Innovative Projects Realized

Social Media and Canadian Women’s Physical Activity Participation: Developing a New Methodology for Understanding Digital Health

The proposed research will explore how Canadian women’s interactions with health and fitness content on Instagram impacts upon physical activity participation. This research is sorely needed because, while social media is increasingly pertinent to the formation of everyday health practices, this dimension is seldom explored. In addition, this project will pilot a novel method, developed by Hockin-Boyers, called ‘screenshot elicitation’, which seeks to capture the fast, dynamic, mobile and everyday nature of interactions with digital content. Whilst Hockin-Boyers has already begun to develop this technique as part of her PhD research, the Mitacs Globalink project will provide the space and resources to pilot and advance this methodology.

The findings resulting from this project have the potential to enhance Canadian women’s quality of life, health and wellbeing, by informing digital platform design, social media pedagogies, and public policy in Canada. Furthermore, by providing Hockin-Boyers access to the variety of expertise in Digital Health at UBC, new knowledge and methodological techniques will be brought back to the UK, thus enhancing capacity for further research and innovation

Exploring the Risk Factors for Sequential or Concurrent Dengue and Zika Outbreaks in a Naïve Population

Arboviruses pose an ever-growing concern as the habitat of vectors expand alongside climate change. The outcome of outbreaks is often heavily influenced by the immune status of the population. Different pathogens can either protect against others or increase susceptibility and morbidity depending on infection timings and how closely related the pathogens are. A good example of this is seen with flaviviruses, particularly dengue and Zika, where both cross-reactivity and antibody dependent enhancement is observed. Zika and the different strains of dengue are carried by the same vectors, Aedes aegypti and albopictus, therefore, concurrent and sequential outbreaks often occur in the same regions. Ontario, Canada has had persistent population of A. albopictus since 2016 putting it at risk of new arboviruses. This project aims to combine statistical models to map A. albopictus and mechanistic models comparing concurrent and sequential outbreaks of flaviviruses in terms of antibody dependent enhancement to explore the dynamics and risk factors associated with such outbreaks in an immunologically naïve population.

Impacts of warming on boreal peatland microbial community structure and function

Peatlands, a type of wetland containing a thick organic layer of partially decayed plant material, are the largest terrestrial carbon stocks. Climatic changes, including warming, could result in a lowering of the water table in peatlands, increasing oxygen availability to microbes and mesofauna allowing faster break down of the organic material and consequent release of this carbon back into the atmosphere. Northern regions, including peatlands found in Canada, are thought to be particularly vulnerable to climate warming. Using a unique climate manipulation experiment where two peatland sites, located near White River, Ontario, have undergone experimental warming for the past three years, we will investigate the impacts of warming on peatland ecosystems focussing on changes to soil microbial community structure and decomposition processes. We will link these changes in the soil microbiology to the changes in mesofauna communities and the wider soil food web dynamics. This project will enable us to determine the resilience of peatland ecosystems to environmental change. This empirical data can be used to inform policymakers and mitigation strategies.

Optimization of the machining processes of carbon/epoxy composites and multilayer materials (CRIAQ MANU413)

The first master student internship (5. Berube, Bombardier) concerns the optimization of trimming

parameters for two materials. The carbon-epoxy composites as well as the multi-layer material

including aluminum and titanium in stacks under the carbon-epoxy laminate. At Bombardier,

Sebastien will familiarizes with all the composite manufacturing process and the actual machining

done at one or the other site of the company through the key-role people involved in this

specialization area (machinists, technicians, engineers). He will also analyses the different existing

cutting tools from suppliers that the partners would be willing to test based on their production

requirements to come over the years. Sebastien would thus complete a literature survey concerning

the trimming of the two materials and explore the in-house setup utilized for their thin material

machining. Finally, in order to perform the machining tests at the university laboratory, a plan of

experiments will be proposed from the intern. He also will interact with Bombardier’s project leader (M…..TOBECONT’D

Predicting life history traits for data-poor ray species

Fisheries are the main global threat to elasmobranchs (sharks and rays). Elasmobranchs commonly display conservative life history traits (slow growth, long life, late sexual maturity and low fecundity), making them extremely vulnerable to non-natural mortalities. However, there is significant variation, with some species exhibiting life history traits more resilient to exploitation. In order to assess species status and fisheries sustainability, species-specific life history data are needed, yet these data are severely lacking. Novel approaches to utilise available data to determine life history for data-poor species is crucial in assessing their resilience to fisheries pressure and therefore the management and conservation actions required. This project aims to utilise Bayesian and machine learning statistical models to estimate the maximum intrinsic rate of population increase (rmax) for data-sparse ray species using widely available life history, phylogenetic, and environmental temperature data. This will allow wider assessment of status and relative resilience of different ray species that can be used to inform global fisheries management.

Using genetic variants as a treatment decision aid for the optimization of antipsychotic treatments: a critical appraisal of the literature.

The group in Canada has extensively studied the factors (known as biomarkers) that can influence how people respond to anti-psychotic drugs, including if patients will develop side-effects. Our group in Liverpool has experience with compiling and analysing the large amounts of evidence required to prove a link between the biomarkers, and the patient’s response. The current methods for doing this are time consuming and labour-intensive. During this study, we will trial a new machine learning method for analysing biomarker evidence to antipsychotic drug responses. This will be compared with a parallel analysis using the established methods. In addition to allowing a comparison of the two methods, an understanding of the evidence around biomarkers and anti-psychotic drugs will be generated, hopefully identifying biomarkers showing strong links with responses. Based on this, we hope to be able to make recommendations for the use of biomarkers in clinical practice.

