Sahar Sam

Dr. Sam joined IESVic in 2011 as a PhD candidate. During her PhD she was focused on using nanofabrication technologies to develop new processes for fabricating biosensors with ultra-high sensitivity: 10^(-24) grams. Later in her PhD, and in her two-year postdoctoral fellowship at UVic, she invented a new fabrication process for highly transparent and conductive films for applications such as touch displays, wearable electronics, and solar cells. In 2017, in celebration of Canada's 150th birthday, MITACS chose Dr. Sam as one of “the 150 innovators in Canada whose work will have a positive impact on Canada for the next 150 years.” She was among the first 10 innovators to be chosen in BC and among the first 60 Canada-wide.

Dr. Sahar Sam now has over 15 years of experience in Materials Science and Engineering, Nanoscience and Nanofabrication. She has a background in researching and developing new ideas and implementing business and marketing strategy, and is the name inventor in four patents. She has a BSc and MSc degree in Materials Science and Engineering from Shiraz University, Iran and a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Victoria, Canada.

Since 2018, she has been working as a Senior Research Manager at QuirkLogic Inc., a technology company that has developed the world's first large format connected eWriter. She is managing a team of engineers and scientists for validating a new technology she developed for fabricating touch electrodes. She works with clients in North America and Asia-Pacific to scale-up and commercialize her technology.

In February 2020, Dr. Sam started her own company, Solaires Entreprises Inc., doing business as Solar- Ventures, a green technology company with a headquarters in Victoria BC, Canada. As the CSO of Solar- Ventures she is focused on developing and marketing an innovative solar energy harvesting technology, which can help Canada achieve a zero greenhouse gas emission target by making solar energy conversion technology more accessible and affordable.