Innovative Projects Realized

Detection of of Dipole-Dipole Interactions in Rare-Earth-Ion for Applications in Quantum Computing

Quantum technologies are today at the forefront of scientific research, as they are expected to have a very strong impact in numerous fields. The primary objective in both research groups, the QPSA lab and the NPQO lab is to develop the physical building blocks necessary for quantum communication. Many different quantum systems are currently being investigated to perform computing, but each has its own strengths and drawbacks.Thus, the exploration of new quantum platforms is an ongoing research area. The aim of this project is to investigate the potential of rare-earth ions-doped crystals (REIC), an emerging platform for quantum computing. A promising REIC, praseodymium, was chosen to be investigated for its suitability in creating multi-quibit gates. We aim to detect dipole-dipole interactions between ions in praseodymium-doped nanoparticles coupled to a fiber cavity as a first step towards this goal. QPSA has with a strong expertise in fiber-integrated open-access cavity interfaces and rare-earth doped solids, while NPQO excels at hollow waveguides and phonic crystal-based cavities as well as integration of photonic crystal waveguides with solid-state emitters. The outlined project will allow for the knowledge exchange in experimental techniques and design related to solid-state quantum information platforms and photonic integration.

Superconducting quantum analog simulator for fundamental physics

This project will explore the use of quantum technologies to simulate physical systems relevant to particle physics, with a focus on neutrino behavior. The goal is to build an analog quantum simulator: a special device whose components are designed to naturally follow the dynamics of the system being studied. The platform will be superconducting circuits, which show quantum mechanical behavior when cooled to very low temperatures. The circuits to be developed will use parametric coupling, a method that enables precise and tunable interactions between their elements. The project is a collaboration between the University of Milano-Bicocca and the Wilson group at the University of Waterloo, which has long-standing experience in superconducting quantum technologies. The student will contribute to theoretical modeling, circuit design, and experimental work. This partnership will strengthen knowledge exchange between the two institutions and support the development of custom quantum devices for fundamental research.

L2M – OmniPave

OmniPave is a research-based concept from the University of Alberta that tackles this by fusing satellite radar, AI-analyzed bus-camera footage, targeted drones, and citizen reports into a real-time map that spots micro-cracks within days, before they expand into potholes. This proactive approach can shift cities toward low-cost crack sealing instead of expensive patching. However, major hurdles remain: Can these four data sources be reliably combined and visualized in near-real time? Can we demonstrate real-world cost savings that will convince municipalities and insurers? And can OmniPave link seamlessly with diverse Geographic Information System (GIS) and work-order systems? This internship will tackle these commercialization challenges head-on by: 1. Building and testing a cloud-based data pipeline and dashboard. 2. Running pilots in three snow-belt cities to collect before-and-after cost/saving data. 3. Preparing an integration guide to show municipalities how OmniPave fits into existing workflows. These activities go beyond prototype research, delivering measurable technical, economic, and integration evidence to validate OmniPave’s potential as a scalable, national solution. The project requires skills in satellite image processing, edge-AI deployment, geospatial integration, and cost-benefit analysis, expertise provided by the intern and supervisor.

Modelling the energy transition in oil and gas markets taking into account market power

This project aims to improve how we model and understand the global oil and gas market in the context of climate change. It combines detailed data from over 40,000 oil and gas assets worldwide with recent theoretical advances in understanding how market structures interact with climate policies. A key focus is on the role of market power — how the strategic behavior of major producers can influence the outcomes of climate action. The resulting simulation tool will help analyze how producers respond to environmental regulations and will make it possible to explore the redistributive impacts and potential adverse effects of different climate policy scenarios. This collaboration between McGill University and French research institutions such as the Paris School of Economics will strengthen expertise at both ends and support more effective and equitable climate decision-making, particularly in Canada.

L2M DialySnake: A novel, minimally invasive tool to remove intraluminal fibrin plugs and restore peritoneal dialysis catheter patency

