Projets novateurs réalisés

Novel Ergonomic Chair.

A majority of jobs in highly developed economies such as Canada and the United States are sedentary. The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) reports that sitting in poorly designed chairs can lead to neck pain, back pain, and pain and aches in several muscles. With the increase of work-from-home and hybrid work, many workers are spending even longer time on their chairs. This is particularly significant as workers working from home are less likely to invest in ergonomic furniture at home.
The global ergonomic chair market size was valued at USD 9.80 Billion in 2022 and is expected to expand at a 7% compounded annually from 2023 to 2030. Previous designs are inadequate as they appear to offer very limited spin, neck, and shoulder supports. ASCEP Well-being Designs was founded to address this a need for an ergonomic chair. The company was founded by a dynamic duo consisting of a designer with over 20 years of experience, and a registered nurse, who practiced at senior’s house for over 2 years and at Royal Colombia Hospital over 3 years. This BSI, will help ASCEP collect necessary data to refine the concept and identify and develop a business model. This concept will ultimately be refined and optimized through a future Mitacs Accelerate grant.

Green’s Function Approximation Using Multi-level Neural Networks

This project builds the mathematical framework for estimating light propagation using neural networks, potentially
significantly improving computation time over traditional Finite-Difference Time-Domain numerical methods.

Effectively Communicating Triple Bottom Line: Investor Appetite for CSR at TransCanada

Triple bottom line is the nexus between the environmental, societal and financial performance of an organization. The corporate social responsibility (CSR) department of TransCanada is responsible for strategy & communication of information related to the environmental and social performance of the firm. This information is intended for use by a wide variety of stakeholders, including shareholders and potential investors, who are interested in understanding the context of non-financial performance in driving corporate profits. While research supports that at a societal level, shareholders are increasingly using this information to inform their investment decisions, firms are currently struggling with understanding the appetite and expectations of investors for communication at the company level. This research project aims to capture this information, through a survey of current retail and institutional investors at TransCanada and a broader characterization of the current interests and appetites of socially responsible, retail and institutional investors. A potential communication strategy will be developed to allow TransCanada’s investor relations and CSR teams to better communicate the business case for sustainability to potential and current shareholders.

Development of the Anti-Racism Pedagogy

The project focuses on developing a comprehensive core curriculum on anti-racism pedagogy tailored for faculty and educator development in medical and public health fields. This curriculum, emphasizing evidence-based practices, will provide practical guidance and strategies to effectively teach anti-racism and Black health, fostering inclusive learning environments. Led by the Black Health Education Collaborative (BHEC), this initiative aims to establish BHEC as a leader in addressing anti-Black racism in Canadian healthcare education, amplifying our impact and fostering partnerships. By supporting educators, we strive to improve education quality and healthcare delivery to Black communities, advancing equity in the healthcare sector. Through this project, BHEC also seeks to contribute to systemic change within healthcare education and practice, with the goal of shaping a more just and equitable healthcare system that prioritizes the needs and well-being of Black communities across Canada.

Indigenous Relations – Environmental Services – Indigenous Procurement

Indigenous Relations – Indigenous Framework
We are looking for an intern to help us with communications and research involving the development of an Indigenous Framework for the City of Regina. The majority of the work will center around weaving Indigenous worldviews into the current Western-centric City of Regina polices, practices, programs, and planning.

Maximizing Market Penetration: A Strategic Approach to Boosting Sales in Liquor Stores for Fuhr Estate Winery

Fuhr Estate Winery, founded in 2018, is a craft Meadery and Distilery nestled in Parkland County, Alberta. while the organization pursues and achieves its goals, we are facing Marketing and supply chain opportunities and challenges. The proposed project aims to tackle these challenges and leverage opportunities by formulating a comprehensive sales strategy centred on augmenting sales in liquor stores. Through meticulous market analysis, consumer insights, and strategic planning, the student intern will identify avenues for growth and recommend tailored approaches to bolster Fuhr Estate Winery’s presence and sales within this critical distribution channel.

Exploring the role of the gut microbiome and lifestyle in breast cancer

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide. Current prevention strategies are generalized and have shown limited effect on reducing the burden of breast cancer on a population level; therefore, there is a critical need for more targeted and personalized prevention strategies. As estrogen is a causal factor in breast cancer development, our current case-control study explores the role of the gut microbiome, diet and lifestyle factors on estrogen levels in the body. Our aim is to target microbiome-based pathways, possibly through a dietary intervention, as a novel prevention strategy for breast cancer; however, to achieve this, the findings need to be validated and we need to understand generalizability to the broader population. This GRA project will validate the findings in a larger population cohort in France who have different geography and demographics to increase the robustness and generazability of our findings and to amplify the impact to a global level.

