Innovative Projects Realized

Intrafibrillar vs surface mineralization in bovine flexor tendon-derived collagen fibrils – an in vitro model of calcific tendinopathy of the human Achilles.

Calcific tendinopathy (CT) is a staged, reactive process where pre-calcific changes are followed by a calcific phase (formative, resting, resorptive) and by post-calcific remodelling in which hydroxyapatite-like deposits form and quite often resorb spontaneously. CT is most prevalent in the neck, foot and hip and within the foot. The Achilles is a well-documented site of CT, yet in all cases clinical imaging cannot resolve where mineral reside relative to collagen fibrils (intrafibrillar vs surface/extrafibrillar) which is essential to understand the impact of CT on tendons’ mechanical properties. To better understand mineral deposition in CT, we propose to develop an in vitro model that interrogates a formative-phase-like, acellular window at 37 °C using tendon-derived collagen fibrils from bovine SDF to determine mineral location and its fibrillar-scale nanomechanical signature under controlled conditions. In addition, we will take advantage of a recently published method to locally destabilize collagen molecular packing within single fibrils to test whether mechanically damage is required to nucleate the formative phase in CT.

Development and Validation of the Next GenerationSimulation Platform for High-Rise Buildings

Recent years have witnessed a boom in the construction of modern high-rise buildings in megacities around the world. It is important to design a high-rise building that can effectively withstand both wind and earthquake loads. Nonetheless, in current practice, the design of high-rise buildings for wind and earthquakes is done independently. Hence, there is an urgent need to develop a set of integrated design guidelines for both wind and earthquake loads. The proposed research is focused on the development of tools and methods for efficient and reliable simulation, which will lead to an analysis platform for the understanding of the response of high-rise buildings, subject to both wind and seismic loads. Kinetica is a leader in the design of tall buildings and the simulation tools developed during this project will create working platforms for Kinetica to advance its competitiveness and understanding of tall building design

Technical Business Intern working within cross functional teams to commercialize AI-powered solutions in the Public Services Sector

AltaML builds artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled solutions to business problems. We work with organisations, bringing together their data and domain expertise with our AI expertise, to develop AI solutions that are deployed in their operations. We also commercialize AI-enabled products business via industry-specific ventures, yielding scalability from our investment in the first solution. AltaML’s AI Lab for Government, also known as GovLab, is a talent accelerator for public service professionals, post-secondary students and recent graduates. GovLab.ai’s mission is to set a global example of how to transform the public sector through applied AI, and is designed to encourage the growth of technical and business AI skill sets that are in high demand across Alberta and around the world. AltaML’s Venture Studio is an incubator program that works with founders and co-founders in the emerging tech industry to scale ideas, build venture products, and launch AI/ML startups across numerous industries; this includes our venture partners at Brilliant Harvest (AgTech), Jurisage Group Inc. (Legal Tech), and Prevoir (Fashion Tech).
The intern listed (Rachel Wang) on this particular application will continue to work alongside the Government of Alberta team to further develop our use case labelled “Document Classification” using Machine Learning. The goal is to enable the Information Management team in the Government of Alberta to automate the labeling of hundreds of millions of documents with a document classification taxonomy based on function and activity.
? Focus: Using Object Character Recognition, and Natural Language Processing techniques along with Large Language Models, this pilot will train ML models to recommend a classification label for each document. Additional deliverables include front-end development for bulk classification, architecture design for secure training based on privacy requirements, and efficient design for cost savings at scale.
? Value: The GoA stores an estimated 500-600 million documents, many of which are unclassified. The goal of this PoC was to explore classifying documents with machine learning so they may receive an appropriate retention schedule. A machine learning solution would ensure documents are classified, making them easier to find and mitigating productivity loss. The solution would also reduce the cost of storing documents that should have been disposed of.
The intern listed (Veronica Garth) on this particular application will work alongside the Government of Alberta Health team to further develop and pilot our use case labelled “Health Demand Forecasting” using Machine Learning. The goal is to enable the Alberta Health team to accurately forecast the demand for seasonal immunizations and healthcare resources, ensuring sufficient supply coverage while minimizing waste.
? Focus: Using time series analysis, unsupervised clustering, and supervised learning techniques, this pilot will train ML models to predict the number of immunizations required based on emerging trends, seasonal outbreaks, and population health indicators. Additional deliverables include developing forecasting dashboards, designing scalable architecture for secure data handling, and optimizing the models for real-time prediction and integration with supply chain systems.
? Value: The Alberta Health system faces fluctuating demand for immunizations and medical supplies due to seasonal and demographic factors. A machine learning solution would provide accurate forecasts to support better planning and resource allocation, reducing waste and improving public health outcomes. This approach would enable proactive decision-making, ensuring Albertans have timely access to immunizations while improving efficiency across the healthcare supply chain.

