Pathways to Revitalize Indigenous Shellfish Harvest

For thousands of years, Semiahmoo First Nation, like other Coast Salish communities have and continue to be deeply connected to the sea. Historically abundant fisheries including bivalve shellfish, such as clams, oysters and mussels, are respected as relations as well as depended on for food security; interactions with these creatures and ecosystems have formed the […]

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Prediction models and longitudinal outcome analysis for child and youth psychiatric acute care admissions or access to high-intensity community-based services: machine learning models to identify risk factors, quantify service capacity short-falls, and promote appropriate transitions into the adult system of care

This research project aims to improve the care of children with severe mental health or substance use disorders by developing a ML model that can predict which children are most likely to need hospitalization. The project will analyze data from various services, including transitions into the adult mental health/addictions system and examine hospital admission outcomes […]

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Characterizing Anaerobic Degradation Pathways in Containment of Non Sewered Sanitation Systems

Non-sewered sanitation (NSS) technologies are common forms of improved and primarily onsite sanitation technology. It is estimated that globally, 40% of the population is served by these onsite sanitation systems. Research on NSS technologies lags substantially behind that of conventional wastewater treatment. The design and construction of these systems assumes the passive biodegradation of accumulated […]

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Development of a new method to analyze and quantify the combined energy efficiency and indoor air quality of HVAC systems based on air mixing in commercial and institutional buildings

One metric of HVAC systems’ performance that is largely underestimated is the efficiency of air mixing in the room, determined by multiple factors including room dimensions, the selection of air inlets and outlets as well as their location in the room. Air mixing can have a significant effect on the energy consumption of HVAC systems […]

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Developing an AI-Interpretable recommender system for maritime logistics chain

The research project aims to develop a special computer program so called “interpretable recommender system” to suggest the most efficient AI-Interpretable recommender system for maritime logistics chain to transport goods by ship. The program will use advanced math and machine learning to analyze large amounts of data about different ships and their movements. The goal […]

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UAV Monitoring of Salmon Habitat

This research project addresses needs identified by First Nation communities across BC to develop a framework to gather data regarding the state of salmon habitat in their territories in a way that is community led and driven. The project will conduct experiments leading to the development of a methodological framework and training materials focussed on […]

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Understanding the Baseline and Changes in Canada’s Blue Economy Workforce

Canada is launching a new plan for its oceans, titled the “Blue Economy”, which is focused on economic development that will benefit Canadians equitably and protect the environment. This project is focused on understanding a baseline of who is part of Canada’s ocean industries, and create a monitoring tool to see if diverse Canadians benefit […]

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Population dynamics of urban black-tailed deer in response to experimentally manipulated fawning rates, across landscapes with high and low immigration potential

Urban black-tailed deer in Esquimalt BC have increased in number, leading to their perception as pests and posing risks to residents through traffic accidents. Lethal removal programs (i.e., culling) are unethical and based on little scientific evidence. We seek to use more humane methods of population control by reducing deer birth rate using birth-control vaccines. […]

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Re-Envisioning the Landscape: Photography and Îyârhe Nakoda Resurgence

Between 1888 and 1958, several hundred government surveyors worked across the mountainous regions of what is now western Canada to create topographic maps. To do so, they used a made-in-Canada technique employing photography and a transit. Left in the wake of their map-making are more than 120,000 photographic negatives. Today these images are used to […]

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Evaluation of co-delivery of anti-cancer drugs using a handheld injection device

The goal of this proposal is we aim to develop an injectable drug delivery system for intratumoral delivery of a combination of an AXL-inhibitor and FDA-approved chemotherapy drug (e.g.Dox). AXL inhibitors in combination with chemotherapies that target the DNA of cancer cells is a promising approach for treating cancers. The device is integrable to a […]

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Implementation of Tensor Neural Networks

Tensor networks are a quantum inspired technique that provide useful mechanisms for solving hard problems, usually in the realm of quantum mechanics and many-body systems, through the manipulation and operation of tensors. The main challenge underlying this project is the productionalization of a quantum-inspired deep learning algorithm which currently exists as a proof of concept […]

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Synoptic conditions of rain-on-snow related environmental and operational issues in forestry activities on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada

Watersheds in the coastal regions of British Columbia are comprised of rugged mountains and high storm runoff, rendering streams prone to increases in snowmelt during rain-on-snow (ROS) events due to forest harvesting. Importantly, both forest harvesting operations and ROS events are widespread in the transitional snow zones of Vancouver Island, BC. Correspondingly, they routinely experience […]

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