence Award from Lakehead. She also received a 2025 Lakehead Leader Luminary Award. "It was a moment of gratitude for me."

A spirit of inclusion and embracing the value of different points of view also informs Sana's work. In 2024, the Digital Research Alliance of Canada (DRAC) recognized her through their Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility Champions program.

They provided $35,000 in funding for her series of workshops on enhancing AI knowledge among women, racialized groups, and first-generation students. "There are so many opportunities in AI," she points out. "The future is becoming more and more digital, so we need hands-on experience in those skills."

6G data transmission has fascinating implications in a wide range of areas in machine-to-machine communication—from self-driving cars to networked factories to robotic surgery.

Although she's won many graduate student awards and scholarships, one of the most meaningful honours is her Lakehead Luminary Award. "I'm really happy and thankful to all the people who nominated me."

The Lakehead community is equally thankful to Sana.

One of her nominators described her as "a rising star who has made significant contributions to Lakehead University and the broader community through her leadership, academic achievements, and commitment to diversity, inclusion, and sustainability."

As Lakehead University prepares to open its new Barrie STEM Hub in fall 2026, Sana's story offers a glimpse of what future engineering and computer science students will experience there. Located in the heart of Barrie's waterfront district, the STEM Hub will provide the kind of hands-on research, small-class mentorship, and high-tech learning environment that has helped Sana thrive. Her work shows the possibilities that await the next generation of students who choose to study close to home while staying connected to opportunity.