Performance optimization and prototype demonstration of the low-cost high-efficiency Localized Inherently Thin (LIT) solar cell technology platform will be carried out during the two year Mitacs Elevate Post Doctoral Fellowship program. The candidate will also design and optimize the fabrication process, working alongside industry staff, for technology transfer and commercialization. A business study will also be carried out as part of the program in order to establish the framework for large scale manufacturing.

A lack of physical infrastructure and the corresponding fear of harm are a significant barrier to urban cycling, and an impediment to the expansion of Curbside Cycle’s target demographic. Using outreach and education through a collaborative process involving partners Curbside Cycle and Cycle Toronto we will empower local experts, enlist local businesses as powerful community stakeholders, and foster coalitions of community support for improved bicycle infrastructure.

When a user makes an input to a computer, there is a necessary delay before the computer is able to respond. For mouse-based computers, responding within 100ms was sufficient to appear ‘immediate’. In touch-based systems, latency is more apparent, represented as a physical separation between the finger and the object moved onscreen. Technologies capable of immediate (1ms) reporting of input to the computer are being developed by Tactual Labs. Such sensors hold the key to the elimination of lag in the user interface.

The Shoichet laboratory has developed a biomaterial composed of hyaluronan and methylcellulose, termed HAMC which can be utilised in biomedical applications. HAMC has significant advantages for the delivery of therapeutics including stem cells and drugs to the central nervous system. Combining therapeutics and HAMC complicates the commercialization process as clinical approval will be required for both the therapeutic element and HAMC.

This project will determine whether genetic variation in salivary amylase, an enzyme involved in the digestion of carbohydrates, affects blood glucose responses after eating and affects the glycemic index of foods. Glycemic index (GI) is a measure of how high the carbohydrates in foods raise blood glucose. Higher amylase activity might lead to faster digestion and higher glycemic responses and a higher GI.

This project will determine whether genetic variation in salivary amylase, an enzyme involved in the digestion of carbohydrates, affects blood glucose responses after eating and affects the glycemic index of foods. Glycemic index (GI) is a measure of how high the carbohydrates in foods raise blood glucose. Higher amylase activity might lead to faster digestion and higher glycemic responses and a higher GI.

This project will upgrade the Climate and Infrastructure Forensic Analysis System (CIFAS), originally developed to characterize snow- and permafrost-related impacts to ground transportation and mine access roads in the Canadian North. My first objective is to enhance the analytical capacity of CIFAS by improving its ability to quantify uncertainties associated with empirical knowledge used to causally connect infrastructure service levels with climate-induced disturbances, as well as with climate projections from climate models.

Major depression (MDD) is a chronic psychiatric disorder. The aim of this project is to examine the link between specific molecular alterations and neuropathology in the brain in patients with MDD. We will use post-mortem brains that were collected by the Sao Paulo autopsy service. More specifically, oxidative modifications to proteins and lipids, and levels of neurotrophins, which are necessary for the survival of neurons and glial cells, will be measured and correlated with markers of neurodegeneration.

Since 1991 SMART Technologies has infused classrooms around the world with powerful interactive technologies, principally the “SMART Board” which sets a standard for interactive whiteboards. The SMART Board has been featured in many innovative designs for learning and instruction - some coming from academic research, and many from classroom teachers as they integrate touch boards into their own instructional practice.

This research project investigates public and private investment ideas and strategies for local culture and heritage projects, with an emphasis on lessons for Toronto, Canada. The study will identify emerging trends and developments in the areas of urban planning, heritage preservation, cultural investment and local governance. The research will be based on current thinking from academic literature, public policy, professional expertise, and first-hand accounts of those working in the philanthropic and charitable giving sectors.