Innovative Projects Realized

Development of STAT inhibitors as Cancer therapeutics

The aim of the project is to develop molecules capable of treating cancer. Currently, chemotherapeutics used in the clinic kill cancer as well as healthy cells; this broad mechanism of action results in high toxicity to the patient. In contrast, our approach is to generate a targeted therapeutic that will work against STAT5, a specific protein which is overexpressed in breast cancer. This approach will limit the toxicity associated with currently used treatments. This goal will be achieved in two steps: one, to map out the interactions required to inhibit STAT5; two, to use the knowledge generated in the previous step in order to synthesize a targeted therapeutic agent. New, targeted therapeutic agents are necessary in the clinic to reduce the toxicity currently experienced by patients. This project aims to help society by generating lower toxicity anti-cancer agents.

Pender Island Cetacean Research

Boundary Pass is a critical foraging habitat for Southern Resident killer whales, West Coast Transient (Bigg’s) killer whales, and humpback whales, but high vessel traffic in the shipping lanes put whales at risk of disturbance from underwater noise and vessel proximity. Since 2019, Transport Canada has implemented two seasonal Interim Sanctuary Zones (ISZ) for whales to reduce the impacts of vessel in their habitat.
This project will assess the effectiveness of the ISZ adjacent to Pender Island, BC. The proposed approach is to detail the spatial use of vessels and cetaceans around Pender Island through land-based observations by a dedicated observer at a vantage point overlooking the ISZ. The observer will monitor the ISZ and document any boat infractions. Land-based whale sightings will focus on killer whales and humpback whales, but sightings of all species will be recorded.
This project will help build the whale observation database for SIMRES, provide Raincoast with scientific evidence on the efficacy of ISZs at reducing vessel disturbances to cetaceans, and contribute to the overall knowledge of whale presence and movement in Boundary Pass. This project will build on the continued whale and vessel monitoring at a vantage point overlooking the Saturna ISZ.

Bubble coalescence in Ionic Liquid

This project aims to explore the coalescence of gas bubbles in ionic liquids which are potential electrolytes for fuel cells. This research will be conducted under the guidance of experts from the University of Waterloo in Canada and TU Delft in The Netherlands. By joining the Mitacs Globalink program, the researcher hopes to use advanced tools and collaborate with leading scientists to better understand this process. The findings could lead to significant advancements in the field of renewable energy and clean technology. Both institutions expect to benefit from shared knowledge, resources, and the potential for groundbreaking discoveries in renewable energy.

Déconnecter du pilote automatique pour prendre soin de sa santé psychologique au travail

Pour venir répondre aux problématiques vécues dans le milieu de la santé (p. ex., détresse, épuisement professionnel, stress), le présent projet de recherche vise à tester l’efficacité d’une intervention basée sur la pleine conscience et d’une intervention d’écoute de musique. Grâce à la collaboration avec le Centre d’expertise en santé de Sherbrooke (CESS), un diffuseur du savoir en matière de santé et proposant des solutions innovantes et adaptées à la réalité et aux besoins du secteur de la santé et des services sociaux, il sera possible de créer deux nouveaux outils d’intervention pour soutenir la santé psychologique au
travail des personnes travaillant dans le milieu de la santé, et ainsi répondre à la visée de cette organisation. Cette dernière bénéficiera des meilleures pratiques et connaissances grâce à un partenariat avec une doctorante en psychologie du travail et des organisations.

