Innovative Projects Realized

Pharmacological optimization of OpKemoTM, a silica-based nanoparticle platform for oncology

Pharma in silica is a preclinical stage company developing silica-based nanoparticles to formulate more efficient and better tolerated chemotherapy modalities. In this collaboration, they will benefit from the expertise of the laboratories of Prof N. Bertrand and S. Fortin to obtain useful chemistry, manufacturing, and control (CMC) information and advance their nanoparticles toward regulatory approval. Specifically, this project will adapt methodologies to evaluate 1) the physicochemical and metabolic stability of the encapsulated drug, 2) the
interactions of the nanoparticles with cancer cells and 3) the fate of nanoparticles once injected to the bloodstream. This project will allow interns to hone their skills in nanomedicine, pharmacology and preclinical translational pharmaceutical development. Through sustained interactions with the partner company, the interns will gain a unique perspective on the biotechnology industry in Canada

Comment réaliser du Datamining en temps réel?

Imaginez un monde dans lequel vous seriez les acteurs du contenu audiovisuel. Un monde dans lequel votre avis aurait un réel impact sur vos émissions préférées. Ce projet va dans ce sens puisqu’il tente de créer une réelle connexion entre les diffuseurs et les téléspectateurs. L’interactivité est donc de mise, tentant de mettre l’utilisateur au centre du processus de création. Ce projet aura un aspect lié aux statistiques puisqu’il faudra non seulement repérer les critères sur lesquels influer pour rendre le contenu de meilleure qualité mais aussi de les quantifier. Toutefois, un problème demeure. Celui-ci consistant à changer un contenu de façon directe par rapport aux retours reçus. Ce projet consitera à choisir les données pertinentes par rapport aux avis reçus pour permettre ainsi d’influer, de façon visible, sur le contenu diffusé. Liveshout (initiateur du projet) prévoit pouvoir offrir, au terme de ce projet, un service novateur pouvant faire de leur entreprise un chef de file dans ce secteur d’activités. Tous les utilisateurs auront alors un réel contrôle sur le contenu qu’ils regardent, passant du stade de simple spectateur à celui d’acteur.

Rethinking how citizens perceived the economy

The economy is an important factor of the vote choice. Understanding how perceptions of the economy are formed is therefore crucial. These perceptions have been presented as an echo of partisan preferences or as a reflection of citizens’ level of
sophistication. A number of scholars have recently started to reconsider how perceptions of the economy are formed by looking at the context in which citizens live. Following this strand of the literature, this project seeks to advance existing knowledge on public opinion formation by answering two questions. First, which aspects of geographic contexts influence citizens’ perception of thenational economy? Second, under which conditions and for whom does the local context become salient to citizens in order to form an opinion about the national economy?

President

CLA-DOR Industrial Supply Co Ltd is a family-owned business located in Belleville Ontario that continues to specialize in bringing technical expertise to the metalworking industry and their clientele in the Machining and Manufacturing industries.

We are currently looking to fill a Graduate Market Research and Analysis Intern Position to develop a better understanding of our current market penetration and to create a plan to expand our trading area.

• Student will create a database of Machine shops and Manufacturing Maintenance Departments in the Port Hope to Cornwall trading area, including current purchasing contact information
• Develop a marketing plan to introduce CLA-DOR Industrial and engage new clients
• Create and execute a marketing questionnaire with both existing and potential clients to better understand their buying habits, changes they are seeing in the industry and what new technologies and developments they forecast in the coming years
• Work with CLA-DOR to improve our Technical Expertise branding and enhance our marketing plans

Development of 3D models and a CAD System to Streamline Ordering

PLAEX is looking to create more use case examples and demonstrations of PLAEX products in order to attract and secure product pre-orders and potential commercial partners/investment. PLAEX will also seek to create an in-house CAD system to streamline ordering for our customers, with potential for features that may include customizable orders, input-based project visualizers, and pre-made template orders and assembly instructions.

Clem Geo-Energy Fall 2021

The Clem Geo-Energy Corp. project will involve a coordinated effort with the Haskayne School of Business to employ a student from this program for a 6-month, part-time, 450 hour time frame, to work on the innovative aspects of financial model building, developing and marketing a online training program using social media, researching and developing a share plan for investors and explore the export market network for our renewable energy developments and our services and product offerings. We are very excited to embark on this engagement.

