Ahmed Elwali, Ph.D.

Education

• Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering, Manitoba University
• Certificate in Higher Education Teaching, Manitoba University
• BSc in Electrical Communication and Electronics (Major: Electrical Engineering), Ain Shams University

Biography

Ahmed Elwali, Ph.D., is a tenure-track Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Marian University’s E. S. Witchger School of Engineering and an Adjunct Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Manitoba. At Marian, he develops and teaches biomedical and electrical engineering courses, establishes instructional laboratories, mentors undergraduate researchers, supports ABET accreditation, pursues external funding, and contributes to university service and community outreach. His academic work centers on accessible digital-health technologies for sleep, respiratory, cardiovascular, and pressure-related health conditions using biomedical signal processing, machine learning, wearable sensors, and medical instrumentation.

Before joining Marian University, Dr. Elwali completed postdoctoral appointments at the University of Toronto, KITE Research Institute–University Health Network, and the University of Manitoba. His research collaborations have addressed sleep apnea, heart failure, stroke, respiratory monitoring, smart textiles, hand circulation, and the long-term effects of COVID-19. He developed AwakeOSA, a patented technology that screens for obstructive sleep apnea using breathing sounds recorded while a person is awake and achieved 90% classification accuracy in blind testing.

Dr. Elwali also brings substantial entrepreneurial and industry experience. He is CEO and co-founder of Techova Engineering and Technology Inc., has served as an engineering consultant to medical-technology companies, and previously co-founded ventures in biomedical analytics, robotics, and smart-home automation.

Courses Taught

• Bioinstrumentation Engineering (BME 451)
• Introduction to Biomedical Engineering (BME 203)
• Biosignals and Systems (BME 352)
• Linear Circuit Analysis (EGR 242)
• Signals and Systems (CPE 344)
• University Physics I and II (PHY 201/202 & Labs)
• Introduction to Engineering (EGR 101)

Research and Scholarship

Research Interests: Developing fast, affordable methods to screen for sleep apnea while patients are awake; using breathing sounds, wearable sensors, and AI to understand health conditions; designing smart textiles and garments for continuous physiological monitoring; medical-device and biomedical-instrumentation development.

Selected Publications:

• Bastani Najafabadi, V., Ashraf, W., Elwali, A., & Moussavi, Z. (2026). A two-level ensemble machine learning framework for OSA classification whilst awake from noisy tracheal breathing sounds. Sensors, 26(4), 1349.
• Ashraf, W., Alqudah, A., Band, M., Zhao, L., Lithgow, B., Elwali, A., & Moussavi, Z. (2026). Developing an empirical acoustic transfer function model for the upper airway. Annals of Biomedical Engineering, 54(1), 248–261.
• Alqudah, A. M., Elwali, A., Kupiak, B., Hajipour, F., Jacobson, N., & Moussavi, Z. (2024). Obstructive sleep apnea detection during wakefulness: A comprehensive methodological review. Medical & Biological Engineering & Computing, 62(5), 1277–1311.

Current Projects & Grants:

• NIH/NIBIB R03 grant ($130,600): Principal Investigator for “Advancing Wakefulness Screening of Sleep Apnea Disorder through Breathing Sound Analysis and Hardware Optimization.”
• Innovation Voucher grant ($50,000): Evaluation and optimization of the Turn Buddy System for pressure-ulcer prevention.

Professional Service and Affiliations

Committees and Leadership:

• Member, Instructional Technology Committee, Marian University
• Member of several Engineering Faculty Search Committees
• Reviewer, E. S. Witchger School of Engineering scholarships

Professional Memberships:

• Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
• American Thoracic Society
• Canadian Medical and Biological Engineering Society
• Canadian Sleep Society
• Kern Entrepreneurial Engineering Network

Community & Public Engagement

• Award Coordinator, Central Indiana Regional Science & Engineering Fair
• Director, IMCA Volunteering Committee
• Bioinstrumentation workshop leader, Marian University Engineering Summer Camp
• Science-fair judge and long-term mentor to high-school and university students

Personal Info

Dr. Elwali is a multilingual engineer and educator who speaks Arabic natively, is fully proficient in English, and has beginner-level French. Beyond his formal academic work, he enjoys mentoring, public speaking, entrepreneurship, educational media, and community building. He creates science and engineering videos and has contributed to youth education, science fairs, cultural events, and civic organizations in Egypt, Canada, and the United States.

Websites: Google Scholar | LinkedIn