THE EUROPEAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND TURKEY’S “KURDISH QUESTION”: THE ROLES OF LITIGANTS, HRO’S AND THE COURT IN FRAMING AND NARRATING RIGHTS

This qualitative socio-legal research focuses on the role of litigation at the European Court of Human Rights in framing and legally narrating the relationship between the Turkish state and its Kurdish minority, concentrating on cases having to do with prisons and hunger striking. It will investigate the arguments made by litigants and HROs, and decisions made and reasoning provided by the Court. The three primary expected outcomes of the research are: (1) to provide the necessary background research and a draft socio-legal report on these issues that will inform a subsequent publishable paper on supranational rights-claiming and its implications in the context of Turkish-Kurdish relations; (2) to provide broader context to Professor Bartholomew’s research project on Kurdish hunger striking in Turkey as a means of creating rights and demanding constitutional recognition; and, (3) to develop linkages with scholars in Istanbul whose research is on Turkish-Kurdish relations, the ECHR, and democratic politics.

High-fidelity simulation of multiphase and thermal processes in hydrogen storage and refueling

Hydrogen will play a key role in Canada’s transition toward low-carbon energy due to the possibility of carbon-neutral production, its clean combustion, and high energy content per unit mass. As hydrogen is typically stored at high pressure (700 bar or more), rapid compression during refueling can generate substantial heat, which can cause pressure overshoot, underfilling, and thermal stresses in composite or metal-lined tanks. This project will address the challenge of hydrogen storage through the development of high-fidelity computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. In collaboration with U. Oxford, simulations of high-pressure hydrogen refueling will contribute to improving the efficiency and safety of hydrogen storage systems. Overall, the research directly contributes to Canada’s national hydrogen strategy and addresses broad challenges in hydrogen storage, which are also top priorities for the partnering university and nation (UK).

L2M – Validating Philosoph-AI’s AI Governance-as-a-Service (AI-GaaS) Platform

Project Overview – L2M – Validating Philosoph-AI’s AI Governance-as-a-Service (AI-GaaS) Platform / (Mitacs BSI 2026)

Philosoph-AI Consulting Inc., based in Calgary and Geneva, is an emerging advisory firm specializing in artificial intelligence (AI) governance, ethics, and regulatory alignment. This project, led by Sandrine Berezowski (PhD candidate, University of Alberta) under the academic supervision of Dre. Martine Pellerin, aims to transform Philosoph-AI’s consulting expertise into a scalable digital platform that enables organizations to implement responsible, transparent, and compliant AI systems.

As AI adoption accelerates, most organizations—especially small and medium-sized enterprises—lack structured frameworks to ensure ethical oversight and compliance with emerging standards such as the EU AI Act (2024), ISO/IEC 42001, and NIST AI RMF. The project addresses this gap by developing and validating a modular AI Governance-as-a-Service (AI-GaaS) solution that integrates diagnostics, policy templates, and measurable governance indicators.

Over four months (January–April 2026), the project will:
1. Conduct a market validation study with over 50 organizations across sectors;
2. Develop a viable business and pricing model for commercialization;
3. Design an intellectual-property and data-governance framework; and
4. Deliver a comprehensive commercialization roadmap for the 2026 launch.

Through this collaboration between academia and industry, Philosoph-AI will demonstrate how ethical and inclusive AI governance can be a driver of innovation, competitiveness, and public trust. The project strengthens Canada’s leadership in trustworthy AI by linking research excellence with practical business implementation.

Ultimately, this initiative positions Canada as a global hub for responsible AI governance—where ethics, transparency, and innovation converge to shape the next generation of digital decision-making.

