Innovative Projects Realized

INDÉPENDAMMENT ENSEMBLE : Projet de recherche-action comme levier à la création d’une oeuvre artistique interactive sur l’ÉDI (Équité, Diversité, Inclusion) en entrepreneuriat.

L’entrepreneuriat reste de façon largement prédominante présenté comme une activité purement économique, que ce soit dans la littérature ou les médias. Cette conception donne aussi l’image d’un entrepreneuriat réservé à une frange limitée de la population, négligeant certaines catégories de celle-ci. Des études ont ainsi mis en évidence la sous-représentation des femmes, des communautés migrantes, des membres de minorités visibles ou d’autres personnes ne correspondant pas à l’image stéréotypée d’« un entrepreneur ». Pourtant, pour cette population, l’entrepreneuriat représente souvent bien plus qu’une activité économique, et peut prendre place dans une dynamique profonde d’émancipation et de transformation sociale.
C’est cet entrepreneuriat ‘comme changement social’ que nous souhaitons mettre de l’avant dans ce projet de recherche-action, mené en partenariat avec l’organisme JOBEL North America. JOBEL est une organisation spécialisée dans la création d’oeuvres d’art interactives visant à faire découvrir à un large public (citoyens, organismes, entreprises, acteurs institutionnels, monde de l’éducation) des résultats de recherches scientifiques sur différents sujets de société.

Analyse des similitudes et disparités observées entre les recommandations de remboursements émises par les agences d’évaluation des médicaments et des technologies de la santé au Canada (INESSS et ACMTS) en fonction de leur champ thérapeutique

L’objectif de mon projet de recherche sera de faire ressortir les similitudes et les disparités concernant les recommandations de remboursements entre les agences d’évaluation des technologies de la santé au Canada (l‘INESSS pour le Québec et l’ACMTS pour l’ensemble des autres provinces) en fonction des différents champs thérapeutiques. Ce projet de recherche sera très pertinent pour l’ensemble des personnes travaillant en pharmacoéconomie et accès au marché pour mieux comprendre les tendances des agences de technologies de la santé, et ainsi mieux aborder leurs approches lors de l’élaboration d’un dossier de soumission selon le type de médicament. Ce projet pourra servir de guide de référence pour mieux comprendre les facteurs qui influencent la prise de décision et pour permettre de remettre des dossiers de soumission de qualité supérieur.

Carbonate Alteration Footprints of Hydrothermal Ore Deposits Year Two

Carbonate hosted hydrothermal ore deposits commonly develop narrow mineral alteration (i.e. visible) haloes, complicating exploration targeting. In contrast, hydrothermal modification of the country rock’s stable isotope composition usually extends far beyond visible alteration. Hence, stable isotope “mapping” is an effective tool to aid exploration for carbonate?hosted deposits. However, widespread utilization of stable isotope data has been hampered by its high cost and long turn-around times. Researchers at the Mineral Deposit Research Unit (MDRU) have recently developed an analytical instrument (the Mineral Isotope Analyzer, MIA) allowing for rapid and cost-efficient oxygen and carbon isotope analysis. The proposed research will assess how large-scale application of stable isotope analysis can be used to improve targeting in different exploration environments. The acquired data will help to constrain pathways responsible for controlling hydrothermal fluids, thus significantly further the understanding of how carbonate hosted hydrothermal ore deposits form, and can be more effectively targeted during exploration.

Screening DNA Methylation Signatures in Early Bovine In Vitro Embryos for Developmental Fitness

The success of assisted reproductive techniques (ART) in overcoming infertility or improving livestock genetic traits is undeniable. However, the use of ART in livestock has also been associated with an increased likelihood of certain anomalies (e.g., large offspring syndrome, musculoskeletal anomalies) and neonatal mortality because of suboptimal culture conditions. Our partner, L’Alliance Boviteq (Semex) has developed a series of tests (e.g., embryo morphology, genetic screens) to assess the quality of in vitro derived embryos. Still, a fraction of calves (less than 2%) is born with perinatal anomalies. In recent years, various studies have put epigenetic errors forward as a potential culprit for adverse offspring development following ART procedures. Epigenetic marks (e.g., chemical tags on the genome) are highly remodeled across the genome during the pre-implantation period and are key for regulating gene expression; including genes that have been associated with large offspring syndrome. Here, we aim to develop and implement a molecular screening approach based on epigenetic signatures to further improve prognostic ability of individual bovine embryos for developmental health prior to transfer.

Targeting Radiation-Induced CXCL12/CXCR4 Signaling and the Immune Microenvironment to Improve the Radio-Curability of Human Cancer

Medical images were collected from cervical tumors from mice undergoing cancer treatment using radiation to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. The purpose is to discover new biological molecules and observe the immune system reacts during radiation treatment. These images will be analyzed by MATLAB, which is a computer platform. MATLAB will perform a couple of operations on an image to extract useful information from the image, such as the location and number of biological molecules and immune cells that appear during radiation therapy. By conducting the project, the project organization will gain a deeper understanding of new biological molecules that occur during radiotherapy and enhance the cure rate of radiotherapy.