This project will focus on helping to bring the DialySnake, which is a novel medical device, closer to market. The DialySnake is a low-cost, minimally invasive tool designed to unclog blocked peritoneal dialysis (PD) catheters at patients’ bedsides in an average of 5 minutes. Currently, when peritoneal dialysis catheters become blocked, hospitals often rely on costly and invasive procedures like emergency surgery, which cost upwards of $25,000 CAD, also exposing very sick patients to risky general anesthesia and post-operative complications. The DialySnake offers a simple, safe, and fast solution that could greatly improve patient care while reducing strain on hospital resources, as it provides a 99% cost reduction in PD catheter restoration in urban and rural areas.
Over the course of four months, this project will validate the device’s commercial potential by working closely with healthcare stakeholders, including nephrologists, dialysis nurses, hospital administrators, and procurement teams. The intern will conduct interviews to understand clinical workflows, gather feedback on the device’s value, and assess interest in pilot programs. The project will also include competitor research, pricing analysis, and the development of a go-to-market strategy tailored to Canadian and U.S. healthcare systems.
By the end of the project, NephroTech will have a clear understanding of how to position DialySnake for success in real clinical settings, along with a roadmap for early sales, pilot partnerships, and commercialization. This work will support the partner organization in refining its business model, building early strategic relationships, and ensuring the product aligns with real-world needs, thereby accelerating its path to improving dialysis care in Canada and beyond.

From Lab to Market: The VoltLeaf Leap

This project aims to support VoltLeaf Energy Inc. in exploring market opportunities and building a go-to-market strategy for their carbon-based battery technologies. By researching potential customers, competitors, and industry trends, the project will help VoltLeaf better understand where and how to position their products. The goal is to identify the most promising use cases and partnerships, which will make it easier for the company to grow, attract funding, and bring their sustainable energy solutions to market more effectively.

Shrinking the Digital Divide: Improving Digital Literacy in Rural Regions

This research would offer a new, policy-oriented comparative analysis of international digital literacy strategies aiming to lessen the digital divide. Unlike much of the existing literature, this research would place the focus on initiatives made to further develop digital literacy, rather than digital infrastructure rollout. This research would build on Chetty’s (2018) findings about the implications of low digital literacy in certain communities and would aim to expand the understanding of how policy-driven digital literacy programs can directly impact economic and educational outcomes in rural and Indigenous areas in Canada.
This research aligns closely with many of CIGI’s core research areas, focusing particularly on data, economy and society, as well as digitalization, security and democracy. This proposed research will emphasize the importance of developing digital literacy – an essential but glossed-over component of current strategies addressing the digital divide – to mend an ever-widening digital governance gap. This will ensure that even those living in the most sparsely populated of regions have the necessary skills to participate meaningfully in the digital economy.

L2M – Bacterial Amplicon Tick Test (BATT)

Tick-borne diseases, including Lyme disease and Anaplasmosis, are an increasing public health concern in Canada, with rising case numbers driven by climate change and expanding tick populations. Current testing methods are limited as they typically detect only one pathogen at a time and often miss early-stage infections. As a result, many Canadians can go undiagnosed or misdiagnosed, leading to delayed treatment and severe health impacts. At the same time, new and emerging tick-borne pathogens are being identified in North America, making it critical to have diagnostic tools that can detect a broad and evolving range of threats.

This project supports the development of the Bacterial Amplicon Tick Test (BATT), an innovative genomics-based tool developed by myLyme at Queen’s University. BATT uses DNA sequencing and machine learning to simultaneously detect all known bacterial pathogens in a single tick. Unlike conventional targeted tests, it can also identify emerging bacteria that may not yet be common in Canada.

This work will help myLyme deliver faster, more comprehensive, and more accurate tick testing to Canadians. It will improve early diagnosis, strengthen public health surveillance, and reduce the burden of untreated disease. The project will also support myLyme’s business development by identifying market potential, user needs, refining its value proposition, and informing the regulatory and commercialization strategy for use in clinical, veterinary, and public health settings.

Évaluation des modalités de traitements des chondrosarcomes extra-squelettiques, rôle de la radiothérapie néo adjuvante

Les chondrosarcomes extra-squelettiques sont des tumeurs rares dont le traitement repose principalement sur la chirurgie. Toutefois, l’ajout d’une radiothérapie avant l’opération (radiothérapie néo-adjuvante) pourrait aider à réduire la taille de la tumeur et faciliter son retrait. Ce projet de recherche vise à mieux comprendre les bénéfices et les risques de cette approche en comparant des patients ayant reçu ou non cette radiothérapie avant leur chirurgie. En analysant les dossiers médicaux d’environ 40 patients, le stagiaire examinera si cette technique permet de limiter les complications post-opératoires et d’améliorer la survie sans récidive (event-free survival) de la maladie.

Les résultats attendus aideront l’organisation partenaire, un centre hospitalier spécialisé, à optimiser les traitements pour ces cancers rares. En clarifiant l’impact de la radiothérapie néo-adjuvante, ce projet pourrait améliorer la prise en charge des patients, réduire les risques de rechute et contribuer à établir des recommandations pour les professionnels de santé.

