Innovative Projects Realized

Sex differences in neural activity of chronic unpredictable stress-induced negative cognitive bias

Major depressive disorder (MDD) affects 20% of the population, with females twice as likely to develop it. Cognitive symptoms like negative cognitive bias (NCB) are resistant to treatment and understudied. Pilot data suggest sex differences in hippocampal activation and functional connectivity between brain regions in NCB. This is significant, as altered brain connectivity affects therapeutic outcomes, and common antidepressants are ineffective for 30% of people and often do not reverse NCB. The project aims to examine sex differences in functional connectivity and neuronal activation in the limbic system and whether hippocampal glutamate projections regulate NCB. It is hypothesized that NCB-related neurons are more likely GABAergic/serotonergic in females, and inhibiting glutamatergic neurons in the hippocampus will reduce NCB differently by sex.
The project will contribute significantly to the field of mental health. Moreover, it fosters international cooperation, serving as a bridge between Dr. Liisa Galea (Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, University of Toronto) and Dr. Nicole Gervais (University of Groningen, the Netherlands), who share scientific interests but have not previously collaborated. This partnership broadens research platforms, promoting global knowledge exchange and accelerating scientific progress.

Functional genomics of abiotic stress tolerance in the brown algalmodel Ectocarpus siliculosus using an Arabidopsis toolbox

A Ph.D. student will be trained in an interdisciplinary area of algal functional genomics and molecular plant physiology. Combining these two areas in this project will solve two major issues. (1) Currently, there is a limitation in the study of brown algal functional genomics; brown algae, including Ectocarpus, are not yet amenable for genetic transformation, and other genetic tools like RNA interference system are still in their infancy for these organisms. We therefore propose to use the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana (that is easily amenable for genetic transformation) to study the function of Ectocarpus genes by systematically introducing the genes into the Arabidopsis genome. (2) There are limitations on methods of inducing abiotic stress tolerance in plants. Introducing putative stress response genes of Ectocarpus in Arabidopsis might lead to discovery and use of novel genes that could potentiate salinity and drought stress tolerance in crop plants.

L2M – Accelerated Data-Driven Approach to Characterize Mechanical Properties of Marine Materials

Ocean industries, such as shipbuilding and offshore energy, face challenges in selecting materials that can endure corrosive environments, high pressures, and mechanical stresses. While materials like composites and aluminum offer promise, their adoption is slowed by their inherently complex and nonlinear mechanical behavior, which is sensitive to environmental conditions, as well as by the time-consuming, costly testing methods required to understand them. This project provides an innovative solution using data-driven algorithms and high-throughput characterization techniques to accelerate predictions of the mechanical performance of marine materials. The project proposes two solutions: first, leveraging historical data and open-source databases to develop machine learning algorithms for accelerated predictions in new scenarios without the need for further experiments, particularly when time is critical. Second, it integrates a real-time, non-destructive, high-throughput material characterization technique with the manufacturing stage to generate reliable data for ML model training. This approach enables accurate, accelerated property predictions under consistent conditions, significantly reducing the need for experimentation and providing environmental benefits. By speeding up material testing and lowering costs, this project aligns with the internship’s goal of promoting innovative, sustainable approaches in marine industries.

Acceptabilité et efficacité des programmes d’électrostimulation neuromusculaire chez les personnes âgées

Le projet s’inscrit dans le cadre d’un projet Franco-Québécois soutenu par les Fonds France Canada pour la Recherche de l’ambassade de France au Canada. Ce projet de recherche vise à explorer des solutions innovantes pour la gestion de la sarcopénie (déclin musculaire) chez les personnes âgées. L’objectif principal est de tester, pour la première fois, l’acceptabilité et l’efficacité de programmes d’entraînement par électrostimulation neuromusculaire (EMS) chez des aînés sarcopéniques, en combinant les forces et expertises des deux équipes de recherche. Les sous-objectifs incluent l’évaluation de l’impact de l’EMS sur le muscle et la mobilité des participants. Plus spécifiquement, il s’agit de mesurer les changements dans la masse musculaire, la force, la qualité, la puissance et les architectures musculaires avant et après l’intervention. La mobilité sera évaluée à travers des tests standardisés tels que le test de marche de 6 minutes, le test assis-debout de 30 secondes, le SPPB (Short Physical Performance Battery), ainsi que des mesures de l’équilibre sur plateforme de force et de la vitesse de marche. Par ailleurs, l’acceptabilité de l’EMS sera évaluée en recueillant des données qualitatives et quantitatives sur l’expérience des participants, en se concentrant sur l’adhésion, la tolérance et les retours subjectifs.

Tendances du marché et les nouvelles technologies dans le secteur hardtech

Le projet de recherche consiste à explorer et à développer de nouvelles méthodes pour accompagner les startups spécialisées dans les technologies matérielles, appelées “hardtech”, telles que l’Internet des objets (IoT) ou les technologies énergétiques. Contrairement aux startups axées sur le développement de logiciels, les entreprises hardtech font face à des défis uniques, notamment en matière de fabrication et de prototypage, qui nécessitent des ressources importantes et des approches spécifiques. Le stagiaire se penchera sur les meilleures pratiques d’accompagnement de ces entreprises, en étudiant comment intégrer des outils modernes, comme l’intelligence artificielle ou l’impression 3D, pour accélérer leur développement. Ils examineront également comment adapter des méthodes éprouvées dans d’autres secteurs, comme le “Lean Startup”, aux besoins particuliers des startups matérielles.

