The University of Science and Technology Beijing (USTB) has a world-class advanced powder metallurgy lab. I will be taking small particles of steel (iron) and using a heated hydraulic press combine the fine powder into a hard sheet. I’ll be adding into the mix a small amount (much like adding chocolate chips to a muffin […]

Chronic kidney disease is a growing problem in Canada and worldwide and is associated with obesity, diabetes and vascular disease. Current therapies only treat symptoms of CKD and have no impact on inflammatory and fibrotic process that underlie the progression of the disease toward hemodialysis, kidney transplantation, or death. OPKO Canada (Markham, Ontario) is developing […]

Mercedes-Benz Fuel Cell production facility must condition rolls of catalyst coated membrane [CCM] material to specific humidity and temperature conditions before using CCM in the Polymer Electrolyte Membrane fuel cell manufacturing process. Rolls of CCM material are conditioned in a clean room for a fixed time upon delivery to the facility. The fixed time conditioning […]

Minimally invasive interventions are becoming increasingly common as they improve patient outcomes such as recovery time and infection risk; however, these procedures can be difficult for operators to learn. To improve surgical training efficacy, computer-assisted training, which must provide feedback in the form of instruction and skill evaluation, can be used. The training system must […]

Both Canada and France evidence high levels of domestic violence and, as such, various governmental and non-governmental bodies attempt to address the problem through media awareness campaigns. The Mitacs Award will support the media analysis of recent French media campaigns developed to create awareness around domestic violence, comparing these with depictions of domestic violence employed […]

We have previously developed and commercialized a bacteria detection technology that is now being marketed for testing E. coli and coliform bacteria in water. The work proposed here will provide tests for additional bacteria types, and new applications of current tests. Each new test will be a combination of new sample handling methods and additional […]

Currently, storage of donor kidneys at low temperatures is limited to 24 hours. If the storage time of donor kidneys could be extended, this would allow more opportunity to identify and prepare suitable recipients for this life-saving procedure. Our improved method of kidney storage at subzero temperatures will also allow patients at more remote locations […]

Considering the research gap that there lack quantitative models and advanced techniques to solve the land spatial allocation problem in China’s county-level, my PhD project aims at developing spatial optimization models to assist land spatial allocation that reconciles the market value, social value and ecological value of land, land utilization zoning and boundary setting in […]

During my 12-week stay in Mexico City I aim to obtain and analyze archival material pertinent to the exhibition Cuba: Imagen y Posibilidad, a large Cuban photographic exhibition viewed by three million visitors to Mexico City’s Galerias Abiertas de las Rejas de Chapultepec during 2009. This exhibition is central to my doctoral research, as it […]

Human populations are aging all over the world and decline in mobility is an age-related problem that limits older adults’ quality of life. One major risk factor for mobility disability in is falls. There are some modifiable risk factors for falls and identifying these factors can help public health professionals to devise proper prevention strategy. […]

The aim of this project is to develop an accurate numerical method of predicting the performance of screw conveyors in which there is heat transfer to or from the material being transported. A detailed review of past studies in this area will be undertaken and based on this and on an understanding of the characteristics […]

Maternal complications such as miscarriage or fetal loss are important reproductive issues that can affect up to 30% of pregnant women worldwide. While these complications are worldwide health problems, their mechanisms are not yet clear. Using a well-established mouse model of fetal loss, our goal is to detect localization patterns of important genes that may […]