Innovative Projects Realized

Continuum Health Ventures — Intern Funding Application

The primary aim of this project is to engage with the Canadian startup ecosystem by using advanced technologies to streamline the process of connecting startups with essential funding and resources for global expansion. The project focuses on developing AI tools to efficiently evaluate and filter startups for Continuum Health Ventures (CHV), reducing the time and resources investors spend in the early stages of investing. By applying AI in investment decision-making, the project aims to facilitate faster and more effective matchmaking between startups and venture capitalists.

As an intern, I will gain hands-on experience in AI, investment analysis, and the startup ecosystem. My tasks will include designing and testing AI models, developing a user-friendly interface for investors, and contributing to a system that enhances economic growth in Canada. This project offers me the opportunity to apply my academic knowledge in real-world scenarios, develop problem-solving skills, and expand my professional network, providing a unique skill set combining technology, finance, and entrepreneurship.

This project has significant potential to contribute to the Canadian economy by improving the efficiency of connecting startups with necessary resources. Streamlining the investment process allows more startups to receive the funding they need to scale globally, leading to increased innovation, job creation, and economic growth. The focus on healthcare and technology aligns with Canada’s economic goals, potentially attracting more international investments and improving the quality of goods and services available to Canadian citizens.

Data science to deliver more results with greater speed and accuracy

Happly is currently addressing a pressing issue regarding the optimization of its backend operations to enhance support for startups and entrepreneurs. The overarching goal of this project is to bolster Happly’s capabilities through data science and AI, thereby enabling startups to receive customized recommendations and refined funding strategies. The intern will play a pivotal role in assisting Happly with these priorities.

Conditions d’implantation spatiale et sociale d’ilots apaisés dans l’arrondissement Rosemont-La Petite Patrie

Cette recherche propose de définir les meilleurs principes d’aménagement et de régulation de la circulation notamment automobile dans des quartiers de l’arrondissement Rosemont-La Petite-Patrie à Montréal (ARPP). Elle propose une aide à la décision pour les élus et les professionnels en charge de l’urbanisme. AInsi elle est dédiée aux principes des ”ilot apaisés ” qui renvoient à une approche d’aménagement urbain visant l’apaisement de la circulation dans un secteur donné composé de plusieurs ilots résidentiels adjacents. L’objectif est de modifier la circulation automobile dans le secteur en limitant ainsi le trafic de transit dans les rues à vocation de dessert résidentielle et internes au secteur. Les objectifs visent une amélioration de la sécurité et de la qualité de vie du secteur. La recherche vise à établir les conditions d’une telle intervention afin de rendre possible son expérimentation sur deux secteurs précis de l’arrondissement.

Mise en place d’un plan de communication et d’un plan d’affaires pour le Réseau des Grandes Cultures du Québec.

Le RGCQ couvre les céréales et le soya qui cadrent bien avec le principe d’autonomie alimentaire des régions du MAPAQ. Il a également testé dans le passé des cultures plus marginales comme le haricot sec, le canola et le pois sec et pourrait très bien reprendre ces essais s’il y a un besoin (des « breeders » ou parrains). Dépendamment des résultats de la planification stratégique, d’autres cultures comme par exemple les plantes fourragères pourraient être incluses.
L’accompagnement proposé par le stage de stratégie d’entreprise est plus que bienvenue pour cette OBNL qui doit assurer son développement et sa pérennité pour le bien de l’agriculture québécoise et par conséquent pour celui de la société en général. Les grains et céréales sont à la source de toute une agriculture et donc d’un secteur d’activité économique d’importance pour le Québec?! En plus, leur culture et leur consommation (vente) contribuent grandement à la santé de l’économie québécoise et son autonomie alimentaire, tant régionale que provinciale et nationale. Les notions développées dans le cadre de ce projet seront mises de l’avant de différentes façons pour appuyer au mieux le milieu vers des performances accrues. Le tout permettra de pérenniser le positionnement du RGCQ dans le secteur et ainsi favoriser l’innovation ainsi que la croissance du secteur des grandes cultures au Québec.

L2M – A diagnostic innovative handheld probe for the intraoperative assessment of bone cancer to avoid cancer relapse

Our proposed project involves developing the Osteoprobe, a cutting-edge tool designed to help surgeons accurately identify and remove bone cancer during surgery. By using advanced technology, including spectroscopy and artificial intelligence, the Osteoprobe provides real-time information, ensuring that only cancerous tissue is removed and healthy tissue is preserved. This innovation is expected to significantly improve surgical outcomes, reduce the risk of cancer recurrence, and shorten surgery times. In this project we will conduct in depth validation by speaking to experts to assess the product market fit and the significance of the problem as well as estimating the commercialization potential. The partner organization will benefit from enhanced patient care, reduced healthcare costs, and positioning as a leader in adopting advanced medical technologies.