Fermionic Molecular Dynamics simulations of quantum systems

In the last few decades, molecular dynamics computer simulations have become increasingly important to unravel and understand the mechanisms of (bio)molecular processes, significant for a myriad of pharmaceutical and/or industrial applications. Although these molecular systems should be considered on the microscopic quantum mechanical level, they are typically approximated by the macroscopic Newtonian laws because of fundamental computational limitations. Fortunately, whenever the quantum system is sufficiently large and close to equilibrium, the laws of thermodynamics become also applicable as they rely on statistical averaging procedures. In the present Mitacs Globalink project, we aim to investigate commonly accepted thermodynamical principles at a rigorous quantum level. We will develop and employ electronic Fermionic Molecular Dynamics (eFMD) simulations on a model electron gas to analyse quantum effects on the 2nd law of thermodynamics, stating that entropy (a measure of disorder in the system) should always increase over time.

Impact of environmental factors on spontaneous reporting trends and safety signal detection in the EudraVigilance database

Changes brought to the ecosystem and geopolitical environment can have an effect on several fields including the healthcare system. Recently, we observed the impact that COVID-19 pandemic has had on the healthcare workers’ practices and people’s behaviour regarding their health status. Changes in spontaneous reporting trends were also observed. Lately, Europe has also witnessed the Brexit which is another important event that can influence spontaneous reporting practices knowing that the United Kingdom is an important source of spontaneous reports. In Europe, adverse drug reactions (ADRs) suspected to be caused by authorized medicine can be reported to a publicly available pharmacovigilance system called EudraVigilance. This project aims at determining the impact of different environmental factors such as geopolitical changes (Brexit) and sanitary situations (COVID-19) on spontaneous reporting trends and practices from the EudraVigilance database. A context without the occurrence of these events will be simulated to develop a use case and assess if changes in reporting could have caused a loss in safety signal detection.

Wisertech Sales and Marketing Accelerator

The objective of this project is to develop and execute a sales and marketing strategy for Wisertech Solutions. Wisertech is a producer of highly advanced sustainable marine equipment. As a start-up company that has been mainly focused on R&D projects since its conception, there is a clear need to develop a sales and marketing strategy for their initial primary product of solar tracking technology, which is a solar panel for ships that rotates to track the sun to maximize power generation efficiency. The marketing strategy will be based on consumer research, which will be conducted as part of the project.

In vitro and in vivo evaluation of silicon-based quantum dot nanoparticles

Silicon quantum dots (SiQDs) are semiconductor nanoparticles with sizes ranging from 1 to 10 nm that show great promise for photonics, microelectronics, and fluorescent bio-imaging considering their ability to fluoresce from blue to near infrared light. In comparison to conventional quantum dots (which can release toxic metals), Si quantum dots are expected to be safer and more stable for use in biomedical engineering applications.

This 24-months project aims at evaluating SiQDs for their toxicity both in vitro and in vivo. The study will focus first on a detailed in vitro study for assessing different parameters such as concentration, compositions, sizes and surface charges of the nanoparticles and their impact on cellular update and viability. Different cell lines, a range of assays and techniques will be used to assess the internalization of the nanoparticles, their distribution within the cells and their cellular toxicity. The mechanism of uptake of the nanoparticles within cells will also be studied. Following this evaluation, the quantum dots will be evaluated for the interactions with human blood and blood components. Subsequently, based on the outcome of in vitro studies, selected SiQDs will be further evaluated in vivo for the acute toxicity and biodistribution in a mice model.

Detection of “Stray Clays” from Borer-Mounted GPR Data in Potash Mining

This project attempts to improve the interpretation of Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) data collected during
active potash mining in the Saskatoon area Patience Lake “A” Zone stratigraphy, to map the salt-beam thickness of the roof for making more informed mine safety decisions. The aim of this project is to identify cofounding geological anomaly that exist within the back of the mining roof through analysis of the GPR data using techniques like signal processing and Artificial Intelligence (AI) on both actual GPR data from the mines as well as simulated data from a GPR simulation software tool.

Do urban environments favour certain plant reproductive strategies?

Urbanization can have a strong impact on biodiversity. In particular, the changes in temperature, habitat fragmentation and pollution are expected to affect the species that are present in cities, both directly and indirectly via their effects on other species. In this proposal, we aim to test if certain plant reproductive strategies are favoured by urbanization. Because urbanization affects pollinators in abundance and in composition, it has the potential to select for plants with specific reproductive strategies. To test this, plant community surveys performed across urbanization gradients in many North American cities will be obtained and plant reproductive traits will be gathered from the literature to test for correlations between plant reproductive strategies and urbanization. The project will help to understand how cities affect plant biodiversity and eventually propose solution to develop more resilient and diversified cities.

Wartime Policy Making and Governance: Ukraine and Canada Higher Education Alliance

Involving some of the smartest students in Ukraine, the research project and partnership will enrich the Master of Global Affairs and Master of Public Policy programs at the Munk School. KSE students will provide Munk community a window into the Ukrainian policymaking process as well as a more general understanding of governance during conflict. Simultaneously, student presentations to senior Canadian officials will offer the Canadian government an in-depth perspective into key policy questions facing Ukraine. This will improve Canadian government capacity to assist Ukraine. The KSE-Munk students – will examine different models of policymaking in wartime and identify appropriate models for the Ukrainian context. For their final output students will make policy proposals and write up a 10-page policy brief.