Innovative Projects Realized

Accelerate development of new technologies and applications for advanced water treatment

Global population growth, urbanization and changing climate patterns have increased the demand for potable water, wastewater reuse and value recovery from wastewater, and treatment of industrial process water. Population growth also results in increased demand for the shipping of goods by ocean freight, with the associated risk of the transport of unwanted marine life from one location to another by the discharge of ballast water. Also, the increasing sophistication of food and drug production requires a corresponding development of fluid protection technologies to prevent contamination by undesirable microbes. Consequently, there is increased demand for improved technologies that can provide sustainable treatment of water and wastewaters, protection of the water supply, and development of new fluid treatment methods. This research project will develop knowledge and technologies to allow the development of new Trojan Technologies products in these three areas. TO BE CONT’D

Development of Fungal-Specific Stress Response Inhibitors for the Treatment of Fungal Infections

Drug resistance of medically relevant microorganisms poses a grave threat to human health and has severe economic consequences. Fungal pathogens pose an additional complication as they are closely related to their human host. Current therapies to treat fungal infections are limited and drug resistance has already emerged in the clinic. We have conducted extensive research on fungal drug resistance mechanisms and propose to target these mechanisms in combination with existing antifungals. Specifically, our aim is to target a key regulator of fungal drug resistance, the molecular chaperone Hsp90. Through a structure-guided drug design approach, fungal-selective Hsp90 inhibitors will be designed followed by chemical synthesis. We will further characterize these compounds for fungal-selectivity, enhanced efficacy, and minimal impact on human Hsp90. This work addresses the urgent unmet need for effective new antifungal therapeutics that act by a previously unexploited mode of action.

Statistical Machine Learning Framework in Retention and Attrition Modelling

Customer or member retention refers to the ability of a company to retain its customers, and customer attrition, as the counterpart of customer retention, refers to the loss of customers. Developing a more accurate and comprehensible predictive model can help companies like Servus better understand member retention and attrition.
This project is aiming at using statistical machine learning methods to find the members with high-level leaving risk from the existing members of Servus, and then using even more advanced methods to analyze the influence of targeted offers on member retention and attrition. In the end, a final operationalized model on increasing member retention and reducing member attrition will be built up and can be used by business intelligence team for ongoing campaigns in Servus.

Evaluation of the accuracy of the in-situ individual particle sizing technology

The research objectives are to better understand the limitations of a new particle sizing system in terms of accuracy on particle size, of accuracy on size distribution, of accuracy on particle concentration and finally of size dynamic range. During the research project, the sources of the limitations will be identified and improvements to the technology will be proposed. State-of-the-art equipment for the generation of particles with known sizes and concentrations available at the University of Alberta will be used for the characterization of the technology. Improvements to the mathematical model and on the way to resolve the inverse problem to retrieve particle size will be done in collaboration with researchers at INO. The outcome of the project will be a well characterized particle sizing technology ready to be transferred to the industry for commercialization.

Small-scale Continuous Purification of Nanoparticles and Therapeutic Proteins

Our group developed a new generation of chip-based small-scale devices for continuous purification of chemicals and nanoparticles, based on the interactions of analyte with multiple types of driving forces in an electro-fluid-dynamic (EFD) system. One series of the purification devices has the electric field in parallel with the fluid flow direction (E?F), while the other series has two orthogonal driving force fields (E?F). Our two-dimensional (2D) EFD devices, in which both electric field and pressure-driven flow field are simultaneously utilized in 2D channel networks, provide better control on the analyte molecules or nanoparticles by having more adjustable variables. More importantly, continuous purification can be achieved with these devices. Our initial work based on simulations and polymer particles have shown the feasibility of the 2D EFD devices, and some results have been published. TO BE CONT’D

Tenants and Radon: Legal Rights, Remedies and Opportunities for Reform

Radon is a cancer-causing radioactive gas produced by the natural decay of uranium in rocks and soils. It is the second-leading cause of lung cancer (after smoking) and the primary cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. 16 per cent of lung cancer deaths in Canada are attributable to radon exposure—approximating 3000 people a year. Radon can become trapped and accumulate in buildings, potentially reaching high levels in indoor air (Khan and Gomes, 2017). Canada’s Legal rights and remedies to respond to radon in Canada are largely inadequate and dispersed across multiple statutes, and where they do exist are focused largely on new construction (Dunn and Cooper, 2015). The Canadian Association of Radon Scientists and Technologists works in partnership with multiple organizations concerned about radon, including CAREX Canada, provincial lung associations, TO BE CONT’D

