The research analyzes the structures of social networks, the varying uses of social media and information diffusion among social networking sites’ users in Kyrgyzstan as a pilot study and possibly expand in a subsequent project to Central Asia. We will study social media consequences on politics, the rise of populism, democracy, equality, participation, diversity, deliberation, […]

Due to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, there is: 1) a worldwide shortage of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) for frontline Health Care Professional; and 2) a demand for products which can reduce the risk of contracting SARS-CoV-2. We plan to assess the use of titanium-based particles to inactivate viruses and bacteria using visible light. The particles can […]

This project will investigate possible alternative blood donation screening criteria that could lead to sexual and gender minorities who are sexually active being allowed to donate blood without a mandatory waiting period since their last sexual encounter. Currently in Canada, any cisgender man who has sex with another man must wait three months since that […]

Forests are one of Canada’s greatest commodities in terms of natural resources—almost two-thirds of British Columbia alone is populated by forests, measuring 60 million hectares. Worldwide, forests continue to impact global infrastructure, economy and environment. Understanding how to monitor and track usage and health of our forests is essential for the management and longevity of […]

Bold-100 is a promising new drug that has been studied as a treatment for cancer. Because of the way it works in cells, there is reason to believe that it may also help protect against infections with viruses like SARS-CoV2 (the cause of COVID-19). The purpose of this project is to study the effects of […]

The recent COVID-19 pandemic has forced governments and communities revisit the conceptions of sustainability and resilience. While many of the businesses in the retail, food services, and tourism and hospitality sectors experienced a drastic drop in sales during the COVID-19 pandemic, online shopping and delivery sectors are dealing with a dramatic increase in sales and […]

Many babies die within the first month of life from infectious diseases. Despite successful neonatal vaccination programs, it is not yet possible to accurately predict if a vaccine will work on a newborn child, at the individual “personalized” level. We need to better understand the mechanism of antibody generation after vaccination to improve immunization programs. […]

The global population is rising, generating a need to produce more food to feed the world. Along with climate change, the food crops across the world are facing growing challenges from pests, pathogens and viruses that attack and destroy crops. In Canada, we export more than $7 billion worth of wheat every year. The Terramera-led […]

Fitness apps are widespread, used by professionals and casual users alike. Existing apps only give examples, they don’t correct. The proposed research closes this feedback loop by using the video camera on mobile phones as an analysis tool to judge and correct the execution of common gym exercises. This is particularly important for weight lifting, […]

In recent years there has been a rapid increase in companies providing rocket launch services for private space travel (SpaceX, Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic to name a few). Access to space by private citizens means that companies will need to collect health information from the private astronauts as well monitor their health while in […]

Concrete elements are extensively used in urban structures including high-rises, bridges, dams and tunnels, and testing their quality and monitoring their health is of extremely high importance in the industry. In this project, use of piezoelectric transducers along with wireless communication and memory elements is suggested to overcome the limitations with the current methods. Piezoelectric […]

Reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is an important global issue as GHGs from human activities are a significant contributor to global climate change. Greenhouse gases cause climate change such as rising average temperatures, extreme weather events. Carbon dioxide is the primary greenhouse gas, responsible for about three-quarters of emissions. This project aims to reduce global […]