Treyton Pernitsky ArcticShelf 2

Internship with ArcticShelf with the objective of overseeing fridge operations and expansion on campus at the University of Saskatchewan while working to establish ShelfStock delivery service to the fridges in partnership with culinary services.

Development of the Intelligent Offshore Trawling (IoT) Net

The interns and academic advisor will assist the partner organization (Pombcoup Technologies) to design, develop and test in-water on trawling vessels, a bottom trawling net that, unlike traditional nets, does not touch the seabed and thus avoids the usual extensive seabed damage and disruption. Consequently, the drag force loading of this bottom trawling net will be substantially reduced on the trawling vessel which manifests in noticeably reduced fuel usage and subsequent green house gas emissions. The net will be trialled on trawling vessels in Atlantic Canada to start. There are interested super-users from British Columbia and the UK. This research, development and implementation will stage the partner organization to become the original equipment manufacturer for a product that is transformational in the reduced adverse impact of the bottom trawling community.

Covering designs for efficient de-identification of health records

In Canada, research ethics boards vary widely in the way they interpret risk to patients when their personal information is being re-used for research purposes. However, many research ethics boards will permit information to be shared without consent when they believe there is a low risk of re-identification. PARAT is Privacy Analytics’ de-identification software tool. It automatically performs generalization and suppression on cross-sectional, longitudinal, and geospatial data. The program measures the re-identification risk in the database, and can simulate attacks under a variety of different assumptions. The development of smaller covering designs and their incorporation into the PARAT de-identification tool will allow Privacy Analytics to handle larger datasets than are currently possible. As such, Privacy Analytics will be able to market PARAT to bigger health organizations with more valuable data sets then would have otherwise been feasible. Our research plan is to adapt successful approaches used in other covering problems, such as Aickelin’s algorithm for the set covering problem, to the problem of computing covering designs

Structural optimization of thin sheet metals subject to manufacturing constraints

The goal of the project is to develop an integrated platform for size, shape, and topology optimization of thin wall structures that can meet both manufacturing and performance requirements. The research fellow will receive guidance from Autodesk Researchers & Professionals as well as close supervision on the fundamental aspects pertaining the mechanics and optimization by the research professor. The results of this investigation are important for Autodesk, which makes 3D design software for a range of industries including manufacturing, architecture, and construction, and is actively interested in developing tools that foster the design potential of their users.

Assessing the mental health impact of COVID-19 on Canadians: Phase 2

MHRC is conducting ongoing polling of Canadians to assess the effect of COVID-19 on mental health. We require additional support to expand our capacity to analyze the datasets we are creating. Our poll is extensive including a number of markers of mental health along with an array of demographic controls and is rolled out every 6 to 8 weeks. While we will release top-line data, this internship will involve a deeper dive into these dataset to parse out new findings. The candidate will stay informed on the newest research pertaining to effective means of weighting, and understanding how the various demographics we poll respond to mental health questions, and then will advise on suggestions to improve data collection and reporting. The results of this work will help inform policy makers so that they can develop appropriate responses to help mitigate COVID-19 mental health impact.

Developing a real-time early warning system for potable water sources

Healthy freshwater ecosystem plays a vital role in every Canadian’s daily life as primary drinking water source and sustains the social and economic status of Canada. However, Canada’s freshwater ecosystem has been negatively impacted by population growth, urbanization, industrialization, agriculture, and climate changes. The 2017 national assessment by World Wildlife Fund-Canada found that 60 among 167 sub-watersheds exhibiting high or very high levels of pollution threat are mostly in southern latitudes residing most of the population, the highest road densities, and much of Canada’s agriculture and industries. Therefore, this project aims to benchmark a real-time early warning system by integrating real-time UV-Vis absorption analysis and nontargeted HRMS analysis. The field tests at a highly impacted southern Ontario watershed will generate sufficient data to develop early warning systems to prevent the buildup of toxic substances over a long period of time resulting in unfit water intake and huge economic loss.