Electronic waste is one of the largest intensifying waste streams in the world. Although some traditional disposal methods are available to process electronic waste, these methods have several disadvantages from both the economic and environmental perspective. Some processes create challenging gases that require expensive clean-up, while others use harmful and toxic solvents which create air, water and soil pollution. As a result, we need to consider an alternative pathway for electronic waste disposal which can facilitate the recycling process.

Youth concussion rates are rising across Canada. In response, efforts are being made to enable the recovery of injured youth. However, little is known about what recovery ‘is’ (how youth understand their own recovery, what constitutes a ‘good’ recovery). This omission represents a major gap in knowledge of youth concussion. This research project will partner with youth who have experienced concussion as ‘storytellers’, to (1) investigate, challenge, and transform conventional ways of thinking about youth concussion, and (2) refine a virtual method for research with this group.

In land-based aquaculture being able to estimate the mass of a fish is critically important in monitoring their health as they move through their lifecycle as well as knowing when to harvest. Current methods are invasive to the fish in its environment and result in mortality during sampling. We aim to use two cameras placed closely together underwater to take simultaneous pictures of fish and enable the estimation of their biomass.

An environmental-friendly, energy-efficient freezing technology (cryopurification) for water remediation is the focus of the current project. The application of cryopurification, especially in the locations where northern climates’ cold temperature conditions can be utilized (e.g. Yukon, Canada), could be a viable water treatment solution. The approach used in the project combines laboratory testing, data analysis, mathematical modeling within bench- and pilot-scale stages with the aid of artificial intelligence application.

LifeLike BioTissue has developed a suite of products to assist in the training of medical professionals with highly realistic models that mimic the mechanical properties, feel and anatomy of human body organs and structures. These human tissue phantoms replicate a variety of complex human tissues, supporting surgeons and medical device companies for surgical training and testing needs. Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) is a hydrogel with desirable physical properties to emulate the properties of human tissue as three-dimensional crosslinked polymer networks swollen with water.

While perovskite solar cell materials have shown remarkable performance and can be made at very low cost, their sensitivity to weather and short lifetime have prevented their use in large outdoor installations. Using these materials in interior solar shades instead could fix these shortcomings - removing their exposure to weather should improve lifetimes, and the simple indoor installation and replacement should make device lifetimes of a few years more acceptable.

In this collaborative project between L. Goncharova’s group (Western) and Sciencetech (London, ON), silicon, germanium, and tin heterostructure will be grown by thin-film deposition techniques. By precisely controlling the amount of each element in the films, these heterostructures can overcome the poor light adsorption and emission properties of silicon, and will be explored for light detection in short wave infra-red spectral range. Precise control of these parameters can be achieved via ion implantation or during a growth process called molecular beam epitaxy, followed by ion implantation.

Mental health is a growing concern for Canadian youth, with higher rates of mental health concerns in youth who are BIPOC. As a result, many mental health programs are established to detect and treat concerns in youth, with the goal of reducing mental health burden in adulthood. However, BIPOC youth face many systemic barriers to accessing mental health resources, therefore highlighting the need for mental health programs to acknowledge the unique needs of BIPOC youth.

The goal of this industry partnered project is to develop accessible online cognitive tests for children with neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Presently, Cambridge Brain Sciences is a leader in offering on-demand cognitive testing for typically-developing children and adults. An intern who is a graduate student in school psychology, will work with Cambridge Brain Sciences staff to develop audio/visual instructions for children with neurodevelopmental disorders.

Carbon Fiber (CF) is one of the world’s most versatile material ever developed. CF has high stiffness and tensile strength, is stronger than steel, lighter than aluminum and it can be molded into any shape. This allows it to be used in aerospace, airplane and automotive manufacturing. This MITACS grant will support the development of new Processes and Technologies needed to recycle CF, its co-mingled materials and other components from hard to process waste streams, with the goal of reducing environmental impact and resource requirements.