Projets novateurs réalisés

Microfluidic Point-of-Care Immunoassay

In this proposed project, a collaboration between Tel-Array Diagnostics and the UBC research team
will result in the development of a fully automated and portable point-of-care test for breast cancer
proteins from a single drop of blood. In order to achieve this ambitious goal, we will develop, optimize
and validate a fully integrated microfluidic sample processing and imaging system, specific for Tel-Array immunoassays. The intern will optimize the incubation times needed for storage, preparation,
sample processing and experiment readout for the developed test. The intern will also validate the test
against standard laboratory tests to determine its specificity and sensitivity. The outcomes will also
provide a platform technology for Tel-Array to launch products into other areas of personalized
medicine, such as heart disease and diabetes.

EEG Signal Processing as a Predictor of Anti-Depressant Response

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a serious mental condition that often completely debilitates a

client. MDD is typically treated with one of several currently available antidepressant medications.

However, the response rate to any of these medications is only about 30%. Unfortunately, there are

currently no means for a priori assessment of whether a specific person will respond to a particular

medication. Thus, in prescribing a treatment for MDD, the psychiatrist must by necessity resort to a

trial-and-error procedure. This can result in long delays before remission and significant stress on the

health care system.

In conjunction with collaborating psychiatrists, the applicant has developed a preliminary EEG-based

machine learning (ML) methodology that can predict the response of a person to an SSRI medication

(which is one of the classes of anti-depressant treatment) before the therapy begins. It is clear that

such a capability, when fully developed, will vastly improve the treatment of MDD. However, before

this system can be exploited …

A One-Health approach to echinococcosis (Echinococcus multilocularis) in client owned dogs in Alberta: force of infection, risk factors, diagnostics, treatments and information

This project aims to determine prevalence rates of Echinococcus species tapeworms in domestic dogs and to compare these rates to those obtained from wild canids including wolves, coyotes, and foxes. This will shed light on infection rates and risk factors for both the human population and their pet dogs. This research will benefit Bayer as they produce many pharmaceuticals that combat Echinococcus infection and believe an increased public awareness of this parasite is important for public health. Adequate education on Echinococcus will help people to avoid this risk and also to recognize potential infection in their homes.

Bio-refinery of wastewater treatment in presence of CO2 utilizing micro-algae

A micro-algae bioreactor or photobioreactor can be used for cultivating micro-algae for the purpose to
fix C02 or produce useable and commercial by-products. Specifically, micro-algae bioreactors can be
used to produce fuels such as biodiesel and bioethanol, as a replacement to conventional fuel sources.
The production of these biofuels also reduces greenhouse gasses as part of the growth cycle of microalgae.
Fundamentally, this kind of process is based on the photosynthetic reaction which is performed
by the chlorophyll-containing micro-algae itself using dissolved carbon dioxide and sunlight energy
though other literature has also studied micro-algae growth in the absence of light which is called
heterotrophic reaction .

Pyrolysis of Rice Husks and Analysis of Biochar and Bio-oil

This project focuses on the pyrolysis of rice husks and the analysis of the resulting products, including biochar and bio-oil. Pyrolysis is the decomposition of organic matter under high heat in the absence of oxygen. This project examines the pyrolysis of rice husks. Rice husks account for 20% of the entire weight of the grain. Currently, many rice producers perform uncontrolled burning to dispose of the rice husks due to the high cost of transportation for proper disposal. This uncontrolled burning produces pollutants that are released into the atmosphere and allows for a loss of energy that could otherwise be harnessed. The pyrolysis of rice husks aims to address this issue. Two products of pyrolysis are biochar and bio-fuel. Biochar is charcoal that can be added to soil to improve the soil’s fertility. Bio-oil is a fuel that can be directly used as fuel in a boiler or furnace, or further refined and used in vehicles. Through pyrolysis, the release of pollutants into the atmosphere is prevented and energy and resources can instead be harnessed.

A comparative review of sustainable development in Montréal and Curitiba, and its impact on local businesses

This research is based on the study of two cities, Montréal and Curitiba. This study will focus on the implication of these cities regarding sustainable development. The first part of the study will be a discussion about the factors that makes them sustainable. To conduct this study, there will be an analysis of the existing studies, an analysis of the field, which is the city of Curitiba where we will interview the local actors (for example the population, the member of the city hall…). In the second part of the study it will be interesting to analyze if the policies regarding sustainable development have an impact on the companies established in the cities. This research is expected to show us what makes the two studied cities sustainable ones and to establish a relation between the cities policies and the companies’ actions in their everyday activities.