Development of Floating-gate based Stable Organic N-type Optical Memory Transistor

Optical memory, one of the foundations of an image sensor, is a device that integrates the functions of a photodetector that detects light and a flash memory that stores information. When the device is exposed to light, the number of optical carriers generated in the floating gate increases. The memory status is determined accordingly. In the case of existing diode-type photodetectors, there is a signal delay in transmitting the detected signal to the flash memory along the metal line, and if the dark current of the diode is not clearly lowered, there are problems with low detection signal levels. In addition, although many reliable organic P-type materials have been reported, research and development are still needed for organic N-type semiconductors to maintain stable operation. When the above-mentioned optical memory is operated as a transistor type, the threshold voltage is adjusted according to the memory state. This makes it easy to distinguish multiple memory states using the on-current and off-current ratio of the transistor. Accordingly, this research team seeks to implement floating-gate-based stable organic N-type transistor-type optical memory by introducing each technology through collaborative research between Korea and Canada.

Sans tabous : S’unir pour l’inclusion du vécu et des besoins sexuels des adultes avec incapacités motrices en sexologie et réadaptation

Les expériences sexuelles des adultes avec incapacités physiques (AIM) sont compliquées par la présence de perceptions sociales négatives quant à leur sexualité. De plus, ces croyances sont souvent adoptées par les professionnel·le·s de la santé, menant à une invisibilisation de leurs besoins d’intervention en santé sexuelle et reproductive. Selon un devis qualitatif basé sur la méthode photovoix, cette étude mobilisera 20 à 24 AIM pour documenter leur vécu sexuel à l’aide de photographies, dégager le sens associé à ces vécus et identifier les besoins d’intervention qui en découlent. Les résultats seront diffusés à l’aide d’une exposition numérique auprès du grand public, des professionnel·le·s en sexologie et réadaptation et des chercheur·e·s. L’étude mettra ainsi de l’avant une représentation plus juste, sans tabous, par et pour les AIM de leur sexualité et contribuera à faire reconnaître leur droit d’obtenir le soutien nécessaire pour leurs besoins sexuels.

Vestibular Response Pattern Recognition in Relation to Concussion

This proposal presents research projects to evaluate a new technology, Electrovestibulography (EVestGTM) that holds potential to objectively, quickly and quantitatively measure the severity of concussion, thus aiding in its diagnosis. EVestG signals are recorded painlessly and non-invasively from the external ear in response to a vestibular stimulus; they are the brain signals modulated by the vestibular response. When concussed, people commonly experience balance (vestibular) problems and dizziness, as well as confused thinking. Considering the well-known bidirectional anatomical links of the vestibular system, following an impact concussion the EVestG signals will change, and should be indicative of a concussion. Data will be collected from referred patients, who have had concussion, as well as age and gender-matched controls. Two different signal processing will be used to derive characteristic features specific to concussion. Expert diagnostic classifiers will be developed using the statistically significant features of the two groups of participants, and the results will be compared with clinical diagnoses. The proposed research may lead to a technology that can be used for both objective diagnosis and recovery monitoring of concussion.

AI-Powered Realtor Assistant: MLS Data and Insights for Peak Efficiency via Chat Interface

Our project aims to revolutionize the way real estate professionals interact with market data and client information through the development of an advanced AI-driven chat interface. This single, cohesive system is designed to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of realtors by integrating live MLS data, market reports, BASL internal data such as goals, tasks, CRM, and required courses, providing a comprehensive toolkit for real estate agents.

Transforming Real Estate Marketing with AI: Integrating MLS Data and Professional Insights for Optimal Realtor Efficiency in a Chat Interface

In the competitive landscape of real estate in the United States and Canada, standing out requires not just hard work but smart work. Our project is at the forefront of this transformation, leveraging artificial intelligence to automate and enhance every facet of real estate marketing. From creating stunning visual content for social media to executing intricate email campaigns, our initiative is about crafting a virtual assistant that possesses unparalleled expertise in real estate marketing.

Today’s realtors navigate a maze of marketing platforms and strategies, all while managing their core responsibilities of hosting open houses and meeting clients. Our AI-driven solution aims to streamline this process, offering a comprehensive tool that automates marketing tasks from A to Z. This not only simplifies the marketing process but also opens the door to more efficient sales, satisfied clients, and a more accessible real estate market.