Marcelo is currently working on a project where he analyzes short online documents, such as emails, to check the identity of the author. His research is integral to the field of computer security because there have only been a handful of studies on this topic.  “Authorship verification of online documents can play a critical role in various criminal cases such as blackmailing and terrorist activities, says Marcelo.” “Sharing my research with others is integral to the field of computer security, and Mitacs Step has provided me with the necessary communication skills to do so.”

After completing his PhD in Robotics at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, he worked at IBM before moving to York University to take up a position at the School of Information Technology in 2001 where he is now an Associate Professor.

Dr. Chen has supervised three post-doctoral fellows through Mitacs-Accelerate internships, each lasting for at least 12 months, and is in the process of applying for two more.  He credits Mitacs for helping him secure more funding for his diverse research goals.

Originally from Norway, he moved to Canada 1964 and completed a Masters of Science and a PhD in Mathematics at the University of Calgary, before joining the Department of Computer Science at the university as a professor.

Each student brings different experiences and perspectives to their individual projects, playing a key role in Dr. Desrosiers research. His lab’s first Mitacs Globalink student, Indian student Kuldeep Kumar began a project in the summer of 2011 using machine learning to extract data from social networks in order to analyze their growth and evolution. In 2012, Globalink student Qiquan Shi from China continued, and advanced that same research.

But GPS has one major drawback which limits its use – it doesn’t work accurately indoors.  Because it relies on signals from satellites, accuracy is also compromised when trying to navigate between tall buildings in urban areas, or under dense foliage.

Calgary-based Trusted Positioning Inc. set out to change this by developing software that would allow for accurate and continuous positioning of a device in any location, be it inside, underground, or in the heart of a dense urban city.

With the cost of electricity continuing to rise, businesses and homes are looking at increasingly innovative ways to reduce consumption and help the environment.

While energy-efficient light bulbs and heating systems are now commonplace, Vancouver-based Unity Integration Corporation (UIC) looked to develop other technologies to help cut energy use in buildings even further.

UIC turned to Mitacs-Accelerate and Simon Fraser University for expertise on how to turn their idea of a low-cost, energy-efficient sensor system into reality.

Kibooco (short for “Kids Book Company”) Interactive is a technology startup whose aim is to encourage children’s creativity by developing an online e-book tool where children can create their own virtual and physical storybooks.  Being a small company with limited research resources, Kibooco reached out to the Mitacs-Accelerate program for support and expertise – and found Allen.

Currently in his fourth year of study, Cheng comes from the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, which is based in Chengdu, the hometown of China’s national symbol: the giant panda.  A Globalink internship at Ryerson University in Toronto, Cheng felt, was an excellent way to expand his horizons while gaining practical, engineering experience in another country.

For Cyborg Trading Systems (CTS) – a financial technology services company that serves an international network of banks, brokers and professional traders – keeping ahead of competition is absolutely essential.  Battling huge enterprises like Thomson Reuters, Bloomberg and Goldman Sachs would seem an almost impossible task for a Canadian SME.  With the cost of infrastructure, technology and global employees rising by the second, Lukez is always looking for any and all opportunities to innovate.