The requirement for online communication continues to grow exponentially, primarily a result of the increased demand for information sharing bandwidth. This demand is driven by video-over-internet applications used for both entertainment, and conferencing (felt most recently in the need for remote working during the COVID-19 pandemic). Integrated optical components fabricated in silicon are receiving particular […]

In many drug delivery methods, chemotherapeutic drugs have a hard time solely attacking cancer cells in a tumour and instead also attack healthy cells in the body, leading to severe side effects. Pharmasonica has developed ultrasound-responsive microcapsules that can be injected in the stationary tumour. These microcapsules have small silica nanoparticles on their outer shell […]

Mastitis is the most frequent and costly disease of dairy cows, with costs estimated at $670M/year in Canada. Mastitis is also the main reason for antimicrobial use in dairy herds, raising great concerns regarding emergence of antimicrobial resistance in critical pathogens capable of infecting humans. Implementation of management and nutritional strategies that can improve mammary […]

There is a severe shortage of midwives in Canada and globally. As a result, there is a large unmet need for sexual and reproductive healthcare in communities. Midwifery associations are an example of largely women led civil society organizations that play a critical role in improving the profession and supporting sexual and reproductive health and […]

Differences in the composition of bacteria within the gut have been found in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and healthy people. In addition to this, bacterial functional differences may also contribute to inflammation in IBD, but it is difficult to determine whether these changes are cause or the consequence of disease. Proteases, which are […]

Urgent calls exist to address the mounting crisis of mental illness, and in particular posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), among public safety personnel (PSP; e.g., firefighters, police, paramedics) in Canada. Critically, PTSD is associated with alterations in cognitive functioning (e.g., poor memory and attention) that disrupt the ability of PSP to engage in activities such as […]

Twitch is a video live streaming service and a subsidiary of Amazon. Twitch primarily focuses on video game live streaming, broadcasts of esports competitions, music and creative content. Twitch clients upload their encoded video to Twitch’s servers. The user generated content (UGC) is then transcoded. Transcoding is the process of decoding UGC, making alternations to […]

Retinal diseases are the leading causes of blindness in Canada. Retinal diseases are currently treated by monthly or bimonthly intraocular injections of biologics. At the Sheardown lab, we are developing a new injectable hydrogel that can provide prolonged treatment for retinal diseases. Upon injection, the new treatment forms a transparent solid depot inside the eye […]

Public libraries and universities can benefit greatly by partnering to conduct research. To ensure the sustainability and impact of these partnerships, they need to be grounded in an awareness of each organizations’ research needs, goals, resources, and strengths. This project will produce a framework that guides public libraries in identifying research needs, strategically selecting university […]

Non-contact sensing for vital signs and human activities utilizing wireless signals has attracted a lot of attention in the last few years. Sensing using Ultra-wide-band or milli-meter wave radios is advantageous in its ability to penetrate garments or walls, operate under different lighting and weather conditions, and better preserve people’s privacy. Despite successful research demonstrations, […]

Drug-impaired driving represents a significant and increasing threat to the safety of Canadians and there is an urgent need for a convenient, instantaneous and accurate road-side evaluation technology for impaired driving. Current solution for roadside drug testing includes a device that is still just a qualitative indicator. Quantitative detection of drugs currently require expensive equipment, […]

Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and/or chronic kidney disease (CKD) affect more than 5 million Canadians. Progression of CKD is the primary cause of end-stage renal disease while NASH is now the leading cause of liver cirrhosis and liver transplant. Despite their high prevalence and severe impact on morbidity and mortality, current therapies are largely ineffective and […]