GausLight Splatting

Le projet GausLight Splatting vise à mettre au point une nouvelle façon de transformer les données recueillies par des capteurs laser 3D (appelés LiDAR) en modèles numériques réalistes et faciles à explorer. Ces capteurs produisent des nuages de points, un peu comme des milliards de petites coordonnées dans l’espace, qui sont très précis mais difficiles à utiliser directement. Le projet propose d’adapter une technologie récente, appelée Gaussian Splatting, afin de convertir ces nuages de points en images 3D continues, interactives et rapides à visualiser sur ordinateur ou dans un navigateur web. Pour l’organisation partenaire, cette innovation permettra de gagner du temps et de la qualité dans le traitement de ses données, en facilitant la création d’expériences virtuelles immersives destinées aux musées, aux événements et à la mise en valeur du patrimoine. À terme, cette recherche contribuera à accroître la compétitivité de l’entreprise tout en ouvrant la voie à de nouveaux usages de la 3D dans les milieux culturels et créatifs.

Development of a microbe granulation technology for the increased treatment of organic wastewater, removal of emerging containments and digestion of sludge

Today we are failing to properly and completely treat organic wastewater which results in large amounts of sludge buildup and many untreated emerging contaminates that are shaping and changing our environment. If we ignore this problem: we will see an increased need for resources to development new and very expensive mechanical processes to manage sludge, wildlife will experience further side effects, and the appearance of emerging containments that are causing additional side effects to the surrounding population will also continue to increase. It is expected that this project will deliver a new combined technology that will be able to effectively treat and clean organic wastewater in both aerobic and anaerobic conditions. The results of this study should enable us to advance and provide this new technology, in an economical way, to municipalities throughout North America in an effort to reduce emerging containments in the environment and solve the growing problem of sludge management.

Evaluation of Registered Nurse Prescribing in Ontario

This project, led by Women’s College Hospital’s Institute for Health System Solutions and Virtual Care (WIHV), will evaluate the implementation of Registered Nurse (RN) prescribing in Ontario. Through focus groups with prescribing and non-prescribing RNs, the project will identify barriers and enablers to adoption, as well as organizational and system-level factors influencing uptake. Findings will generate practice-based evidence to inform regulatory policy, workforce planning, and strategies to support equitable implementation of RN prescribing. This project will provide timely insights to guide policy and practice, contributing to improved access, equity, and sustainability within the health system.

Effet du type d’agent compensateur de retrait sur le comportement des mortiers à base de sable de recyclage

L’enjeu de cette recherche est double : approfondir la compréhension scientifique des mortiers intégrant des sables recyclés et adjuvants compensateurs de retrait et identifier les conditions (type et dosage d’adjuvants) permettant d’obtenir des performances comparables aux mortiers traditionnels. Le manque actuel de connaissances, combiné à la sévérité des normes en vigueur, freine encore la commercialisation de tels matériaux. Une des retombées attendues de ce projet serait de contribuer à l’intégration progressive des sables recyclés dans les référentiels normatifs, au Canada, en Europe et ailleurs dans le monde.

Interactive ‘digital’ education for multilingual, multicultural, and transnational business practices: The framework for industrial EFL education in internationalism and glocalisaion

This project will bring to the international society a framework for “international-minded” education for business people and industrial entities. Such industrial entities may include ones that aim to start or enhance their international trading businesses, and study-abroad support businesses. The target entities may also include public educational institutions, and federal/state/municipal governmental entities that deal with international public relations, marketing, or communication. The framework provides the public with free referential resources for language and cultural management of international businesses and practices, which could be significantly supported and enriched by the in-depth understanding to the multi-facets of multilingual communication in transnational corporations, and the role of English as a global language in these complex new configurations, including digital communication. As its initial stage, the project aims to create resources to guide best practice for the education of transnational actors who need to deal with Canadian and Japanese customers, fulfilling the needs of the partner organization.

Investigating atmospheric chlorine chemistry in Cape Verde

Using simplified language, please provide a general one-paragraph description of the proposed project including the expected benefit to the participating institutions.

My project aims to better understand the impacts and significance of chlorine and chlorine-containing compounds in the atmosphere of Cape Verde. This will be conducted as part of the University of York’s Chlorine Enhancement by Mineral Dust and its Effect on Methane (CEMDEM) campaign, which will investigate the effects of mineral dust on chlorine concentrations and the subsequent impacts on methane levels. I will operate various instruments equipped to measure chlorinated compounds, and use this data to identify any chlorine-driven chemical pathways and elucidate their mechanism. This project combines York University’s strengths in conducting laboratory and field measurement studies on chlorinated compounds, with the University of York’s expertise in the measurement and modelling of chlorine chemistry, strengthening their ongoing collaboration. With this, we will provide insight into the complex processes occurring in the air that we breathe, and support the work of researchers and policymakers in protecting our air quality, which has direct implications to society from a health and policy perspective.