The consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic are far-reaching and extend beyond the spread of the disease and efforts to quarantine it. With emergency management efforts underway, opportunities exist to develop more effective and efficient response measures to increase the resiliency of our communities amidst this and future public health crises. Developing impactful resilience strategies requires […]

This research project aims to review, analyze and build upon the current body of knowledge concerning the therapeutic potential of landscape design. It will review the health outcomes of natural settings at healthcare facilities and examine the design processes behind these. Project partner Virginia Burt Designs is a leading practitioner in this aspect of the […]

Scientists have been interested in the effects that microorganisms have on their host plants for over a century, however, recently researchers have been able to better tackle these questions with the advent of new technology. In particular, beneficial microorganisms associated with roots can increase crop resiliency against disease, pests and extreme weather events, making this […]

Mothers can influence the behaviour and physiology of their young even before hatch. In birds that occurs through the deposition of hormones and nutrients into the egg. Mother-hens can be housed in various systems that offer different challenges to the bird. Our project will investigate how housing a mother-hen can affect the resilience of their […]

The main goal of this project is to develop a more advanced version of the Robotic Stairclimbing Assistant (ROSA), a stair-climbing domestic service robot developed by Quantum Robotic Systems. ROSA can carry heavier household items (e.g., laundry baskets, bins, etc.) between rooms and up stairs. ROSA is meant to help seniors, people with compromised mobility, […]

As of May 1st, 2020, over 3.2 million cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed, resulting in over 233,000 deaths globally. This project aims to provide an alternative vaccine for the prevention and treatment COVID-19 in high risk individuals, mainly the elderly and immunocompromised, who do not respond well to tranditional vaccination. Using a single viral […]

One of the main challenges in tree fruit orchards is to accurately predict apple yield and identify the health of individual trees (e.g., healthy foliage, fruit development, detecting and identifying diseased trees). Manual performance of these tasks is labour intensive and costly. Therefore, automated processes provide novel solutions with enhanced accuracy, efficiency, and productivity. The […]

The consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic are far-reaching and extend beyond the spread of the disease and efforts to quarantine it. With emergency management efforts underway, opportunities exist to develop more effective and efficient response measures to increase the resiliency of our communities amidst this and future public health crises. Developing impactful resilience strategies requires […]

This project aims at developing information and knowledge that will promote public and policy support for the long-term sustainability of the agricultural system surrounding the greenbelt. Based on a preliminary research led by the Friends of Greenbelt Foundation, this research will develop a monitoring framework for the viability and protection of the agricultural system in […]

Pollination services provided by honey bees is imperative to crop production in Canada. Unfortunately, honey bee health is compromised by pests and diseases leading to the decline and/or death of hives and decreased pollination. In this project we will implement the usage of a special inspenser to bring in materials that will protect the honey […]

The research will highlight the COVID-19 related economic and social challenges faced by Syrian Refugees who have settled in Rural Canada. These new residents have settled, started to adjust to life in Canada, and have suddenly found themselves challenged by economic and social uncertainty brought about by COVID-19. The results of this research will help […]

The Canadian agricultural sector has been particularly effected by the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to shortages in agricultural labour, the sector relies on the annual arrival of migrant workers, which in 2020 was disrupted due to the travel restrictions and quarantine orders enacted to fight the spread of this virus. As a result, […]