Innovative Projects Realized

Characterize the effect of incretins and CFTR modulators on insulin secretion by the CF beta cells.

Cystic fibrosis-related diabetes (CFRD) is a unique form of diabetes that differs from type 1 and type 2 diabetes. It affects almost 50% of patients with the genetic disease cystic fibrosis (CF) but its precise cause remains unknown. Our goal is to understand the root cause of CFRD by investigating changes in cells extracted from the pancreas of mice that have CFRD. To investigate how glucose intolerance leads to diabetes, we will measure the release of insulin and glucagon by cells treated with glucose, to mimic the raise in blood sugar following a meal. We will collect the liquid secreted by these cells and measure how much insulin and glucagon they have produced in response to glucose. After establishing the standard response of the cells to glucose, we will repeat the experiments with cells pre-treated with drugs used to lower blood glucose or drugs used to treat patients with CF. We expect that changes observed in CFRD cells compared to normal cells will help us understand this disease. We will also know if CF drugs alter how pancreatic cells respond to glucose. This research will provide important data to further develop therapeutic strategies to help patients with CFRD.

Effets des mécanismes génétiques et écologiques sur l’évolution de la dormance des graines dans une méta-population

Les traits d’histoire de vie, ce sont des traits primordials qui déterminent la fécondité et la survie. La génétique, l’environnement et leurs interactions les affectent de grande ampleur. Mon projet met en évidence des traits d’histoire de vie des plantes : la dormance et la taille des graines. En utilisant des données climatiques, j’ai développé un modèle statistique démontrant que des paramètres climatiques dans le développement des graines jouent un rôle crucial. Afin de révéler bien tous les facteurs connus touchant les traits d’histoire de vie, je souhaite développer un modèle théorique. Basé sur l’étude précédente, celui se caractérisera bien par les mécanismes génétiques et écologiques. C’est ainsi qu’on pourrait prévoir des dynamiques évolutives et faire le bilan de l’impact du changement climatique sur ces traits-là. De plus, on pourrait confronter tous les deux modèles pour tirer des conclusions plus générales

Moose Hide Campaign, Post Secondary Engagement and Initiatives –Strategy and Outreach Project

The Moose Hide Campaign is a nationwide grassroots movement in Canada dedicated to ending violence against women and children. Founded in 2011 by Paul Lacerte and his daughter Raven, the campaign originated from a hunting trip where they harvested a moose and decided to use its hide as a symbol of their commitment to ending violence. The campaign encourages men and boys to take a stand and be active participants in creating safer communities. It engages diverse communities, including post-secondary institutions, governments, unions, and individuals, by distributing moose hide pins that symbolize personal commitments to ending violence. Having distributed over 6.7 million pins, the campaign aims to expand to 10 million pins, continuing to engage new audiences while deepening involvement with current supporters. Key challenges include increasing outreach to student communities, ensuring sustained engagement and education about the campaign’s message, and securing long-term financial sustainability. An intern would play a pivotal role in coordinating Moose Hide Campaign Day and supporting post-secondary engagement, focusing on event management, outreach, and marketing initiatives.

GELP Leadership Camps – Marketing and Business Development

The Global Emerging Leadership Program (GELP) is addressing a crucial gap in providing early leadership, career planning, and educational guidance to high school students (Grades 10-12). The problem GELP aims to solve is the lack of structured, accessible programs that support students in making well-informed decisions about their future education, career paths, and scholarship opportunities. In today’s fast-paced and competitive global landscape, students often feel overwhelmed when it comes to choosing the right post-secondary programs, scholarships, or career directions.
Through the introduction of leadership camps, GELP is expanding its initiatives to help students develop resilience, informed decision-making, and critical thinking skills, ensuring they are better prepared to pursue higher education, trade schools, or other professional opportunities. These camps will serve as a safe and interactive platform where students can explore their interests, understand scholarship opportunities, and receive mentorship to help navigate their future decisions.
The intern will play a pivotal role in organizing and promoting these leadership camps. Their tasks will include managing logistics, fostering student engagement, promoting the program across digital and physical platforms, and leading various activities designed to help students navigate their educational and career paths.

