Schizophrenia is a serious and severe mental disorder of yet unknown etiology. Genetic, developmental and environmental factors have all been implicated in the emergence of the disorder. In particular, abnormalities in both morphology and volume of the hippocampus have been implicated in the underlying mechanisms contributing to the emergence of psychosis in schizophrenia and in […]

Pulp and paper producers would profit enormously from an advanced knowledge of the physical and mechanical properties of a fibre product based upon a measure of the pulp while it is still in process. This project aims to develop such a tool. Using a laser backscattering technique called Raman spectroscopy, will calibrate the molecular bar […]

Research and development efforts in solar, wind, and other renewable energy technologies are required to continue for, improving their performance, establishing techniques for accurately predicting their output and reliably integrating them with other conventional generating sources. The objective of this project is to model a hybrid power system for buildings, which is technically feasible and […]

Risk can affect quality, productivity, and performance of construction projects. Therefore, risk management is an important part of the decision-making processes in the construction industry. In a typical construction project, many try to transfer risks to other parties, and extensive amount of time is spent on setting the risk allocation terms. This research examines how […]

Past earthquakes (e.g. 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake, 1994 Northridge Earthquake, 2010 Haiti Earthquake, 2011 Tohoku Earthquake in Japan) and wind storms (e.g. 2005 Hurricane Katrina, 1992 Hurricane Andrew, 2007 Cyclone Sidr, 2008 Cyclone Nagris) resulted in loss of human lives, economic losses and social disruptions. The current building codes and standards in Canada and the […]

Decreased brain volume in frontal regions is a prominent feature of schizophrenia and has been linked to impairments in psychological and social functioning. These impairments persist over the lifespan, with approximately 64% of individuals experiencing severe social disability 15-years after illness onset. Finding ways to overcome barriers to better functioning is of utmost importance to […]

Massive, complex, interlinked information is collected by scientific research in different spheres of natural and social sciences. Graphs are commonly selected as a model of such information: graphs can successfully represent imprecise, uncertain, noisy data; graphs are well suited for the data structure analysis; graph theory has a well-developed mathematical apparatus forming a solid and […]

My project focuses on using a chemistry-based approach to improve the delivery of an insoluble compound, gambogic acid (GA). GA is a natural product that has great potential as an anti-inflammatory drug. However, its clinical application has been limited due to the poor aqueous solubility and significant toxicity against red blood cells. I am currently […]

Natural hazards, such as floods and earthquakes, threaten communities and infrastructure systems throughout the world. In some cases, these natural hazards may trigger the release of hazardous materials, cause damage to critical lifeline systems, or result in other technological disasters. Assessment of so-called Natech (NAtural disaster-triggered TECHnological disaster) disasters is an area of expertise at […]

It is fairly common knowledge that we should not drive while drowsy. Yet often in high risk professions, people grow tired throughout the day and begin to make mistakes. How do we know when that person needs a rest? Recent advancements now allow us to read peoples’ brain activity as they go about their day-to-day […]

This project involves developing novel methods for improving the estimation of surface displacement of natural earth surfaces using Synthetic Aperture Radar Interferometry (InSAR). The developed methods improve the precision that can be obtained when analyzing a series of sequentially acquired images over the same area. The methods also improve the robustness of the estimation in […]

Automobiles have become one of the necessities of modern life, but also introduced numerous traffic accidents that threaten drivers and other road users. Most state-of-the-art safety systems are passively triggered, reacting to dangerous road conditions or driving behaviors only after they happen and are observed, which greatly limits the last chances for collision avoidances. Timely […]