Projets novateurs réalisés

Apport de la physiothérapie sur la douleur chronique et sur les limitations fonctionnelles, chez la clientèle de 65 ans et plus vivant en centre d’hébergement et de soins de longue durée (CHSLD)

La douleur chronique impacte négativement la mobilité fonctionnelle (se lever, se retourner, etc.) et est, entre autres, classée comme un déterminant de morbidité et un prédicteur de mortalité chez les aînés. La physiothérapie a l’expertise pour la gestion de la douleur et la prévention des incapacités physiques. Or, les soins de physiothérapie ne font pas partis de la prise en charge conventionnelle des bénéficiaires en CHSLD. La physiothérapie mise sur la mobilité physique comme agent de traitement de la douleur, agissant ainsi du coup et sur celle-ci et sur l’autonomie fonctionnelle. Le stagiaire aura donc à colliger les interventions pertinentes de physiothérapie spécifiques aux 65 ans et plus; les inclure dans des outils sur la médiation interprofessionnelle qu’il élaborera; outils visant la gestion des tensions interprofessionnelles en préalable de l’introduction de la physiothérapie en CHSLD. L’organisme partenaire; le CIUSSS, voit l’avantage dans ce projet d’améliorer les soins de ses clients.

Characterization of a Biolubricant Based on Sulfated Polysaccharide Derived from Brown Algae

Lubricant is the substance used to decrease the friction generated between the two surfaces undergo relative motion. There are many applications for naturally occurring lubricants in medical field to improve a patient’s quality of life. Fucoidan is one of the naturally occurring lubricants that has the potential of reducing adhesion after an abdominal surgery. ARC Medical devices have developed an advanced manufacturing process to produce ultra-pure fucoidan that’s more suitable for clinical application. Additional understanding on how fucoidan provide its excellent adhesion reduction properties for hydrophilic surface is still required. Therefore, the current project is not only to study the optimal application range of ARC Medical’s fucoidan but also to determine the underlying cause for the excellent lubricating properties fucoidan provided under an aqueous environment.

Mitacs BSI Program

In this project, we will examine the current state of large-scale multi-party projects in BC Canada. We will explore the possibility of re-imagining our approaches to infrastructure project delivery that addresses the need for more consistent performance and inclusive participation in these highly complex projects.

County of Lennox & Addington

The County of Lennox & Addington is an upper-tier municipality located in Eastern Ontario. Their offices are located in Napanee, ON. The Lennox and Addington Economic Development Office is a team of Economic Development professionals who focus on improving the economy of the County. They provide business coaching to help their businesses succeed, encourage new business development, and attract visitors and residents to ensure a strong and diversified economic base. COVID-19 has created many challenges for the businesses and economy of Lennox and Addington County.

While the pandemic has been very difficult, the County is confident that it will result in new economic opportunities for Lennox and Addington County. The community needs to be prepared and ready to adjust and adapt to the realities of a restructured business model. For example, many businesses in traditional sectors were not prepared for a large shift to online and e-commerce business, which has resulted in a disproportionate effect on revenue. Additionally, with many Canadians fearful about travel, residential attraction and tourism have suffered greatly in pivoting. This MITACS opportunity will allow us to respond appropriately and implement new projects and opportunities.

JanAlta Internship

I have been offered an intership at Janalta as Business Development Consultant with following roles and responsibilities.
Refine inside sales strategy and system, including email outreach, follow up communications from non-responders, passing on meetings to Partnerships Manager.
o Research unique business categories and other market opportunities that could appeal to JanAlta audience
o Think of creative new ways to reach out to unresponsive verticals
o A/B testing outreach methods
?Optimize various areas of direct sales
?Identify new inbound sales strategies
?Audit and improve of JanAlta sales processes
?Research unique, high impact networking opportunities
?Audit and optimize 2021 pricing for all products and sites
?Sales communication across all channels
?Research and identify customer segments for each site

Novel Liposomal Formulation of OCZ103

Oncozyme is looking to improve its lead oncology product candidate OCZ103 by incorporating it in nanometer-scale lipid particles known as liposomes. Liposomes have already demonstrated their usefulness in transporting anti-cancer drugs and improving the efficacy and safety aspects of drugs. Liposomal formulation development requires a highly skilled individual both technically and theoretically. The intern who will work on this project will put her skills to work in an industrially oriented formulation development project, where theory counts, but where results must be presented and experiments prepared with a pharmaceutical regulatory aspect in mind. The intern will be in touch with the industrial expectations, while the partner will profit from the intern’s know-how guided by its supervisor.

