Projets novateurs réalisés

Grenadier Pond Turtle Population Survey

Grenadier Pond in High Park, Toronto, is home to several turtle species, some of which are at risk due to habitat degradation, pollution and human interference. However, there is a lack of data on the pond’s turtle population, including species diversity, population size and nesting habits. We will conduct a population survey to establish baseline data that will guide conservation efforts, improve habitat management and support the protection of these highly endangered species.

A Deep Learning Approach for High Accuracy Weed Detection and Tracking in an Agricultural Environment

Weed management is a critical challenge in agriculture, directly affecting crop yields, sustainability, and economic efficiency. Traditional weed control methods, such as manual removal and widespread herbicide spraying, are labor-intensive, environmentally harmful, and economically unsustainable. This project aims to develop an AI-driven weed detection, segmentation, and tracking system that enhances precision agriculture practices by enabling real-time monitoring and intervention.
The research focuses on integrating deep learning and computer vision techniques to accurately classify weeds and crops, improving decision-making for farmers. The key innovation is the ability to track weed growth dynamically, allowing adaptive control strategies that reduce chemical dependency while optimizing crop health. The system will be trained on diverse real-world agricultural datasets, employing convolutional neural networks (CNNs) for high-accuracy detection and segmentation methods to refine weed localization.
By introducing an intelligent tracking mechanism, the system will continuously monitor weed development, predict regrowth patterns, and enable precise, targeted interventions. This research contributes to sustainable farming by reducing herbicide use, minimizing environmental impact, and enhancing crop productivity. The project’s findings will support the development of scalable, AI-powered solutions for modern agriculture, ultimately improving efficiency and promoting eco-friendly farming practices.

Portrait des activités des organismes en dépendance et usage de substances membres de l’AQCID : des actions émanant des besoins des communautés concernées

L’Association Québécoise des Centres d’Intervention en Dépendance (AQCID) regroupe 135 organismes communautaires et sans but lucratif œuvrant dans les domaines de la prévention, de la réduction des méfaits et du traitement. Ces organismes n’ont actuellement pas accès à une vue d’ensemble régionale ou nationale qui reflète, dans un angle collectif, l’ensemble des activités qu’ils mènent auprès de la population. En conséquence, ils ne peuvent pas évaluer objectivement l’ampleur de leur contribution. Ce projet vise à combler cette lacune en sondant ces 135 organismes sur leurs actions et les populations qu’ils desservent. Grâce à ce portrait, les organismes seront en mesure de mettre en valeur leur contribution, notamment dans le cadre du Plan d’action interministériel en dépendance 2018-2028 du Gouvernement du Québec, tout en mettant en lumière leurs autres réalisations.

Examining and alleviating causes of no show visits in diagnostic imaging

Diagnostic imaging (DI) services, such as MRI and CT scans, are a crucial component of healthcare for many patients. However, DI appointment no-shows (i.e., cancellations without prior notice from the patient) can lead to financial losses and underutilized resources at hospitals. For patients, DI no-shows can lead to treatment delays and negative health outcomes. Multiple factors can contribute to DI no-shows, including long appointment wait times, patient-related challenges (e.g., lack of access to transportation), and external factors like the weather. This project, which will be conducted in partnership with the William Osler Health System (Osler), aims to examine the underlying factors behind DI no-shows and to help design suitable strategies to reduce no-shows. This will lead to improved healthcare quality, more accurate diagnosis, and timely treatment for patients. For Osler, which has been engaging in ongoing efforts to reduce DI no-show rates, this will enhance healthcare and workflow efficiency and utilization of resources.

Toolset scale-up and development to evaluate and optimize carbon sequestration in New Brunswick tidal flats

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Effect of pea-brassica intercrops on yield and quality of subsequent crops

Intercropping allows for simultaneous cultivation of multiple crop species in the same field during a growing season or a part of the growing season, which is a promising strategy for ecological intensification for improving sustainability. The project is to evaluate potential benefits of pea – brassica oilseed intercrops and explore the underlying mechanisms driving outyielding compared to sole crops, and to evaluate the effects of pulse – brassica intercrops on the yield and quality of the subsequent crops – potato and carrot. During the first phase of intercrops (2025), five treatments, including (1) pea-camelina, (2) pea-brown mustard, (3) pea only, (4) brown mustard only, and (5) camelina only will be planted. Data collection will include leaf area index, photosynthesis efficiency, water and nutrient use efficiency, seed yield, seed quality, and land equivalent ratio (LER), disease and weed pressure, and soil nutrient and microbial analysis. During the second phase (2026), the carryover effects of the previous intercrops on nutrient availability, pest control, yield and quality in the subsequent cash crops, potato and carrot will be evaluated. The expected outcome of this project will be used to strategically design plant mixtures to improve crop resilience to environmental stresses in agricultural systems.