Development of a Green Process for the Recycling and Upcycling of Post-consumer Non-Compostable Polyester (PET) Material

The University of New Brunswick (UNB – Canada) welcomes a student intern from King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT – Thailand) to investigate chemical technologies for recycling waste plastics. The recycling of post-consumer non-compostable materials (e.g., polyester) have been identified as the next frontier to decrease solid waste. Around the world, societies struggle with the disposal of polyester – otherwise known as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) – materials used in textiles and single-use bottles (e.g., water/soda pop bottles). Using a hydrolytic chemical process, polyester can be recycled back into its initial monomer building blocks, terephthalic acid and ethylene glycol, and then reassembled into pure polyester. However, these hydrolytic processes are often problematic because of costs associated with heavy use of mineral acids and bases (e.g., sulfuric acid and sodium hydroxide) and extreme reaction conditions (>250°C, >2 MPa). This project aims to develop and evaluate innovative catalysts and strategies for the hydrolysis of polyester. The results from this project will reveal significant improvements that can be made in the PET hydrolysis process to increase the economic rationale of recycling. As a collaborative project, this project aims to strengthen the existing relationship between the two Universities.

In vivo testing of LNP-mRNA therapeutics in an animal model of Gaucher Disease

Brain disorders affect 10% of Canadians, however few treatment options exist for these devastating diseases. We have extensive understanding of their causes, but translation to treatment has been difficult. For example, many natural proteins have been identified to hold significant therapeutic promise, but getting these proteins to the brain has been a longstanding challenge. Our group has developed a technology that empowers the brain to produce its own therapeutic proteins over days to weeks. Using a technology similar to the COVID vaccine (combining lipid nanoparticles (LNP) and messenger RNA (mRNA)), we propose to transform brain cells into factories for the production of the protein deficient in Gaucher Disease (GD), in order to improve treatment strategies for the neurological manifestations of this disorder and provide proofof- concept for our strategy. By demonstrating the efficacy of this treatment in animal models, we hope to support its development for a multitude of brain disorders.

Efficacy of prescribed fire for shrub control in Saskatchewan cattle pastures

Woody plant encroachment is a significant problem for many Western Canadian ranchers. Prescribed fire is often promoted as a tool to manage woody plants, but has not been extensively tested in western Canada. This project will test and monitor the efficacy of prescribed fire on a working cattle ranch. A PDF will plan a prescribed fire to be implemented with the assistance of the partner organization, Meewasin Valley Authority (Canadian Prairies Prescribed Fire Exchange), and will monitor woody plant survival post-fire.

Investigation of a prototype smart musical instrument case sensor

This research internship will investigate how a self-powered sensor can be built that continuously measures the temperature, humidity and acceleration (i.e. shocks or bumps) that a musical instrument case is subjected to. The case sensor will be able to automatically connect wirelessly to smart phones (using a custom designed smart phone application) to provide a complete history of these sensed conditions in a previous time period (e.g. during the past 24 hours). Timbre Cases is developing high end musical instrument cases for musicians. There is an opportunity to add significant “smart case” instrumentation to the cases that differentiate Timbre Cases from their competitors. This research project will provide a prototype smart sensor platform that can be refined for production. The research will also define a software and hardware architecture that can communicate wirelessly with a wide variety of modern smart phones. This will make it easy for musicians and other music professionals to quickly tell how well their instruments have been cared for when they are travelling.

Québec International: Recommandations textuelles de partenaires et subventions

L’équipe ERAC (Espace Régional d’Accélération, de Croissance et d’innovation) de la capitale nationale est dédiée à l’accompagnement des entreprises dans leurs projets d’innovation. Pour ce faire, elle utilise une gamme d’outils spécifiques à chaque étape de son plan d’intervention, qui se compose de cinq étapes clés. Cependant, la gestion et le remplissage des formulaires liés à ces étapes sont souvent laborieux et peuvent manquer d’efficacité. De plus, l’assignation des experts, la recommandation des programmes de financement et la répartition interne des ressources sont des processus qui pourraient bénéficier d’une automatisation et d’une optimisation.

Le stagiaire prendra en charge le développement d’un système intelligent pour améliorer l’efficacité des processus internes de l’équipe ERAC de Québec International. Plus spécifiquement, les objectifs seront les suivants :
?Développement d’un système de recommandation capable de déterminer l’expert le plus approprié pour chaque projet.
?Mise en place d’un outil pour identifier les programmes de financement adaptés.
?Référencement des projets aux membres appropriés au sein de Québec International selon les besoins spécifiques de l’entreprise et de son projet d’innovation.

