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The sodium chloride coating applied to the surface of the surgical mask is designed to kill any virus particles which can otherwise survive for up to a week — a risk researchers say the average person isn’t aware of. “Viruses can survive on the surface [of a mask] for a few hours, to a week […]

Even though face masks are selling out everywhere, an Albertan scientist and his team aren’t convinced that masks help. They may even be doing more harm than good. Assistant Professor Hyo-Jick Choi and his team at the University of Alberta are working on face masks that kill coronavirus instead of spreading it. The team believes […]

Should you be in China right now, you’ll see a lot of people wearing surgical masks to protect themselves against coronavirus. A Canadian scientist claims that such masks may actually do more harm than good, if handled improperly – so he’s created a coating that could reportedly change that. A biomedical engineer based out of […]

Hyo-Jick Choi, a biomedical engineer and assistant professor in the chemical and materials engineering department, said masks are a form of personal protection from illnesses, but that they have limitations. “They’re function is to simply filter the pathogens in the air,” Choi explained. “The issue is they do not die right away. So the pathogens, […]

Edmonton, Alberta— In the wake of reports that major retailers are selling out of basic surgical masks amid growing concern of coronavirus spread, a leading University of Alberta researcher — whose Mitacs-funded research intern is leading the charge to develop a universal preventive filter capable of killing viruses — confirms that current masks are limited […]

As people mourned Friday at a memorial service for one of the victims of Ukrainian International Airlines Flight PS752, there was a note of hope with the announcement of a scholarship established in honour of Forough Khadem. Khadem graduated from the University of Manitoba with a PhD in immunology in 2016, and was a promising scientist […]

A Lakehead University scientist seeking to commercialize a breast cancer detection device has been awarded $448,000 by the Canadian Cancer Society to continue her research. The grant allows Dr. Alla Reznik of Thunder Bay to spend the next three years developing the Positron Emission Mammography (PEM), molecular imaging equipment and a new method of diagnosing […]

A researcher at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ont., has received a national award for his work on creating a breast imaging alternative to traditional mammograms. Sasha Bubon is part of team that has developed a way to use positron emission tomography (PET) to deliver high-resolution images at a much lower dose of radiation. “To […]

Six years ago, Douglas Kondro designed a unique prosthetic for an abandoned rooster that had lost its toes to frostbite. That would be a major life accomplishment for any 20-year-old. But the University of Calgary PhD student in Biomedical Engineering in Graduate Studies, now 26, is receiving new acclaim, this time for his work scaling […]

  Vancouver, BC — The Mitacs Board of Directors announced today the appointment of John Hepburn, PhD, as its new Chief Executive Officer and Scientific Director. Currently the Vice-President of Research and Partnerships at CIFAR (formerly the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research), Hepburn will assume his new role on February 18, 2020. With an extensive […]

Toronto, ON — Colleges Ontario and Mitacs will collaborate on awarding up to 200 internships to college students in 2020 on applied research projects. This research will stimulate economic growth throughout the province, particularly in rural and northern communities. It will also provide new work-integrated learning opportunities to full-time college students throughout the province. One recent example […]

Vancouver, BC Mitacs is pleased to welcome Marie-Hélène Labrie to its board of directors. Ms. Labrie brings a breadth and depth of experience to the Mitacs board, with an extensive background in Canadian government relations, as well as in public communications and marketing in technology companies. Ms. Labrie joins the Board of Directors to oversee Mitacs’s […]