Optimizing Supply Chain Efficiency through Data-Driven Process Innovation in Logistics Coordination

Natik Projects, a dynamic engineering firm, is part of transformative 10-year project in Nunavut to construct 3,000 houses across various remote communities. This ambitious project presents unique challenges, particularly in logistics, procurement, and project management, given the harsh environment and limited infrastructure in Nunavut. One of the key daily operational challenges revolves around coordinating goods transportation via air, road, and sea. Ensuring timely and seamless delivery through these channels is essential to avoid costly delays. Additionally, sourcing materials from suppliers and resolving transportation disruptions in real time are critical to keeping the supply chain running smoothly. This project also demands detailed cost-benefit and time analysis when working with freight providers to ensure that Natik Projects employs the most efficient and cost-effective transportation methods.

In addressing these challenges, this research project will focus on creating a logistics coordination framework designed to minimize delays and improve efficiency. A demand forecasting model will be developed using data from Sage100 to optimize inventory levels, ensuring that materials are available when needed without overstocking or shortages.

The outcomes of this project will provide Natik Projects with process improvements, cost savings, and time efficiencies. A comprehensive report will document the gains achieved through improved logistics coordination and procurement strategies, while further recommendations will be offered based on a cross-functional analysis of vendor performance and supply chain innovations.

Modélisation microéconomique de la productivité des principales cultures au Québec face à la volatilité des prix des engrais

L’objectif de ce stage est de développer et d’optimiser des modèles avancés qui intègrent des données en temps réel sur les prix des engrais et des produits de récolte, afin d’ajuster dynamiquement les recommandations de fertilisation pour les agriculteurs. Ces modèles, basés sur des principes de microéconomie, s’appuieront sur des algorithmes d’intelligence artificielle pour analyser des données économiques et des paramètres de production agricoles. En plus des coûts des intrants et des prix de vente, ils intégreront des variables prédictives issues de prévisions économiques et des analyses de risque, permettant une anticipation des fluctuations du marché et une adaptation proactive des doses d’engrais appliquées.
Ce projet vise à créer un système de prescription de fertilisation capable de recommander des doses optimales d’engrais en fonction de la productivité marginale, tout en minimisant les risques financiers pour les agriculteurs face aux variations de prix.

Demande SSE | Hugo Tremblay

Ce projet nécessite une expertise en analyse de données, en architecture de systèmes et en stratégie marketing. Hugo devra travailler en étroite collaboration avec les équipes techniques de Click & Mortar pour définir les critères de performance, les mécanismes de collecte et de traitement des données, ainsi que les modalités d’intégration avec les outils marketing existants. En fournissant des recommandations basées sur une analyse approfondie, le projet d’Hugo aidera Click & Mortar à anticiper les besoins futurs du marché et à enrichir son portefeuille de services numériques.

Exploring the Viability and Impact of Hydrogen Blending in Energir’s Natural Gas Pipelines

The feasibility of blending hydrogen into its natural gas infrastructure to support global decarbonization efforts is currently being explored in Canada. With hydrogen emerging as a clean energy alternative, this project aims to integrate hydrogen into Energir’s gas infrastructure while addressing challenges related to material compatibility and safety.
The study involves laboratory experiments to assess the impact of hydrogen on infrastructure materials and explore potential refurbishment materials. Led by a PhD student from UQTR, under the supervision of Professor Jacques Huot and the supported of the Quebec Metallurgy Center, the research addresses technical challenges associated with hydrogen blending.
By leveraging hydrogen as an alternative energy carrier, this project aligns with global decarbonization goals. Collaboration with energy companies like Énergir, the project aims to gain insights into damage mechanisms, material properties, and measurement techniques for hydrogen blending.
The project contributes to Canada’s transition to a zero-emission economy, creating new green jobs and leveraging hydrogen as an export commodity. It aims to provide valuable knowledge on damage mechanisms and material properties susceptible to hydrogen blending, advancing sustainable energy solutions at SPIPB and beyond.