Secondary forest permanence in the Brazilian Amazon

To avoid dangerous climate change, large quantities of carbon dioxide must be removed from the atmosphere. Forest growth is one of the most efficient strategies for achieving this, with tropical secondary forest key to recovering carbon stocks. The carbon benefit of secondary forest, which grows on cleared land following abandonment, is determined not only by its extent but also by its permanence. However, the patterns of its persistence are poorly understood. Secondary forest is a valuable resource and it is vital that we improve our understanding of it so we can ensure its potential carbon benefits are achieved. We will model the probability of secondary forest growth and clearance in the Brazilian Amazon using a number of forest characteristics (e.g. distance from roads, patch size) known to influence forest permanence and estimate the carbon potential of future secondary forest cover.

Photonic Computing and Brain-Computer Interfaces

My lab’s research projects involve developing integrated silicon photonic devices for both brain-computer interfaces and artificial intelligence computing hardware. My focus will be developing photonic computing hardware that is neuromorphic, meaning it emulates the way our brains work. My main objectives will involve developing and characterizing integrated photonic chip designs that involve functional and trainable light-based neural networks, such as networks comprised of silicon waveguides and phase change materials. Working with photonics provides the computing benefits of high bandwidth and fast signaling properties, so these photonic neural networks can theoretically complement traditional electronic circuits to lead to machine learning and artificial intelligence that is orders of magnitude faster and more energy efficient than today, enabling data processing in data-intensive and power-critical applications such as edge-computing.

Implantable Nanophotonic Device Development for Optogenetics

Brain-inspired computers are a developing technology that use biological foundations to inform computational processes. The study of complex brain circuitry is crucial for creating such technologies. However, progress is limited as neural circuits are difficult to study in vivo. Under the directorship of Joyce Poon, the Nanophotonics, Integration and Neural Technology department of the Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics (MPI-MIKR) aims to advance the field of brain-inspired computing by becoming a leader in neural circuitry research. The student will work with Professor Poon at MPI-MIKR to apply biomedical engineering principles to microfluidic cell cultures. The project entails creating novel microfluidic designs that replicate layered brain structures such as the cortex and the hypothalamus. The goal of this work is to develop exciting new cell culture techniques through the use of microfluidics and optogenetics to inform the next generation of computing devices.

3D photonic microsystem design

The core of the research is multi-technology devices that stimulate and record neurons, integrated photonic devices for micro-displays, and photonics-enabled computing hardware. The novel foundational technologies underpinning the research are foundry-manufactured integrated photonics platforms on silicon for the visible spectrum and advanced 3D printing of biological and other organic materials. Macro-scale systems (mechanical and electronic) would have to be developed to deploy these novel nano- and micro-scale devices and circuits. The research unites the forefronts of the fields of integrated photonics, micro-system integration, optogenetics, neurophysiology, and computing. Working with experts from across the scientific spectrum, students will work closely with scientists and PH.D. students to design and implement these novel photonic devices.

Developpement d’une culture durable de la laitue de transformation en solmineral

L’experience sera conduite sur la Ferme des Fraises de I’lie d’Orleans inc Les plants seront

prepares en mottes cubiques par Ie partenaire de Veg-Pro. Les semences proviendront

d’AAC ou d’un grainetier local et les semis seront effectues selon les besoins des dispositifs

experimentaux. Les plantules seront cultivees en serre pendant 14-20 jours selon la saison,

puis transportes a l’lle d’Orleans dans des plateaux specialement congus a cette fin. Les

plants seront ensuite cultives sur buttes d’environ 1 m de largeur et de 15 cm de hauteur. Les

buttes seront espacees de 1,5m centre a centre. Les laitues seront implantees selon un

systeme standard de production sur buttes comportant 4 rangs de laitues espaces de 30 cm

environ. La densite de population sera d’environ 60 000 plants par ha. Nous prevoyons des

cycles de culture de 7-9 semaines, selon la saison. La fertigation sera effectuee au moyen

d’un systeme goutte-a-goutte comportant 2 tubes sur chacune des buttes et un systeme

d’injection des……TOBECONTINUED

Coordination and coherence of respiratory muscles in chronic lung disease patients

People with chronic lung diseases must breathe with more force and with more breaths because their diseased lungs do not exchange oxygen as well. This occurs in interstitial lung disease, when the lungs are stiffer and in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, when the airways are obstructed due to phlegm and swelling. The breathing muscles in patients with these conditions are especially stressed and fatigued during illnesses requiring hospitalization. When leg muscles become fatigued, their loss of coordination decreases efficiency of force production and we can even trip and fall. Coordination has not been examined among the breathing muscles. We are examining this in healthy people by evaluating the timing their electrical activity using a technique called electromyography. We propose to examine the lack of coordination of the breathing muscles in hospitalized patients with chronic lung disease Because the heart’s electrical activity, EKG, contaminates the electromyography, we will develop a method to extract that artifact during the analysis. Examination of dyscoordination of the breathing muscles in hospitalized patients has the potential to open up another avenue of treatment to decrease breathlessness, improve physical activity and improve overall well-being.