Innovative Projects Realized

Pour une épistémologie de l’indifférence : un vice épistémique collectif à la racine de l’inaction sociale

À la croisée de l’épistémologie sociale, de l’éthique et de la philosophie politique, cette recherche entend développer une épistémologie de l’indifférence conçue comme un vice épistémique institutionnalisé. L’objectif est d’éclairer les mécanismes épistémiques, affectifs et sociaux qui sous-tendent l’inaction sociale face à des situations pourtant reconnues comme moralement et politiquement préoccupantes. Il s’agit de démontrer que l’indifférence ne renvoie pas à un problème d’ignorance, mais plutôt à un défaut d’engagement envers des informations (tant des connaissances, des perspectives, des événements, etc.) connues, disponibles et significatives.
Ce projet vise à combler deux lacunes majeures en épistémologie sociale et en philosophie politique. La première est conceptuelle : il théorise un nouveau vice épistémique collectif. Aucun des travaux en épistémologie des vices n’a encore exploré les dimensions collectives et structurelles de l’indifférence. La seconde est normative et politique : comprendre l’indifférence comme socialement située et structurellement reproduite, et non comme un simple état individuel, permet de mettre en évidence son rôle dans la normalisation de l’inaction au sein de notre société et dans la reproduction d’injustices sociales.

dogged – Business Development and Market Expansion Strategy for Sustainable Pet Products

dogged is a Vancouver-based, sustainability-focused pet brand dedicated to creating high-quality, eco-friendly products such as slow feeders and natural treats that enrich the daily lives of dogs and their owners. As a rapidly growing start-up, dogged has established a strong foundation in product design and e-commerce but now faces the strategic challenge of expanding its presence in the B2B market. The company aims to build scalable, data-driven systems for reaching new retail partners across North America while maintaining its values of sustainability and quality.
The core problem lies in developing an efficient, research-based framework to identify, attract, and retain pet retail partners in a competitive market dominated by larger brands with greater marketing resources. dogged’s leadership recognizes that current outreach methods rely heavily on manual effort and informal processes, which limits growth and consistency in partner engagement. To move beyond routine sales activities, dogged seeks to design and implement a structured business development model that leverages market research, data analytics, and process optimization to improve outreach precision and conversion rates.
This project represents a significant innovation priority because it will allow dogged to systematically explore new market segments, test and refine outreach strategies, and establish a repeatable system that can be scaled as the company grows. Rather than focusing on short-term sales, the initiative emphasizes long-term organizational learning and process innovation transforming anecdotal outreach into measurable, evidence-based decision-making.

Beyond Reciprocity: Reimagining Ethical Global Health Promotion in Resource-Constrained School Systems

This project explores how international teaching programs between Canadian universities and Antiguan schools can be designed in ways that are fair, respectful, and beneficial for everyone involved. The research focuses on the Antigua Champions for Health (ACH) program, where Canadian student-teachers work with Antiguan schools to support health and physical education. By listening to both Canadian student-teachers and Antiguan educators, the study will highlight the benefits, challenges, and ethical questions that occur in these partnerships. The project will help universities and schools build stronger, more equal international collaborations, while also supporting healthier learning environments for children. For Canadian institutions, it offers insight into preparing students for ethical global engagement. For Antiguan institutions, it strengthens opportunities to share local expertise and ensure that international programs align with community priorities.

Optimization of Zirconia-Nanocellulose Inks for Direct Ink Writing of Bone Tissue Engineering Scaffolds

This research project aims to develop and optimize zirconia-cellulose inks for additive manufacturing of scaffolds for bone tissue engineering applications. However, a key challenge in fabricating zirconia scaffolds via Direct Ink Writing (DIW) is the achievement of an ideal rheological properties for precise, high-fidelity printing. Thus, this study proposes the use of nanocellulose, a sustainable and bio-inspired additive, to serve as a rheological modifier that imparts the necessary shear-thinning and thixotropic behavior to the ceramic ink. The main objectives involve the characterization of raw materials, preparation of inks with varying nanocellulose concentrations, comprehensive rheological analysis to determine printability, and subsequent simulation, printing, and thermo-mechanical characterization of the sintered scaffolds. By systematically correlating nanocellulose concentration with the ink’s flow behavior and the final properties of the printed part, this work seeks to advance the fabrication of sustainable, high-performance bioceramic scaffolds for load-bearing applications, such as orthopedic and dental implants.

Exploration du concept de Befindlichkeit dans Être et temps

Mon projet s’inscrit dans le cadre d’une maîtrise en philosophie et porte sur Être et temps, l’oeuvre maîtresse du philosophe allemand Martin Heidegger. Dans cet ouvrage, Heidegger tente de répondre à la question du sens de l’être, car tout autre questionnement supposerait déjà une certaine compréhension de ce que signifie « être ». Pour y répondre, il propose d’étudier l’être humain, puisque celui-ci vit toujours dans une compréhension implicite de lui-même et du monde qui l’entoure. En comprenant cette structure, nous pourrions accéder au sens de l’être.

Dans mon mémoire, je m’intéresse à l’un des concepts qui structurent ce rapport : l’« affection ». Par ce terme, Heidegger désigne le fait que nous sommes toujours affectés par une disposition particulière — joie, ennui, angoisse, etc. — qui teinte notre expérience et oriente notre manière de comprendre le monde. Mon mémoire vise donc à présenter en détail ce concept, à retracer les influences qui ont conduit Heidegger à le thématiser et à examiner son rôle central dans Être et temps. Il se conclura par une partie critique, où je montrerai notamment les limites de cette approche, en particulier l’absence d’une réflexion approfondie sur le rôle du corps.