Understanding stakeholder perspectives on aquatic invasive species management in the Margaree Valley to support improved local watershed management

Aquatic invasive species (AIS) are of great to concern to fisheries managers and those who enjoy fisheries resources, such as anglers. In Nova Scotia, small mouth bass were introduced in the 1940s by provincial fisheries managers in the hopes of creating recreational fishing opportunities. These fish are efficient predators that predate upon and outcompete native species. Their growing populations threaten native species and aquatic biodiversity in the western portion of the province. In 2024, the province began require the mandatory retention (and humane euthanasia) of small mouth bass in the Margaree River watershed, an area prized for its Atlantic salmon fishing. But public reception of the retention policy is mixed, and it is unknown how people are using retained bass. This project will investigate perceptions of AIS management, control, and retention in the Margaree River watershed as held by anglers and other fisheries stakeholders. The insights gained will be the first of their kind in Nova Scotia, where human dimensions research on freshwater AIS is limited. They will also offer insights into how management approaches to AIS are received, how retained fish are used, and what next steps might be effective in preventing further spread of small mouth bass.

Integrating benchwork with generative AI development: deciphering cell size regulation while driving predictive AI

Artificial intelligence promises to dramatically accelerate preclinical biomedical research, yet ensuring it provides accurate and relevant information remains a challenge. Current approaches may fabricate references and often lack the context needed to fully address scientific questions. Consequently, AI has not been widely adopted for applications such as hit selection from biological screens or experiment design.
To address these challenges, BenchSci, a leader in AI-based solutions for preclinical research, is partnering with Dr. Moffat’s lab, renowned for its genome-wide genetic screens in human cell lines. In this collaboration, a postdoctoral fellow will test an advanced question-answering system under development at BenchSci. This tool aims to assist in hit selection, rapidly identifying relevant hits for understanding disease progression. It will also be used in ongoing studies on proteins responding to salt stress, exploring their links to certain cancers and metabolic diseases.
By collaborating directly with Dr. Moffat’s research group, BenchSci can quickly optimize the prototype for generating hypotheses and planning new experiments. As the postdoctoral fellow conducts research, the resulting data will help BenchSci develop more predictive systems, potentially enabling AI to forecast experimental outcomes. Moreover, the system will evolve to suggest subsequent experimental steps, enhancing its role as an effective research assistant.
This partnership aims to accelerate the development of cutting-edge AI systems for biologists and advance critical genetic interaction studies of disease pathways.

SiC-Based Universal Power Conversion System (UPCS)

The transition to sustainable energy has heightened the demand for advanced power conversion technologies, crucial for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, particularly in Canada, where the transportation sector is a major contributor. Canada aims to achieve 100% zero-emission vehicle sales by 2040, but current projections suggest only 48% of the target will be met, largely due to challenges like insufficient EV charging infrastructure. In addition, low-voltage (LV) motor drives, vital for industrial applications, face inefficiencies and compliance issues due to a lack of adaptability. The proposed solution is a Universal Power Conversion System (UPCS), leveraging Silicon Carbide (SiC) technology to enhance efficiency, flexibility, and scalability. The proposed technology aims to improve power conversion in various applications, including renewable energy and EV infrastructure, offering a competitive edge through better thermal management and higher switching frequencies. The project promises to deliver more efficient and compact products, positioning Eaton to expand its market share.

Amélioration de l’autonomie de navigation des robots d’assistance via la cartographie et la compréhension sémantique de nuages de points 3D

Le projet de recherche vise à améliorer la navigation des robots d’assistance en utilisant la cartographie sémantique de nuages de points 3D. Les robots mobiles autonomes sont essentiels pour les premiers intervenants, car ils offrent des informations précieuses sur une scène de catastrophe sans mettre de vies humaines en danger. Actuellement, ces robots nécessitent une supervision constante, ce qui limite leur autonomie. Ce projet propose d’utiliser un modèle d’apprentissage automatique pour analyser et classer les nuages de points 3D, permettant ainsi aux robots de mieux comprendre leur environnement et de naviguer de manière plus autonome en situations d’urgence. Le travail inclut la collecte et le traitement des données, ainsi que l’implémentation d’algorithmes d’intelligence artificielle. Sous la supervision du Professeur Navarro, ce séjour de recherche offrira aux stagiaires une opportunité unique d’acquérir des compétences avancées en robotique et vision par ordinateur, tout en renforçant leurs connaissances dans le traitement des données spatiales.