Marketing Intern

The intern will assist Goh Ballet Academy with marketing strategies to engage the community and build awareness surrounding dance and its benefits. Given current circumstances, much of the work will centre around digital marketing and social media promotion, including but not limited to sustainable social media calendars, content creation, and sales conversion reporting. Through these activities, we want to advocate for the importance of the arts in our community, and hope that increased media attention will allow dance to be a sustained art form in the future.

David Chan – ChatterBlock

This internship will help us explore a new revenue stream and help us reorganize our business.

Anomaly Detection in Aviation Safety Data

The aviation safety is the vital component in global air transport system. As the accidents are the results of complex interactions of various risks and contributing factors, the key to avoid accidents will be proactively identifying such risks and contributing factors and mitigating them beforehand. To support the risk identification, IATA, International Air Transport Association has been collected extensive operation safety data, including accident reports, incident reports and flight data. The project aims to build anomaly detection models that examine the data automatically to help finding potential risks.

Prediction of biological age based on DNA-Methylation patterns

DNA methylation is a biological process that involves the chemical modification of DNA with methyl groups at specific regions of a chromosome. DNA methylation and demethylation change the processes associated with turning on and off genes. Changes in DNA methylation patterns can be influences by environmental forces which are recorded at the molecular level and give rise to the “epigenetic clock”. In collaboration with UltraSpec Lab, a Canadian BCbased
company, we propose to develop a new method to predict an individual’s “biological” age based on changes recorded in their epigenetic clock. We hypothesize that a difference between chronological and biological age (determined from the epigentic clock) will be predictive of early onset age-related diseases. Our biological age predictor will be determined using a blood sample and can be incorporated by clinicians as part of a standard annual
checkup. This test in combination, with other health measures can be used to determine an individual’s overall health and will allow clinicians initiate early disease intervention with the goal to reducing death rates and medical costs. Our biological age predictor will be validated by our partner company (UltraSpec Lab) and commercialized in Canada.

AI Based Video Assessment of Walking Speed (Gait)

Aging adults want to age in place in their homes to remain in their community of friends, family and activities. This independence for many depends on the support of family care givers such as spouses or adult children that may live separately or work outside the home. The use of ambient sensors in the home can provide an extra level of knowledge about well-being. Specifically, video cameras have the potential to provide a great wealth of information but do so at the expense of privacy. Project partner AltumView, makes a unique video camera with built in Artificial Intelligence (AI) that detects and automatically removes people replacing them with a stick figure. This camera has the potential for use in well-being assessment without intruding on privacy. This project will specifically explore the potential for the assessment of walking speed (gait speed) as one measure of physical well-being.

The World as Sacrament: the Eucharistic Ontology of Maximos Confessor

My proposed project consists in completing the final chapters of my doctoral dissertation: The World as Sacrament: The Eucharistic Ontology of Maximos Confessor. In essence, I argue that Maximos’ insistence that all things are created from God (ek theou) according to (kata) the Logos offers a powerful example of sacramental ontology – that is, a vision of creation as derived from, and thus imbued with, the creative and sustaining divine energy. Insofar as this ontology is rooted in Christ the Logos through whom all things were made and who is immanent in the world as its constitutive logoi, Maximos’ ontology is not merely sacramental, but specifically eucharistic. The World is a ‘cosmic liturgy’ – a reciprocal interplay between God’s free gift of His own supraessential Being to the world, and the world’s offering back of that gift in gratitude (eucharistia). My aim for this mitacs exchange is to complete the final chapters of my dissertation under the supervision of Dr Brandon Gallaher who, as an established Orthodox theologian, can oversee the final stages of my dissertation.