Innovative Projects Realized

Operations Officer with the Arctic Youth Network

The operations role will be supporting with the supervising and monitoring of the entrepreneurship network and engagement program, as well as supporting the overall Arctic Youth Network (AYN) operating model. The role will involve gaining an understanding of the day-to-day operations of an international NGO as well completing a variety of tasks and strategic considerations that come into play when managing this type of organization. The partner organization is expected to benefit as the operations officer will work to restore and modify their business operations as the economy recovery begins.

Arctic Youth Network Project

Arctic youth face massive social, economic, and environmental shifts and are working hard to address these in their
communities and beyond. Access to the opportunities, resources, and contacts they need to develop as leaders are,
however, often scarce, and where they do exist are often only accessible or known to a small group of people. As such,
the Arctic Youth Network (AYN) is creating a global network for young entrepreneurs to foster a competitive northern
economy that is driven by the next generation of business leaders, prioritizes sustainable development, and built on Arctic
and Indigenous values.

Through this network, the AYN aims to democratize access to opportunities, create a platform to amplify youth voices, and
empower a community of young change-makers in the North. By providing tools and spaces for collaboration, the AYN
seeks to create an inclusive world where aspiring leaders have equitable access to resources to advance economic
change their own way.

Intelligent Alert System Based on Contact Tracing and Health Monitoring

COVID-19, an infectious disease that has become a pandemic, causing dramatic strain on our healthcare system. Infected individuals generally report mild symptoms, while others suffer from severe symptoms requiring hospitalization. The proposed project aims to reduce infections by implementing an intelligent alert system that encompasses a smart Bluetooth wearable and an artificially intelligent (AI) platform. In the first phase we deployed a Bluetooth wearable with great success in mitigating outbreaks in various workplaces. The alert system works by recording short-distance Bluetooth signal interactions using a secure (i.e. encrypted) signal; protecting the privacy of individuals. In the second phase we will introduce a wearable with more sensors that records an individual’s vital signs and monitors their health and recovery. Using AI a transmission model will be developed that forecasts the risk of virus transmission and identifies individuals with potential underlying health risks.

Arctic Youth Network

The Arctic is rapidly changing and thus there is a need for sustainable connection and growth both within Arctic regions and on a global scale. Additionally, there is an increasing dependence on digital media for communication that drives development. This project in partnership with Arctic Youth Network aims to improve access to educational and leadership opportunities for Arctic youth creators and build a digital platform to connect and amplify their voices. This will include facilitating opportunities for collaboration between young entrepreneurs in the Arctic and local and international collaborators and promoting empowerment and providing education and skill building opportunities for them as individuals and for their communities. The research will investigate how scientific and psychological principles can be used to support youth leaders and drive sustainable development that is in touch with both modern technology and traditional values. This project aims to contribute to holistically by considering the complex history of the Arctic in global nations, and promoting cultural preservation, economic growth, environmental sustainability, and physical and mental wellness in all endeavors. The work done here will create a platform for long-term engagement, growth and opportunity for Arctic youth.

Arctic Youth Network

The need for increased capacity for Arctic youth to engage in entrepreneurial ventures has been identified as part of a holistic wellness-promotion initiative. This project will investigate key factors and strategies necessary to increase accessibility and availability of resources for Arctic youth to pursue entrepreneurial interests. This research will culminate in the creation of a youth entrepreneurship network that will enable up-and-coming leaders to facilitate change in their own way. The research will incorporate psychological principles associated with youth empowerment and leadership, Indigenous wellness principles, and the links with entrepreneurial and economic engagement. This project will be based on collaboration with other key international Arctic partners, and case studies of a range of wellness and Indigenous initiatives with Arctic youth will be included. Additionally, the influences of youth involvement in entrepreneurship on mental well-being will be investigated. Key outcomes from the project will include creation of a brand and visual identity as well as educational opportunities for youth. Programming and educational experiences will be developed and means of funding these will be identified.

GaN Modelling for the EV Application

The use of new technologies, such as Gallium Nitride electronic switches, allows very efficient and compact power converters to be manufactured at reasonable cost. This is particularly interesting in applications such as electric vehicles. This project focuses on developing software simulation models and techniques for deploying these latest high voltage switches, in particular focussing on how they may best be controlled and used in manufacturable products. The next step will be to design complete power control modules for specific applications.

Portrait des syndicats et de la Confédération des syndicats nationaux face à la transition juste et écologique

La notion de transition énergétique et écologique juste — ou transition juste — a été développée par le mouvement syndical mondial pour protéger les travailleuses et les travailleurs touchés.es par la transition vers une économie sobre en carbone. Elle est née de la nécessité de protéger les moyens de subsistance de ces personnes et de s’assurer que les gouvernements accordent une attention aux conséquences des transformations profondes liées à la transition. Elle a permis de renforcer les capacités d’agir ainsi que le partage d’expériences et de compétences tout en établissant les bases d’un dialogue social inclusif. La transition concerne les travailleuses et les travailleurs dont les emplois dépendent d’industries à hautes émissions de GES, qui pourraient se retrouver en situation de précarité et devoir réorienter leur carrière. Elle va toutefois bien au-delà du secteur de l’énergie puisque la transition aura des répercussions dans l’ensemble de l’économie. La transition est maintenant une mesure d’adaptation pour lutter contre les changements climatiques et un projet de société.