L’organisation partenaire bénéficiera directement de ces recherches en obtenant des solutions concrètes pour améliorer l’accompagnement des startups hardtech. Ces nouvelles stratégies permettront d’accélérer le développement de produits innovants, de réduire les coûts et d’optimiser le processus d’adaptation aux besoins du marché. En résumé, le projet vise à donner à l’organisation les outils nécessaires pour soutenir efficacement des startups matérielles dans un environnement économique en pleine transformation.

Framework for advancing mini forests in Canada

Despite the proliferation of mini forests across Canada, and the financial commitment to increase canopy cover in urban areas, there is very little systematic research conducted on the range of benefits and the effectiveness of mini forests. For the MITACS Accelerate we envision involving an undergraduate student as a project intern to support the development and communication of a framework to advance mini forests in Canada. The specific objectives of this role are: (1) to analyze survey and interview data collected from established mini forests and generate graphs that synthesize the findings, (2) to write a report in collaboration with the project team to communicate the analysis and findings, (3) to lead on the formatting and final layout of the report, and (4) to support the development of dissemination activities to communicate the key messages of our research. We envision the Mini Forest Framework Report to provide insights into best practices, resources and case studies as well as key policy levers to enable mini forest adoption within existing urban forestry policies and canopy targets in Canada. This will be a very useful framework for both municipalities and community organizations to advance urban greening efforts.

Use of fibre to improve outcomes in health-challenged piglets fed high indigestible protein

Major dietary components have been shown to affect gut health and performance of pigs, including fibre and protein. While protein has been implicated in the development of pathogen-associated post-weaning diarrhea, low dietary protein diets are inconsistent in mitigating the negative effects of protein content. The indigestible protein fraction may be more relevant. Dietary fibre has been shown to reduce the negative effects of protein through provision of an alternative substrate for microbial fermentation. A study will be performed in which the effect of dietary fibre will be examined in pigs fed a diet with high indigestible protein content and challenged with Salmonella. The results will have implications for diet formulation to improve the health and performance of newly-weaned pigs.

Use of encapsulated tryptophan to improve outcomes in health-challenged piglets

Previous research has demonstrated that provision of key functional amino acids (methionine, threonine, and tryptophan) have positive benefits on health and performance of pigs. Additional benefits may be achieved by targeted delivery of some amino acids, namely tryptophan, to specific sections of the gut. For example, encapsulation of amino acids prevents their absorption in the small intestine, allowing for delivery to the large intestine in order to have a direct effect on colonic health. Metabolites of microbial metabolism of tryptophan (i.e., indoles) have been shown to have beneficial effects on gut function. A study will be performed to determine the effect of supplementation of encapsulation of tryptophan to newly-weaned pigs under disease challenge with Salmonella. The results of this study will have implications for the formulation of diets to improve the health of newly-weaned pigs.

Machine Learning developer intern working within cross-functional teams to develop and commercialize AI-powered solutions in the Public Services Healthcare sector (2)

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Sharing a quantum machine

Quantum processing units are expected to accelerate some tasks within a high-performance computing (HPC) environment along with CPUs, GPUs and other specialized accelerators. Currently, quantum computers are used by a single user at a time, and this user has access to all the qubits of the machine. Sharing the machine between applications that only use some of the qubits would optimize how the machine is used. However, as the number of qubits available on machines grows, most applications only need a few of them. In this project, we will design approaches to share the machine between users that would run multiple applications on the machine simultaneously with and without mid-circuit measurement. The expected outcome will be a job scheduler implementing state-of-the-art scheduling algorithm that will schedule programs, potentially in asynchronous mode.

A causal framework for the interaction between antenatal corticosteroids and gestational age

Antenatal corticosteroids are life-saving drugs administered to pregnant people at risk of imminent preterm birth. As the usage of these drugs continues to expand, select studies have raised concerns about potential longer-term consequences among infants born many weeks after treatment. Yet, because the exact timing of birth is unpredictable when treatment is administered, the causal interpretation of such studies remains uncertain. We will propose a causal framework for the design and interpretation of such studies, to guide researchers investigating the potential longer-term harms of antenatal corticosteroids and clinicians weighing the potential benefits and harms.

The Rise of Fishes: A Comprehensive Analysis of Fossil Evidence for the Origin and Early Evolution of Vertebrates

The origin and early evolution of vertebrates — fishes and their descendants — represents a poorly understood phase in the deep-time ancestry of the human lineage. A series of transitions occurred between 500 and 400 million years ago from a worm-like ancestor to a bony predatory
fish with a jaw. Using Europe’s largest fossil collections at Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, I plan to reveal these elusive transitions. First, I will test two hypotheses: a) vertebrae (backbones) were acquired and then lost in primitive fishes; and b) a jaw joint evolved from a blood sinus. Then I will test alternatives to the current vertebrate classification: the presence of previously unknown radiation of poorly skeletonized fishes and the hypothetical interpretation of jawed vertebrates as highly modified members of spatula-like looking armored fishes (osteostracans). This project will provide key insights to answer why the fossil record of vertebrates contradict a simple and direct progression from primitive to advanced.