Developing a secure Web interface for a gene therapy design software

Re:Pair Genomics is a Canadian biotechnology startup pioneering the use of advanced artificial intelligence to accelerate gene therapy development. The company specializes in designing compact synthetic promoters, customized DNA sequences that precisely control where and when therapeutic genes are expressed in the body. These promoters are engineered to target specific human or mouse cell types with high accuracy, dramatically reducing off-target effects. What traditionally takes months in a wet lab, Re:Pair’s AI-powered pipeline can deliver in as little as one day, helping gene and cell therapy developers overcome a major bottleneck in drug design. To increase internal efficiency and scalability, Re:Pair Genomics is partnering with Sheridan College’s Centre for Applied AI to develop a secure, user-friendly web interface for their proprietary machine-learning algorithm. Currently, only the company’s co-founders can access the algorithm directly to protect it as a trade secret, creating a bottleneck as client demand grows. This project will enable other internal teams, such as scientists and research staff, to safely interact with the algorithm through a controlled interface without exposing the underlying code. The new platform will streamline operations, reduce turnaround time for promoter design, and allow Re:Pair to serve more clients in the pharmaceutical and academic sectors. It also positions the company for sustainable growth by supporting product development and enabling secure, role-based access to its core technology. More broadly, this project aligns with Canada’s strategic priorities in life sciences and artificial intelligence by fostering innovation at the intersection of biotechnology and machine learning. Through this collaboration, Re:Pair Genomics will be better equipped to support the creation of safer, more effective gene therapies while also providing valuable hands-on training to emerging talent in applied AI development.

L2M – A Visible Light-Degradable Ocular Implant for Sustained Delivery of Bioactive Proteins in Treating AMD

This project introduces a novel, commercially promising ocular implant for the treatment of degenerative retinal diseases, initially targeting age-related macular degeneration (AMD) as a leading cause of vision loss. Current treatments for AMD require frequent intravitreal injections due to the rapid clearance of therapeutics from the eye. This frequent need for injections can cause significant discomfort and anxiety for patients, leading to poor adherence to treatment schedules and reduced overall effectiveness. This project proposes a minimally invasive hydrogel implant that delivers protein therapeutics over an extended period from a single injection. The implant remains stable under everyday conditions and safely degrades upon exposure to blue light laser by a clinician. The light can be irradiated through the sclera and it is precisely tuned at an intensity that is well below ocular safety limits but above levels found in indoor lighting or sunlight. This allows for full or partial degradation of the implant based on clinical need, enabling personalized dosing. Furthermore, current commercial implants are designed to deliver corticosteroids, which are chemically stable but only address inflammation – not the underlying molecular mechanisms of AMD. As a result, they may relieve symptoms but are not effective as a standalone treatment. Delivering protein therapeutics remains a challenge due to the difficulty in preserving their bioactivity, as degradation or unwanted interactions can trigger immune responses. Our implant overcomes this limitation by using a biocompatible strategy to form the implant matrix, protecting protein structure and maintaining therapeutic function throughout use.

Overall, the partner organization stands to benefit from a next-generation ocular drug delivery platform that reduces injection frequency, improves patient compliance, and offers substantial clinical and commercial potential.

Caractérisation avancée de biocomposites PLA-biochar-tanin pour l’impression 3D et l’adsorption de CO2

Ce projet vise à valoriser les résidus lignocellulosiques en créant des biocomposites imprimables en 3D dans une démarche de développement durable afin de capturer le dioxyde de carbone (CO2). L’acide polylactique (PLA), un polymère biodégradable issu se ressources renouvelables, est associé à du biochar produit à partir de résidus forestiers par pyrolyse, et du tanin, un agent naturel jouant le rôle de compatibilisant. Les biocomposites ainsi obtenus seront transformés en filaments pour être imprimés en 3D par dépôt de fil fondu (FDM). Après impression, les pièces seront soumises à diverses caractérisations physicochimiques, mécaniques et morphologiques telles que la tomographie à rayons X, la diffraction des rayons X (DRX), la microscopie électronique à balayage (MEB), des tests mécaniques, des analyses thermiques tels que l’analyse thermogravimétrique (ATG) et la calorimétrie à balayage différentiel (DSC) ainsi que des essais d’adsorption de CO2. L’objectif est d’étudier l’impact des charges sur la porosité, la cristallinité, l’adéquation interfaciale et les performances globales des composites. Les objets imprimés cherchent à concilier innovation technique et expression artistique, permettant ainsi de combiner la fonctionnalité environnementale et l’esthétique. Cette approche ouvre la voie à de nouvelles applications dans les secteurs du design et de l’architecture durable.