Innovative Projects Realized

Individual differences in migratory behaviour of ungulates

Migration is a fundamentally important behaviour for animals to optimize their ability to acquire valuable forage which varies in its availability through space and time. Several species have been shown to time their migrations to coincide with the flush of new vegetation growth as it emerges along their migratory route. Understanding how individuals cope with interannual variation in the timing of this vegetation growth, however, remains an important question. I will use data from multiple North American ungulate species to examine how individuals adjust the timing of their migrations to the timing of the availability of emergent vegetation, and whether individuals that have greater plasticity in the timing of their migrations select for areas associated with high-quality forage. I will also test for differences among species in their ability to adapt to environmental variability during migration. I anticipate this project will yield a high-quality publication that will advance our knowledge of ungulate movement and adaptability in a changing world.

Advanced Nystagmus System (ANSTM) as objective diagnostic tool for mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and concussion: A validation study using structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging

Annually, 2 million individuals in North America suffer mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) or concussion (cost: $75 billion), with 200,000 in Canada. An objective tool is required to distinguish concussed subjects acutely from ontrols, and to predict who will develop chronic symptoms. The frontal lobes, the corpus callosum, and the thalamus play key roles in oculomotor movement and are sensitive to mTBI. Saccade Analytics (ANSTM) offers a quantitative and automated analysis of eye and head coordination; it will be tested to identify damage in mTBI. The intern will validate results using functional and structural MRI protocols sensitive to mTBI. The benefits to Saccade Analytics are: 1) improved metrics; 2) alternative data from the same subjects; 3) database for sharing, storing and executables on the cloud; 4) interest from venture capital; 5) 4 hires to refine metrics; 6) Health Canada and FDA approval; 7) expansion to concussion clinics and sports teams.

Dimensions stratégique et géopolitique de la transition énergétique en Chine

Le développement économique de la Chine et sa situation démographique ont rendu le pays dépendant de ses importations d’hydrocarbures depuis 1993. Une telle situation explique la nécessité d’une transition énergétique en Chine. L’actuel plan quinquennal (2016-2020) prévoit de contrebalancer la réduction drastique de la consommation de charbon par des investissements massifs dans l’industrie de l’éolien et de l’énergie solaire et hydaulique. La question principale de cette recherche est la suivante : Comment la situation de dépendance (“menace”) énergétique de la Chine a-t-elle influencé la réorientation militaire du pays vers la puissance maritime ? Des sous-questions s’articulent à ce projet : Comment la conception de cette menace s’est transformée aux yeux des autorités chinoises depuis les réformes économiques lancées par Deng Xiaoping à la fin des années 1970? En quoi la transition énergétique en Chine répond, outre des aspects domestiques, à des objectifs de politique étrangère ?
Par l’étude de la transition énergétique de la Chine, qui se traduit par une diversification des sources d’énergie et des pays partenaires, mon projet de thèse vise à analyser les jeux d’alliances militaires et gépolitiques qui sous-tendent sa stratégie de sécurisation en approvisionnements énergétiques. TO BE CON’T

Violations of Safety and Consent Experienced by Transgender and Gender-Diverse People

This project will investigate violations of safety and consent that transgender and gender-diverse people face while dating. This project will uncover how trans and gender-diverse people have experienced and addressed dating violence, in both online and offline contexts. In this research, I will apply an intersectional framework to remain critically aware of how gender identity, sexual orientation, and race may exacerbate dating violence for trans and gender-diverse people. This project will partner with community organizations, health service workers, and dating app users to develop realistic, comprehensive, and tailored recommendations that will inform the development of resources and will promote and support the safety of trans and gender-diverse people. Findings from this research will provide insight on contemporary dating cultures and offer targeted strategies and resources to advance the safety, health, and well-being of trans and gender-diverse people while dating in online and offline environments.

Vieillissement et population sourde utilisatrice d’une langue des signes : fonctionnement cognitif et biomécanique

Le stage de collaboration du programme Globalink de Mitacs se déroulera au Centre national de la recherche scientifique-Paris8 (CNRS), un organisme public de recherche pluridisciplinaire gouverné par le ministère de l’Enseignement supérieur, de la Recherche et de l’Innovation en France. Le stage s’effectuera plus précisément auprès de M. Carlo Cecchetto, directeur de recherche du CNRS, et Mme Marion Blondel, chercheure du laboratoire Structures formelles du langage. Les activités réalisées au cours de cette collaboration viseront principalement à mettre en commun les réflexions et recherches effectuées par les deux parties sur la problématique du vieillissement de la population sourde utilisatrice d’une langue des signes. Puisque le nombre de recherches internationales effectuées jusqu’à présent sur cette problématique est très réduit, ce stage permettra également d’identifier les enjeux des recherches futures sur les personnes âgées sourdes ainsi que les meilleures pratiques en matière de recherche sur cette population.

Système d’intelligence marketing pour promouvoir la transformation numérique du marketing dans le secteur

Le marketing numérique est aujourd’hui essentiel pour rejoindre le consommateur et développer des produits et services innovants. Jumelé à l’utilisation des données massives et à l’analytique d’affaires, il devient un outil formidable pour un marketing plus « intelligent », permettant aux organisations de mieux segmenter leur clientèle, améliorer son expérience client, identifier clairement ses besoins, mesurer et augmenter son degré de satisfaction pour mieux retenir sa clientèle et de prédire ses comportements futurs. Dans cette perspective, notre projet de recherche-action vise à établir un système d’intelligence marketing afin d’accompagner le processus de la transformation numérique marketing dans les PME/PMO (Petites et moyennes entreprises / organisations) du le secteur de la culture. Ce système permettra de mettre en oeuvre de la stratégie de découvrabilité des produits culturels, de renforcer la performance du marketing numérique et d’améliorer la capacité des PME/PMO vis-à-vis de la concurrence dans un environnement d’intégration et de globalisation.

