The goal of this project is to develop a prototype microfluidic device to rapidly determine whether a target protein is present in a sample. Applications of this device include genomic and proteomic research, pharmaceutical testing, and quality control for various industries, including food preparation. The prototype will make use of electrowetting on dielectric (EWOD) actuation, which uses the application of electric fields to manipulate confined droplets. Unlike conventional microfluidic devices, EWOD devices do not require complex features for flow control or external pumping.

In recent years 3D sketching has received considerable attention and a number of powerful tools (such as ILoveSketch) have been developed which can interpret strokes of a design artist as three-dimensional curves. Using these tools, the artist can create, in roughly the same time it takes him/her to draw a single 2D sketch, a loose 3D wireframe model of his/her intended object in the form of a collection of curves in space. In this project, we intend to intend to extract actual 3D surfaces from such collections of space curves, thus turning the end result into a true 3D model.

Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS), which combine electronics with miniature-size mechanical devices, are essential components of the modern technology. In order to provide accurate, controlled, and stable locomotion for such microdevices, researchers have proposed a variety of models, based upon thermal, biological, or electrostatic forces. There are many industries and manufacturers in Ontario who rely on MEMS technology in a crucial way. Our objective is to use mathematical analysis to predict various phenomena related to some of these models.

Insulin controls blood sugar and is required for the entry of sugar (glucose) into blood cells from blood. Excess body fat in obesity or high fat diet makes body resistant to insulin. Due to this insulin resistance, sugar accumulates in the blood and over time this leads to an increase in blood sugar and development of type 2 diabetes (T2D).  Normally insulin resistance precedes the development of T2D by 10-20 years.  Because insulin resistance is associated with cardiovascular problems, people with T2D are at a high risk for heart disease.

Retail businesses are increasingly reliant on fine-grained data about customer preferences, demographics, and behavior, as collected by sources that range from loyalty programs and sales records, to physical sensors. Typically such data is leveraged in the context of a report or statistical summary used to advise human decision-makers. In contrast to the retail sector, industrial areas like manufacturing have a long history of operations research, whereby data serves not only to populate reports, but as the basis for optimizing objectives and supporting decisions mathematically.

Language technology-for example, spelling checking-is widely used. A key
component of many language technology systems is a computational lexicon-a

One of the main challenges in the development of nano-scale devices is that the conventional physical relations and techniques, which have been used for modelling thermal problems at macro-scales, are no longer valid at these small scales.  In this project, we are developing a new hierarchial methodology to be applied to thermal management issues for nano-scale devices.  The impact of elecromigration in a joule heating form will also be explored.  Devices with nano-scale feature sizes are currently employed in high-end electronic systems.  In this method, we include the atomistic level effe

This research project will support the design of electronic navigational aids for enhancing mobility for individuals with vision impairments. The researchers will work closely with members from the vision-impaired community throughout the project period to understand the contexts where such aids could be helpful to them and to evaluate the usability of relevant components, products and services.

Business intelligence is the commercial term for using information within organizations to make informed decisions, and to run operations effectively based on known data. The Canadian business intelligence (BI) market is projected to increase from C$185 million in 2006 to over C$290 million by 2011. Ontario is home to Cognos, a world leader in BI, which was recently acquired by IBM. The proposed collaboration between the University of Toronto, IBM Cognos, and IBM Research would use an emerging technology for business process management, called "business entities with lifecycles" (a.k.a.

Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) is an advanced technique for cancer treatment through high-precision radiation delivery. It generally requires a complex planning procedure, where the crucial step is manual delineation of the organs at risk in three-dimensional (3-D) computed tomography (CT) images, performed using simple drawing tools. It is a labour-intensive and error-prone process which, depending on the clinical case, may often require several hours of intensive work.