Innovative Projects Realized

Inclusive Innovation and Entrepreneurship Project

The proposed project aims to develop a regional entrepreneurship program to create pathways for critical stakeholders to participate in our signature programs. Through events, facilitated workshops, and challenges, we will explore innovative ways to increase participation in the inclusive innovation ecosystem, bring together creative problem solvers technology solutions and aid in identifying diverse founders and connecting them to financial/mentoring resources.

Overcoming metabolic constraints in the scalable growth of mouse embryonic stem cells for cultured meat

Cellular agriculture uses laboratory-grown cells to sustainably produce food, although high cost of growing cells currently limits widespread commercial application of this technology. Because Animals seeks to develop cat food using mouse stem cells, which can be grown indefinitely and converted into muscle and fat cells. Stem cells grow in a liquid medium that contains nutrients and expensive growth supplements and as cells grow, they deplete nutrients and release metabolic waste, necessitating media replacement. We will measure over 100 nutrients and metabolites in cells grown in several media conditions, including a cost-effective alternative, to identify metabolic barriers to robust growth of mouse stem cells. We will then test approaches for overcoming these barriers to promote cell growth and improve metabolic efficiency. Results of these experiments will help Because Animals achieve the goal of sustainable and cost-effective production of cultured meat.

Deep Surface AI Commercialization

In this project, the intern will focus on the process of commercializing a product in a start-up biotechnology software company. The intern will work to create a project plan for short term commercialization, assist with implementing a commercialization strategy, implement market testing through a pilot program, and apply feedback from market research to improve user experience with the software development division. The partner organization, Deep Surface AI, will directly benefit from such a project as it helps them move towards commercializing their product.

Operations Management- Regulatory & Surgeon Testing

Learn the legal and regulatory obligations of companies that handle electronic patient health information (ePHI) and personal data as business associates or data processors of data custodians. For ePHI, my internship will focus on the requirements of the United States Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) because the company’s customer base is mostly in the US. For personal data, my internship will focus on the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) because it is the leading personal data best practices standard.

Improved AI 2D Area Plot from Laser Scan Data

Computer Vision – Business and AIoT Product Innovation Focus
Applying Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning to solve area plot, merging, outlier, and line segmentation problems for use cases
with laser scan and point cloud data.

Usability Evaluation of PRIMS (Parkinson’s Remote Interactive Monitoring System)

The Parkinson’s Remote Interactive Monitoring System (PRIMS) developed by PragmaClin Research Inc. was designed to be an easy-to-use digital system which can accurately assess motor symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease remotely. The problem is that a well-designed usability study has not been performed to determine the PRIMS technology’s true ease of use. This Canadian study aims to assess the functionality, usability, and user experience aspects of the most recent version of PRIMS from the perspectives of patients and clinicians. Since the partnered institution developed this software, this project will benefit them by providing a means of testing the effectiveness of their product. The usage issues identified in this study should guide designers in creating a more effective commercial product.

Harvest Home garden, community garden, community connections

I will help with collecting and distributing tools, seedlings, and other various elements required to build Take-Home Garden Kits. I will assist in the planting, maintenance and harvesting of the community garden located in St.Vital. I will visit several community gardens throughout Winnipeg and meet with the people involved with their production. The final deliverable will be multiple summary reports that outline my experiences and observations surrounding the roles of community gardens in the city of Winnipeg. I will learn about the process of executing the Urban Agriculture Initiative in detail and note any opportunities to improve for the following years. These reports will include the information gathered from different communities and organizations about their accomplishments and strategies in growing community gardens. I will address common barriers that food banks and community gardens may face and their solutions. Ultimately, these reports will help Harvest Manitoba learn how they can further advance toward their ultimate goal of providing food for people who are food insecure and build on the Urban Agriculture Initiative as it continues to expand.

Startup TNT Innovation Internship

Startup TNT Operations Innovation Internship

The Startup TNT Operations Innovation Intern will focus on two main areas: improving and innovating organizational operations and developing a scaling strategy for entering new markets. The intern will develop a report on the Canadian startup ecosystem.
The intern will learn a great deal about angel investing and venture capital in the process. Further, the intern will get an overview of the Canadian startup ecosystem and gain knowledge about how such an ecosystem had been built and expanded. This project will directly apply the skills of operations performance management, market research, finance, and business strategy to a real-world situation.
The organization will benefit from process and operations improvement as well as from the research on the startup ecosystem conducted by the intern.

McGuire Aero Propulsion Solutions

McGuire Aero Propulsion Solutions (MAPS) is developing a transformative net-zero power generation technology: the micro-power-plant (MPP). The MPP addresses the global need for net-zero, distributed and dispatchable power generation. We are initially targeting industrial and commercial customers using 0.5 to 5 MW through a power-as-a-service offering.
The project team will apply their education while developing critical skills and gaining experience designing components for an advanced gas turbine microgenerator. In addition to the design activities, they will support analytical, manufacturing, and test activities. The activities will include developing the design process and toolchain necessary to fully leverage advanced manufacturing through the additive process and Industry 4.0 capabilities. The deliverables from this project will unlock new capabilities for mechanical engineering design.

Enhancing Student Competency and Engagement Through Microlearning: Effectively Scaffolding Skill Development

Learning technologies now exist that give students practice thinking critically and creatively, communicating and collaborating, and gaining an insight into their personal strengths and weaknesses. In the case of a technology called peerScholar, that exercise happens as students give feedback and then learn from feedback effectively. Giving effective constructive feedback and learning from the feedback applied to one’s own work are both very challenging tasks. If the feedback giver is not sensitive to the emotions their feedback may produce, the receiver will fight or flee the comments, rather than think about them and learn.
In the proposed work we will assess the impact of just-in-time microlearning to help students better understand the difficulty of the task, while also giving them clear guidance on how to perform the task effectively. One assessment will be based on the mining of archival data, the other will be based on qualitative research with a small group of informed students. We expect the addition of microlearning to an already effective process will enhance it further.

Spatial Cohesion of Capuchin Monkeys in a Forest Fragment

My proposed research examines how an endangered species of capuchin monkey, the blond capuchin (*Sapajus flavius*), spaces itself in a forest fragment (a small area of forest surrounded by human development). In particular, I will look how individuals make use of space, in a context of large group size, limited opportunities for dispersion, and predation risk (use of fragment edges). I will specifically look at how far away individuals are from each other, the overall shape of the group formation, and how food availability affects these factors. These investigations will inform the creation of protected areas for the blond capuchin and hopefully for other endangered primate species as well. Many primate species, the blond capuchin included, are under threat from deforestation and human encroachment. Therefore, it is vital that we understand how to best protect these species and the ecosystems they inhabit from these human-induced threats so that we do not lose them forever.

Advancing Youth Leadership in Indigenous-Led Natural Climate Solutions in the Missinaibi Forest

When Indigenous rights and leadership are prioritized, Natural Climate Solutions (NCS) like forest carbon management present an opportunity to advance reconciliation while combatting climate change and biodiversity loss. Wahkohtowin Development GP Inc. is taking steps to drive NCS in the Missinaibi Forest toward Indigenous-led climate action and social-ecological benefits for its owner First Nations (the Chapleau Cree FN, Missinabie Cree FN and Brunswick House FN). Through participatory engagement activities, this project will explore the question: What are youth and Elders’ values and priorities with respect to NCS? The aim is to support community informed NCS planning and strategic advocacy through a process that promotes youth empowerment and intergenerational knowledge-sharing. We will work with Wahkohtowin’s Guardians Initiative to uplift youth voices and build leadership capacity.