Vincent Taboga

Postdoctoral Researcher at Mila

I am a postdoctoral researcher at Mila, working with Professors Pierre-Luc Bacon and Yoshua Bengio. I completed my Ph.D. at Polytechnique Montréal and Mila under the supervision of Professors Hanane Dagdougui and Pierre-Luc Bacon. My doctoral research focused on the optimal control of HVAC systems in buildings participating in Demand Response programs.

My research interests lie in advancing optimal control algorithms to address real-world challenges. I am particularly drawn to model-based control, physics-informed models, neural differential equations, and offline reinforcement learning. My research is applied to real-world problems. Given the urgent need for a more responsible and sustainable use of energy and natural resources, I am particularly interested in optimal energy management at both the building and grid scales.

Community Engagement

I currently serve as a Lab Representative for the Mila Community. The role of Lab Reps is to engage in discussions with professors and the administration to ensure Mila stays a safe and creative space for everyone. On a daily basis, we engage with the community and try to address student concerns. To strengthen the community, we also organize social events, workshops, and facilitate access to funding for any student-led initiative.

During my Ph.D., I was part of the student committee of the RQEI, a Quebec-wide network of private and public research entities. The mission of the student committee is to enhance collaboration between universities and with the private sector by organizing for instance company visits, workshops, and research visit programs.

Science Outreach

I believe it is our responsibility as scientists to communicate our research to the broader community. Although challenging at times, this exercise is essential for people to make informed decisions about important topics such as climate change and to rebuild trust in science.

I have been involved in many science popularization contests throughout my Ph.D. Through the MT180 competition, I had the opportunity to represent Canada in the international finals and present my research to a wide audience. I also shared the results of my research on Radio Canada shows Des années lumières and Moteur de recherche to raise public awareness about the impact of HVAC systems on our environment and the importance of energy efficiency.