Évaluation des bilans d’eau et d’énergie à l’échelle du Québec en climat actuel et futur

La disponibilité de l’eau en surface au Québec varie selon les conditions climatiques, l’occupation du territoire et les usages. Face aux changements climatiques, notre capacité à anticiper ces variations repose sur des modèles climatiques capables de simuler les processus liés aux bilans d’eau et d’énergie terrestres. Ces modèles jouent un rôle clé en prévoyant les impacts des changements climatiques sur les précipitations, l’évapotranspiration, la fonte de neige, et les apports d’eau dans les rivières et lacs. Leur fiabilité dépend de leur aptitude à représenter avec précision ces phénomènes et leurs interactions avec l’atmosphère, en particulier à travers les flux d’énergie, d’humidité et de mouvement à la surface terrestre. Les modèles de surface, comme CLASSIC (Canadian Land Surface Scheme Including Carbon cycle), sont essentiels pour fournir ces flux aux modèles climatiques. Ces outils ont progressé rapidement grâce à l’intégration des cycles biogéochimiques et à une modélisation dynamique de la végétation.

Ce projet de recherche vise à approfondir l’évaluation des modèles de surface en comparant leurs simulations selon différents schémas et résolutions spatiales. Ce travail, réalisé dans le cadre d’un partenariat entre l’Université Laval et Ouranos, analysera l’influence de la topographie, de la végétation et de l’eau sur les bilans d’énergie et d’eau. L’objectif est d’améliorer la modélisation climatique et de contribuer à une gestion durable des ressources en eau face aux défis climatiques futurs.

Improving Psychiatric Diagnosis in Primary Care with the Mental Health Assessment Tool (MHAT)

This project will validate the Mental Health Assessment Tool (MHAT), a digital decision support platform developed by Harrison Healthcare to streamline mental health assessments in primary care. The study will compare MHAT’s diagnostic suggestions to gold-standard clinical interviews, evaluate its alignment with established symptom severity measures, and examine its relationship with key mental health indicators like quality of life and suicidal thoughts. By ensuring MHAT’s accuracy and reliability, this research will help refine the tool and lay the groundwork for scaling its use to address the growing mental health burden in Canada.

Developing Wise Practices to Enhance First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Engagement in Culturally Safe Clinical Trials

This project aims to improve the inclusion of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis (FNIM) peoples in clinical trials, particularly for innovative treatments like cell therapies. Clinical trials often do not represent the diversity of Canada’s population, leaving FNIM communities underrepresented. This can result in treatments that may not fully address their unique health needs. By working closely with FNIM community representatives and clinical trial researchers, this study will identify practical recommendations to create more culturally safe and inclusive clinical trial practices. Through a systematic review and interviews with key interest-holders, we will gather insights on current gaps, barriers, and strategies to improve FNIM participation. These findings will support the partner organization, The Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, in fostering equitable healthcare innovation and ensuring that advanced therapies are accessible and beneficial to all populations.

Leveraging active learning (AL) technique for the efficient discovery of viral sensitizers

The proposed project aims to accelerate the discovery of viral sensitizers (VSEs), which are small molecules that improve the production of viral vectors like Adeno-Associated Virus or Lentivirus, crucial for gene and cell therapies. Currently, discovering VSEs involves slow and costly high-throughput screening methods. To tackle this, we will develop a new in-silico approach that combines machine learning (ML) and active learning (AL) to enhance the identification of effective VSEs more quickly and efficiently. By using these advanced technologies, the project seeks to improve the hit discovery rate, reduce costs, and explore new chemical spaces that might otherwise be overlooked. The end result will be a faster, more cost-effective process for discovering VSEs, ultimately benefiting Virica Biotech Inc. by enabling improved viral vector production for gene and cell therapies.

Supporting Institutions in Optimizing Canada’s Food Guide

Canada’s recent Food Guide and Dietary Guidelines recommend a plant-forward pattern of eating, which research suggests would greatly help to improve health and environmental outcomes (as well as animal welfare). Humane Society International/Canada and World Animal Protection advocate for policies and practices to support plantforward eating. This project advances their important work by:
1. Examining procurement to identify opportunities to improve well-being in provincial institutions – long-term care, nursing homes, day cares, colleges, universities, and hospitals?
2. Supporting the development of research and compelling information to support a transition to a sustainable food future.
3. Analyzing institutional practices, like procurement and communications, for opportunities to leverage to enhance human, animal, and planetary health through agriculture and food systems.

Procurement and Supply Chain Analysis in Northern Ontario

Research dedicated towards enhancing procurement practices can positively impact Northern farming practices, Indigenous food production and accessibility, as well as reconciliatory and collaborative possibilities. This project intends to initiate and systematise evidence-based strategies to promote sustainable and cost effective economic growth, aggregation, and distribution in Northern Ontario to the benefit of its regions through peer reviewed publications focused on informative research, conference organisation, educational workshops, and the development of a user-friendly procurement app to support North-for-North aggregation for procurement purposes. The Northern Ontario Farm Innovation Alliance (NOFIA) is based in the Northeast, and is a non-profit organisation that provides research and innovation infrastructure for agriculture in Northern Ontario by creating partnerships with various groups to support agricultural products and technologies for effective use in Northern Ontario. The Sustainable Food Systems Lab at Lakehead in Thunder Bay is based in the Northwest that collaborates between policy development and on-the-ground practice to create sustainable food systems ‘for all.’ An amalgamation between these two diverse communities contributes to this project’s scope and uniqueness, covering not only the expansive territory of Northern Ontario, but the resources offered in support of this project, one that is additionally supported by the academic backbone of the post-doctoral position that will strengthen NOFIA’s work on developing the agri-food sector in Northern Ontario.