Modélisation mathématique pour l’étude de la motilité cellulaire

La motilité cellulaire joue un rôle central dans un grand nombre de processus physiologiques : la réponse immunitaire, le développement neuronal, le développement des cancers… pour ne citer qu’eux. Comprendre les mécanismes à l’origine des migrations cellulaires, ainsi que les réactions d’interaction est donc crucial. Il est établi que certaines protéines y jouent un rôle central. L’expérimentation en laboratoire est difficile, tandis que les techniques informatiques donnent actuellement de très bons résultats dans la compréhension des interactions protéiques. Le projet consiste à développer des modèles de système de réaction-diffusion, pour investiguer la dynamique et l’importance des certaines protéines dans la motilité cellulaire. Il s’agit de maîtriser les équations différentielles, non linéaires ou stochastiques, qui régissent le système, puis d’implémenter informatiquement la résolution, par simulations aléatoires entre autres. Les différents modèles seront confrontés à la réalité et validés par des techniques « Markov Chain Monte Carlo », et le projet permettra in fine une meilleure compréhension des interactions protéiques.

Cannabis legalization in Canada: examining the effect of provincial policies on transitions to the legal retail market

Evaluating the impact of recreational cannabis legalization on Canadian public health is critical. The proposed project will focus on the cannabis legal market in the three years post-legalization in Canada (2019-2021). I will examine five aspects of the legal market: 1) how much money was spent in the legal market; 2) prices of cannabis and number of retail stores; 3) perceptions of legal cannabis; and characteristics of consumers who: 4) grow their own cannabis; and 5) purchase in the legal market. The study consists of two data sources: 1) an environmental scan of the cannabis market to collect ‘objective’ data; 2) population-level data conducted with repeat cross-sectional samples of Canadians. Outcomes will be examined nationally, by provinces, and sociodemographic characteristics.

The Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA) is the leading non-governmental organization in substance use in Canada, and cannabis policy is a core area of focus. Collaboration will provide the CCSA with evidence on the legal market and legislative impacts on public health. The project will contribute scientific evidence to the Government of Canada’s legislative review of legalization. By working with the CCSA,

Technology Development to Support Drinking Water Treatment Response to Climate Change and Increasingly Variable Source Water Quality – Year two

The physico-chemical processes of coagulation, flocculation, clarification, and filtration, collectively referred to as “chemically-assisted filtration” (CAF), are integral to resilient drinking water treatment—their use to ensure the provision of safe drinking water is therefore a regulatory requirement across North America. Treatment credits are assigned based on achievement of filtered water turbidity targets. Recent work has shown that turbidity is inadequate for assessing protozoan pathogen removal by CAF in high quality source water systems because it does not reliably reflect the adequacy of particle destabilization achieved by coagulant addition—this is critical for effective filtration. Zeta potential analysis (ZPA) indicates particle destabilization; however, it is not widely used in the water industry, despite the increasingly urgent need for real-time coagulant dosing support in response to climate change-exacerbated landscape disturbances (e.g., wildfires, floods). This project will advance Malvern Panalytical’s delivery of customer-focused solutions that deliver tangible economic impact through physico-chemical analysis of materials by (1) demonstrating ZPA integration with conventional indicators (e.g., turbidity) to optimize water treatment performance/pathogen removal, (2) evaluating ZPA as a climate change adaptation tool for informing coagulant dosing during severe disturbances/flooding, and (3) developing and validating operational guidance for ZPA implementation and identification of system-specific performance targets.

Technology Development to Support Drinking Water Treatment Response to Climate Change and Increasingly Variable Source Water Quality

The physico-chemical processes of coagulation, flocculation, clarification, and filtration, collectively referred to as “chemically-assisted filtration” (CAF), are integral to resilient drinking water treatment—their use to ensure the provision of safe drinking water is therefore a regulatory requirement across North America. Treatment credits are assigned based on achievement of filtered water turbidity targets. Recent work has shown that turbidity is inadequate for assessing protozoan pathogen removal by CAF in high quality source water systems because it does not reliably reflect the adequacy of particle destabilization achieved by coagulant addition—this is critical for effective filtration. Zeta potential analysis (ZPA) indicates particle destabilization; however, it is not widely used in the water industry, despite the increasingly urgent need for real-time coagulant dosing support in response to climate change-exacerbated landscape disturbances (e.g., wildfires, floods). This project will advance Malvern Panalytical’s delivery of customer-focused solutions that deliver tangible economic impact through physico-chemical analysis of materials by (1) demonstrating ZPA integration with conventional indicators (e.g., turbidity) to optimize water treatment performance/pathogen removal, (2) evaluating ZPA as a climate change adaptation tool for informing coagulant dosing during severe disturbances/flooding, and (3) developing and validating operational guidance for ZPA implementation and identification of system-specific performance targets.

How are rapid environmental changes influencing Canadian-origin Yukon River Chinook declines? – Year two

Yukon River Chinook salmon have experienced devastating declines in recent years, leading to significant impacts on Yukon First Nation citizens. To address this growing conservation issue, we have collaborated with Yukon First Nations to understand their desires for improving salmon conservation capacity, and how we can support them in this endeavour. Together, we have identified some key avenues for research: first, what is responsible for salmon declines – climate change, fishing pressure, habitat loss, too many hatchery fish, or a combination? Armed with this extra information, we will create watershed-specific conservation strategies to help protect salmon and their habitats from future impacts. These strategies will be developed in collaboration with local First Nations to make sure that they are 1) desirable, 2) feasible, and 3) scientifically supported. Finally, as downstream fishing and increased climate change over the Alaskan border have been rising concerns for Yukon First Nations, we will use our data to determine if current harvest rates should be lowered in a warmer and more variable climate. Together, these actions will help Yukon First Nations maximize their local conservation impact, while also supporting their advocacy goals on the International stage.