Understanding the perception-production link in the L2

The phonology of a second language (L2) is rarely acquired at a native level by adult speakers, both in terms of perception and production of non-native speech sounds. In the native language (L1), evidence for a close link between speech perception and production has been found, whereby perception affects production and vice versa. When exposed to their own speech through headphones (auditory feedback), speakers compensate for real-time alterations in the auditory feedback. Moreover, this adaptation in their production causes changes in the perceptual representation of sound categories (i.e., recalibration). The connection between perception and production is thus bidirectional and seems quite automatic and spontaneous in the L1.
The focus of my doctoral research is to investigate whether the compensation and recalibration phenomena also occur in the L2 and to what extent the link between perception and production plays a role in the acquisition of non-native segments. The acquisition of Brazilian Portuguese (BP) nasal vowels /i?, e?, o?, u?/ by French, English, and Spanish speakers will therefore be examined, given that these languages differ with regards to the presence of nasal or nasalized vowels in their respective vowel inventories. TO BE CONT.

Ottan Thullal: A Vanishing Indian Preforming Art

In satisfaction of my PhD dissertation at McGill University, I intend to conduct both archival and field research on Ottan Thullal, a classical art form from Kerala, India. This surviving art form embodies an intangible cultural heritage which is on the verge of disappearing from the historical record. This dissertation aims to trace the historical origins of Ottan Thullal and document the knowledge of its few practitioners. This performance tradition combines dance with music and poetry written in the Malayalam language. Part of this research will entail the documentation and analysis of the Malayalam poetry which is incorporated and adapted into the performance. I plan to collaborate with Dr. Philip John, Professor of Malayalam at Deva Matha College (affiliated with Mahatma Gandhi University) in Kottayam, Kerala, for this project. The results of this collaboration will go a long way in safeguarding the knowledge, techniques and foundations of Ottan Thullal.

Smart Oceans:Instrumented,Interconnected,Intelligent Systems for Efficient Data Analysis and Querying

Title of the Project: Smart Oceans:Instrumented, Interconnected, Intelligent Systems for Efficient Data Analysis and Querying

This project proposes three main objectves. The first two objectives serve to provide a deeper investigation of the problem space while the third objective will build on this investigation by exploring the application of new technologies to this problem domain. Specifically, the objectives are:

1-)Identification of bottleneck encountered by scientists, domain experts and the general publi looking to access and view data correlations.

2-)Experimentation with a variety of parallelization strategies to address overheads associated with data processing and analysis methods.

3-)Investigation of alternative and emergent data management strategies, specifically focusing on the intersection between computation and data retrieval.

Name of the sponsor organization:Ocean Networks Canada

Name of Intern: Burak Martonalti

Supervisor:Dr.Yvonne Coady and Dr. Ian Barrodale

University: the University of Victoia

Analysis of the economic, environmental and social implications of energy storage

In order to assist the successful implementation of the Alberta Climate Leadership Plan (ACLP), a study aimed at the viability of energy storage technology will be conducted. The ACLP has set forth plans to completely phase out coal power generation, and achieve 30 percent renewable power by 2030. This new, made in Alberta, energy plan is aligned with the goals and beliefs of EQUS. As a leader in environmental stewardship, many of EQUS’s cooperative members are early adapters of renewable energy generation. The question that will be thoroughly investigated is the following: To what extent would the implementation of energy storage technology benefit rural energy consumers? A full analysis of the economic, environmental and social implications of various energy storage technologies will be analysed. Specifically, financial/environmental payback to cooperative members for both on grid and off grid applications will be determined.

Machine Learning methods for Nova Scotia property value prediction

This project will develop and apply machine learning techniques to predict the valuation of the properties in Nova Scotia. The techniques will help Property Valuation Services Corporation (PVSC) assessors with more efficiently and accurately valuing properties. The ultimate goal is to help PVSC reduce the number of annual appeals – which is a costly undertaking. It will also reduce the need to send assessors directly to the property locations, instead they will use machine learning techniques to more accurately predict property values.

Multi-user Training Software Development and Otoscope Tracking for Otolaryngology Education

Simulation is being used increasingly to improve medical education by providing students and trainees with greater access and opportunity to learn critical skills without affecting actual patient care. To this end, OtoSim has developed a multi-user training platform and an otoscope tracking device. The multi-user training platform allows the trainee to self-learn while being electronically connected to a central database for monitoring and advice. This will allow teachers to reach additional students without the need for a physical classroom while also providing metrics to track each of the training locations. The otoscope tracking device is an integrated electronic sensor which will determine how the trainee is holding and positioning the otoscope relative the ear. This information will enable teachers to provide feedback on how to properly position the otoscope for an optimal diagnosis without injuring the patient.