The VOiCE LAB: Voicing, Finding Voice, Giving Voice to Artists (and Others) with Vocal Challenges

How are art practices and digital technology useful for people with complex vocal disabilities to achieve creative outcomes, support communication and augment agency? In this research, we seek to address a gap in existing vocal research in Canada by expanding the science / medical model to support aesthetic creation / art making – i.e. encouraging self-expression in excess of mere necessity, rehabilitation and therapy, for passionate, creative individuals who are vocally challenged. This qualitative, community-based project, situated within a new VOICE LAB, will use art practices and digital technology to support, augment, and project voice, build community and enhance awareness. Using Emancipatory Disability Research and Arts-based Emergent Research, this qualitative person-centered project will: 1) take a community-based, participatory methodological approach in design, recruitment, interviewing, and analysis; and 2) will continually and rigorously question quantitative data-based assumptions through exploratory art practice to create new ways of knowing.

Structural health monitoring of offshore structures using Fiber Bragg gratings

Over the last few years, optical fiber sensors have seen an increased acceptance as well as a

widespread use for structural sensing and monitoring in civil engineering. FBG sensors have

all the advantages attributed to the optical fibers. In addition, they can be easily multiplexed

in a serial fashion along a single fiber. The experimental program includes testing of three

two-way reinforced concrete slabs. One normal strength concrete slab (NS) and two high

strength concrete slabs (HS) will be selected for the experimental investigation. Two sets of

FBG and ESG strain sensors will be mounted on tensile rebars. Another FBG sensor will be

embedded inside concrete slabs. All tests will be carried out using a closed-loop (MTS) testing

machine. The load will be applied by means of a hydraulic actuator. During testing, the slabs…

UPnGO with ParticipACTION: Evaluation of the implementation of a national workplace physical activity initiative

In order to improve the health and work productivity of Canadians, ParticipACTION developed a rewards based, PA tracking intervention called UPnGO with ParticipACTION. The UPnGO program aims to increase the amount of PA and decrease the amount of sedentary activities throughout the workday. Before and after the program, worksites will be assessed to determine what components of workplace environment and policy increase the success of the intervention measured by how employees use the UPnGO platform and changes in average daily steps. This data will provide valuable information about how to continually monitor and improve the program to make it more effective and cost-efficient.

Rapid Clean-Out Apparatus for Permeable Pavers

The main contribution by the interns will be to function as a research assistant to help with the labour intensive laboratory experiments, data analysis, and reporting tasks. The students will have a chance to work with the engineering staff at CHI and will provide additional support during the study.

Pharmacogenetic Biomarker Discovery, Personalized Medicine, and Clinical Test Commercialization in Neuropsychiatry – Year two

Pharmacotherapy is one of the primary treatments for psychiatric disorders. Given the variation in individual response, and the current trial-and-error treatment, a more personalized approach is needed. The Mitacs Elevate postdoctoral fellow project involves the use of pharmacogenetic testing to personalize medication prescriptions for patients, and the commercialization of pharmacogenetic testing. A main component of the postdoctoral fellow work is the Individualized Medicine: Pharmacogenetics Assessment and Clinical Treatment (IMPACT) project, a partnership between the University of Toronto CAMH hospital and Assurex Health Ltd. The goal of IMPACT is to increase the success rate of drug response and adherence, and to limit risk of side effects from medications. IMPACT aims to improve response through providing guidance (GeneSight test) to physicians for choosing medications based on a patient’s genetic makeup. The academic/industry partnership goals are to continuously refine the validity and utility of the test and commercialize the test in Canada.

Pharmacogenetic Biomarker Discovery, Personalized Medicine, and Clinical Test Commercialization in Neuropsychiatry

Pharmacotherapy is one of the primary treatments for psychiatric disorders. Given the variation in individual response, and the current trial-and-error treatment, a more personalized approach is needed. The Mitacs Elevate postdoctoral trainee will gain direct experience with all aspects of using pharmacogenetic testing to personalize medication prescriptions for patients, and the commercialization of the test. Our Individualized Medicine: Pharmacogenetics Assessment and Clinical Treatment (IMPACT) project is a partnership between the University of Toronto CAMH hospital and Assurex Health Ltd for test delivery and commercialization. The goal of IMPACT is to increase the success rate of drug response and medication adherence, and to limit the risk of side effects from medications. IMPACT aims to improve response through providing guidance (Assurex GeneSight test) to the physician for choosing the type and dosage of medication based on a patient’s genetic makeup. TO BE CONT’D