Presence and Skill Acquisition through Virtual Environments

The MITACS Internship with Virtual Marine Technology in partnership with Chalmers

University and Memorial University will focus on improving the safety of crew who work at

marine and offshore environments. The intern will work with researchers at Chalmers

University to identify safety and risks concerns relating to operations in marine vessels (Le.

preliminary engine room design or evacuation training) and will work with Virtual Marine

Technology to define the technical requirements for using virtual environment training to

address these concerns.

Working with Virtual Marine Technology and Chalmers University, the intern will research

factors influencing the user’s training performance using virtual environments and identify

design aides and training tools. This will involve researching ways to improve a user’s sense

of immersion and learning when training with virtual environments. Based on this

assessment, a methodology to evaluate virtual environment training will be developed along

with realistic virtual environment scenarios relevant to marine operation and safety

An embedded neurobiological theory of dance, why it matters, and how it heals

Dance is used with increasing frequency as a health intervention and in research designs; despite this increased use, the techniques and mechanisms involved remain poorly understood. Through the use of novel neuroimaging methods that allow for recording of data while subjects are freely moving through space, I aim to elaborate a neurobiological model of dance that clearly articulates specific techniques and their effects on the nervous system. I hypothesize that elements of dance such as spatial awareness, changes in tempo, motor control/motor learning and increased body awareness recruit neural networks in specific and measurable ways, contributing to the benefits of dance reported by participants in dance interventions and/or dance therapy. My goal is to improve our understanding of the ways in which participating in dance can produce benefits for various populations, contributing to better research and intervention design and models of best practices. I hope this research will both broaden and clarify understandings of dance, increase the effective use of dance in health care and clinical settings, and improve access to programs using dance to improve of quality of life and function.

Reliability-based finite element analysis of pipeline dents interacting with corrosion features

Corrosion, mechanical damage and cracking are the primary causes of pipeline incidents in Canada. Major incidents can significant impact the public, wildlife, and environment. Over the past ten years, the length of pipelines has increased 11 per cent, but the number of pipeline incidents has decreased 48 per cent. This is largely due to continuous improvements in pipeline safety programs across the energy industry. To make pipelines safer, the intern is dedicated to contributing to the development of the existing pipeline integrity evaluation method. The proposed project can benefit the partner organization by improving its safety evaluation method applied pipelines.

Implémentation et validation d’une approche multi-échelle pour la réponse matérielle en phase de rentrée atmosphérique

Les boucliers thermiques servent à protéger les véhicules spatiaux des fortes contraintes thermiques auxquels ils sont soumis lors de la phase de rentrée atmosphérique. En dissipant cette énergie par plusieurs mécanismes physiques, ils garantissent l’intégrité du véhicule. Afin de mieux les comprendre, on se propose ici de réaliser une étude numérique en simulant ces différents effets plutôt que de réaliser des tests expérimentaux coûteux et difficiles à reproduire.
Une fois modélisé, le code de calcul doit cependant être validé pour s’assurer que l’on simule correctement ce qui est observé dans le monde réel. Dans ce projet, des mesures expérimentales en atmosphère contrôlée vont être effectuées à travers des échantillons réels de boucliers thermiques poreux pour calculer la perméabilité, qui traduit la capacité d’un fluide à s’écouler à travers un milieu poreux. La comparaison des résultats obtenus avec le code développé nous dira alors si le modèle numérique simule correctement le phénomène réel ou alors si d’autres hypothèses sont à prendre en compte.

Determination and characterization of plant fungi in greenhouse bell peppers

Bell pepper (Capsicum annum L.) is one of the most profitable greenhouse vegetable crops in Canada. Over 12 million square feet of greenhouse has been established to cultivate bell peppers in British Columbia alone. In this project, Randhawa Farms Ltd. and University of British Columbia aim to collectively determine and characterization of fungal species in greenhouse bell peppers harvested in different places in Canada. Specifically, the fungal communities of bell peppers will be determined using amplicon-metagenomic analysis. In addition, a rapid and sensitive method for the detection of fungal species in bell peppers will be developed. This project can benefit in controlling fungal quality, increasing the yield and shelf life of produce, as well as improving the overall sustainability of greenhouses in BC and other provinces in Canada.

Urban storm sewer systems management and life-cycle costing

Urban stormwater infrastructures are the first line of defense from pluvial flooding and play a key role in protecting the environment. These systems are costly to construct and would be even more expensive to replace. Therefore, high priority must be given to maintaining the physical integrity of the assets and preserve the hydraulic capacity of the system. Lack of preventive maintenance usually results in a faster decline in condition, which requires a higher replacement and emergency response costs. Infrastructure management provides a structured approach to the construction, use, and decommissioning of infrastructure assets to optimize service delivery and minimize life-cycle costs. This involves optimizing resource allocation and minimizing total life-cycle cost in different time domains. Furthermore, stormwater systems are geographically distributed, and their performance requirement and deterioration profile are strongly related to their local conditions. In order to find the optimal intervention program, a methodology is necessary that takes into account the costs of intervention, potential risk reduction and improvement in service delivery. Moreover, a methodological framework is required to consider both space and time in the analysis. TO BE CON’T