Sex-specific single cell RNA-seq of ALS peripheral blood mononuclear cells

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease that causes progressive loss of motor neurons, muscle weakness, paralysis, and eventual death. The disease affects males and females differently. A key feature of ALS is immune system dysfunction in the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) and outside, in peripheral blood. This study aims to study how immune cells in blood of ALS patients have altered gene expression (the extent to which genes are turned on) compared to healthy participants, with a focus on how biological sex contributes to these changes. We will collect blood samples from ALS patients and healthy individuals, and use advanced single-cell RNA sequencing technology to measure the gene expression pattern in thousands of individual cells. This approach allows us to identify specific immune cell types and pathways that may contribute to ALS progression, as well as differences between males and females with the disease. By addressing key questions about peripheral immune cell involvement in ALS, the project could contribute to better treatment and patient care, which directly support the missions of our partner organization, Alberta ALS Research Network (AARN). The project could also lead to new collaborations between researchers in the AARN network.

Transfert d’apprentissage pour des modèles d’apprentissage profond pour estimer la pression artérielle

La pression artérielle (PA) est un indicateur clé de notre santé, mais sa mesure reste souvent ponctuelle et peu représentative de notre quotidien. Ce projet vise à améliorer cette situation grâce à un bracelet intelligent capable de mesurer la PA de manière opportuniste, sans brassard, en utilisant des capteurs comme la photopléthysmographie (PPG).
Le stagiaire contribuera à rendre ces mesures plus précises et personnalisées en appliquant des techniques de transfert d’apprentissage à des modèles d’apprentissage profond. Plutôt que de créer un modèle à partir de zéro pour chaque utilisateur, il utilisera de grandes bases de données médicales pour préentraîner les modèles, puis les adapter à chaque personne avec un minimum d’interactions.
Le stagiaire évaluera comment la quantité de données influence la précision des modèles, et testera leur performance sur des données réelles. Ce travail permettra de rendre les dispositifs de mesure de la PA plus accessibles, plus confortables et mieux adaptés à la vie quotidienne.

The role of spatial attention in pain expectations and perception

Pain not only signals potential injury but also guides learning, teaching us to avoid harmful actions. Recent work from Roy’s laboratory (Coll et al., 2024) highlights the role of prediction errors—the difference between expected and actual outcomes— in shaping our pain perception, depending on whether it aligns with or violates our expectations. However, the precise nature of these pain-related expectations remains unclear.
Do people expect pain as a general unpleasant experience (general negative affect hypothesis), or do they form expectations about a specific body location (spatial attention hypothesis)? This distinction is crucial: under the general affect hypothesis, all pain types would be equally shaped by learning, whereas under the spatial hypothesis, only pain at expected locations would be affected.
To test this, we will adapt Coll et al.’s paradigm (2024) by introducing a spatial dimension. Sixty participants will receive thermal pain using a custom-built dual thermode device, stimulating either forearm. In a threat-conditioning design, visual cues will predict pain on one side most of the time (80%), while occasional delivery to the opposite side (20%) will create spatial surprise. If the spatial hypothesis holds, unexpected pain should elicit stronger ratings and physiological responses.

Standing in Judicial Review: Comparative Perspectives from Canada and the UK

Standing requires every claimant to establish a connection between his situation and the basis of the lawsuit which justifies his participation in the legal proceedings. It is often characterized as context sensitive, particularly in administrative law, given the diversity of decisions likely to be subject to judicial review of administrative action. The objective of my research project is to write and present a paper on the law of standing in administrative law from a comparative perspective. The comparison with UK administrative law is promising, given its close connection to Canadian law. In fact, both legal systems are rooted in the English common law tradition. My research stay will take place at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom, under the supervision of Professor Joanna Bell. Professor Bell is an expert in administrative law and has published important work on the law of standing. She will help me deepen my understanding of administrative law in the UK, which is essential for both my doctoral thesis and the paper I will write during my research stay.

Potable Water Reuse from Treated Wastewater: A Strategic Literature-Based Assessment for the City of Mirabel

The City of Mirabel is studying new ways to provide safe drinking water for its growing population. This project will look at examples from around the world where treated wastewater is made clean enough to drink. The goal is to determine the best options for Mirabel’s needs so the City can plan future water supplies that protect both people and the environment.

Observing Interactions Between Pacific Harbour Seals (Phoca vitulina richardii) and Recreational Fish Cleaning Practices throughout Greater Victoria

This project is designed to provide a baseline dataset for fish processing stations on Southern Vancouver Island. From this dataset, researchers aim to identify broad-scale trends in nearshore marine systems and identify future research needs. Main objectives of the project include monitoring both seal behaviour and fish waste subsidies near these recreational fish processing stations in order to assess the nearshore ecological impacts of fish carcasses and waste products. To achieve these objectives, fish carcass consumption by seals, daily seal activities, fish processing methods, vessel traffic, and raw estimates of carcass matter entering the water are documented in this project. Expected outcomes of the project include an improved understanding of seal feeding preferences, developing a baseline for subsidy patterns in recreational fisheries, enhancing knowledge about human-mammal interactions, and producing recommendations for ongoing research needs in these understudied and highly developed nearshore marine systems.

Reward Circuit Neuromodulation for Motor Recovery After Spinal Cord Injury

Spinal cord injuries often cause lifelong motor deficits, with limited recovery from current therapies. This project explores a new approach: using deep brain stimulation of the brain’s reward circuits to encourage and reinforce natural movements during rehabilitation. In the rat model of spinal cord injury, we aim to boost both immediate motor performance and long-term recovery. The research will lay the groundwork for future therapies that could significantly improve mobility and quality of life for people living with paralysis.