Pour cela l’étudiant pourra s’appuyer sur l’ensemble des projets réalisés par les conseillers ERAC des dernières années.

Instrumentation et évaluation quantitative de l’impact dynamique de la glace sur les piliers d’évacuateur de crues

Ce projet de recherche, en collaboration avec Hydro-Québec, vise à mesurer l’impact dynamique de la glace sur les piliers des évacuateurs de crues et à vérifier les forces calculées selon diverses normes et guides. L’aménagement hydroélectrique de Rivière-des-Prairies a été choisi en raison de ses fréquents déversements en hiver et au printemps, qui exposent les piliers à des impacts de glace. Pour ce faire, nous équiperons les piliers de capteurs et de caméras pour mesurer et observer les impacts réels. Ce projet, mené à Montréal, aidera à améliorer l’évaluation des barrages existants et sera essentiel pour les projets de réhabilitation et de conception de nouveaux évacuateurs. Les résultats permettront des conceptions plus précises et économiques, ce qui bénéficiera grandement aux ingénieurs du Québec et du Canada.

Marketing Innovation Project

Marketing Innovation Project at TradesLink
Welcome to TradesLink, an innovative and dynamic startup dedicated to revolutionizing the trades industry. We are seeking a project student to develop and manage an Innovative Marketing Project and be a vital part of our exciting journey. As a startup, we offer a unique opportunity for you to make a significant impact while gaining valuable experience in a rapidly changing environment leveraging innovative toolsets.
Company Background: The Edmonton Construction Association (ECA) is a non-profit organization in Edmonton with 12 employees serving the Edmonton-area construction industry. The ECA owns the rights to TradesLink, a professional social media app for tradespeople and their employers.
Job Description: We are seeking a project student to develop and manage an Innovative Marketing Project for a 4 month term starting January 6, 2025. As a start-up company, you will join a dynamic and young enterprise where you will have direct input into establishing routines and organizing processes. The successful applicant must be willing to work in a fast changing environment. You will work alongside our TradesLink staff to leverage innovative toolsets to complete the following:
• Develop a Marketing Innovation Strategy Project: Build and manage an Innovative Marketing Strategy for TradesLink to grow the user base for tradespeople as well as employers of tradespeople.
• Manage and Deploy the Marketing Innovation Project: Activate the components of the project.
• Innovative Content Creation: leveraging AI tools, generate engaging and relevant content for the TradesLink user base, including social media posts, notifications and educational content.
• Digital Marketing Campaign: working with our digital marketing agency, generate appropriate content for user journey notifications.
• Social Media Management: Assist in managing our social media profiles, including content scheduling and engagement with followers including Q&A responses.
• Abuse Monitoring: working with our developer, build automation tools to monitor the site for abusive language and notify

Stage UdeM x UnPointCinq

Dans le cadre de son stage à Unpointcinq, média de l’action climatique au Québec, Emmalie va contribuer à la production de vidéos de terrain et de contenus journalistiques pertinents, assurer une veille médiatique, proposer des idées de sujets qui répondent aux objectifs du projet de stage, se charger de la production de reportages vidéo dans son entièreté (recherche, terrain, tournage, montage, etc) et participer aux rencontres d’équipe d’Unpointcinq et, selon son intérêt, s’impliquer dans d’autres projets développés par la rédaction.
Parmi ses objectifs de stage, Emmalie développera et testera de nouveaux types de contenus vidéos, en particulier des vidéos “tutos” pratiques qui, tout en abordant des thématiques liées à l’enjeu climatique, présenteront des solutions concrètes, faciles à mettre en œuvre et qui sont dans l’air du temps/tendances. Emmalie travaillera également à construire une pratique journalistique à son image, fruit de son parcours préablable en danse (création et interprétation de projets variés) et de sa formation récente dans le domaine du journalisme.