VitalTracer platform Fit Assessment for Pediatric Oncology Patient Monitoring

The proposed project aims to assess the market fit for VitalTracer’s VT-Patch, a wearable device for monitoring vital signs in pediatric oncology patients. By interviewing healthcare professionals across Canada, the US, and the Middle East, we will gather insights on patient care practices, essential vital signs to monitor, and cybersecurity needs. This information will help refine the VT-Patch, VT-app, and VT-portal to better meet the needs of hospitals, improve patient care, and ensure data security, ultimately benefiting VitalTracer by enhancing its products’ effectiveness and market readiness.

Mobilité des femmes migrantes à Montréal

Cette recherche a pour objectif de dresser un portrait de l’utilisation des transports publics par les femmes immigrantes nouvellement arrivées à Montréal. Nous avons choisi de nous concentrer sur les femmes d’origine maghrébine et latino-américaine, en raison de la croissance démographique significative de cette population au cours des 3 dernières années et aussi pour le manque des données existantes sur cette population. Nous chercherons à comprendre quelle est leur utilisation quotidienne de ces transports (motifs, destination, organisation etc.). L’analyse porte aussi leurs déplacements dans leur pays d’origine et l’influence de ses expériences antérieures sur leur perception de la sécurité et de la qualité du service offert depuis leur arrivée dans cette ville. La recherche menée est qualitative et mobiliser divers méthodes de collecte de données.
La pertinence de cette recherche se justifie au regard du faibles nombre d’études déjà réalisées sur le sujet. Par ailleurs, les résultats peuvent orienter les réflexions de Trajectoires Québec et ses actions pour orienter de futures politiques dans les transports en commun en contribuant à nourrir de manière significative le débat sur la promotion d’un accès à des services de transport collectif abordables, de qualité et sécuritaires partout sur le territoire.

Valoriser les contributions historiques de la population afro-sherbrookoise et lutter contre le racisme et les discriminations à Sherbrooke

La recherche proposée a pour objectif de documenter les contributions historiques de la population afro-sherbrookoise et de participer, ainsi, à la lutte contre le racisme et les discriminations à Sherbrooke. La recherche vise à sensibiliser la population sherbrookoise à l’importance des apports de la communauté afro-descendante de la ville et de la région afin de mettre fin aux processus qui ont invisibilisé les membres de cette communauté dans l’histoire et la mémoire de la ville régionale. La méthode proposée consiste à retourner aux archives (du Musée d’histoire de Sherbrooke) et à lire ces dernières (recensements et journaux surtout) au prisme des personnes afro-descendantes ayant vécu et travaillé dans la région de Sherbrooke, 6e ville en importance au Québec.

Le vieillissement affecte les fonctions cognitives via des altérations neurovasculaires favorisant une réduction de la neurogenèse

Over the next 20 years, Canada’s senior population is expected to grow by 68% with a current estimate >6 million. In France, senior citizens currently represent 20% of the population (~15 million) with, like Canada, an anticipated growth of 67% by 2040. Age is the main cause of cognitive impairment which can have profound impact on an individual’s health, well-being, and quality of life. Normal, non-pathological aging –also called normative aging- is generally accompanied by a progressive cognitive decline particularly in hippocampal-dependent memory function. Intriguingly, age-related alterations are variable within a population. Hippocampal neurogenesis, defined as the formation of new neurons, has been associated with memory performances in rodents and humans and blood-brain barrier breakdown was recently identified as an early marker of cognitive impairment. Indeed, neurovascular adaptations modulate cognition, mood, and stress responses. During brain development, neurogenesis, and angiogenesis – growth of blood vessels – work in tandem, however, it is still unknown if these processes interact in the aging brain to favor maintenance of memory capacities vs cognitive decline. Identification of signaling pathways involved in healthy cognitive aging could lead to the development of innovative therapies targeting conditions characterized by memory impairment (neurodegenerative diseases, mood disorders, etc.).

Stem-cell-derived photoreceptor & RPE generation for retinal microfluidics

Worldwide, untreatable retinal degeneration & damage results in a staggering amount of suffering for >85 million blind patients across all age groups. In Canada, severe vision loss incurs the highest direct healthcare costs of any disease group (including: heart disease, diabetes, and cancer) – averaging $33,000/patient/year. While globally, age-related macular degeneration alone has an economic cost (loss) of >CAD$500 billion/year. The many monogenic (>200 types), and diabetic, forms of untreatable retinal degeneration, as well as retinal trauma and infections, more than double this societal cost each year. In this study, we are optimizing stem-cell-derived retinal graft production and transplant parameters for treating common forms of blindness.

Facile Production of Hafnium Dioxide@Heme Nanocomposites for CT Imaging and Synergistic Radiosensitization

Improving the quality of X-ray imaging and radiation therapy is crucial to the efficacy of cancer treatments. Recently, hafnium dioxide nanoparticles (HfO2 NPs) have been approved in the European Union as a radiosensitizer and are currently in clinical trials in the United States. This is based on hafnium’s ability to amplify local radiation doses by converting X-rays into high energy electrons; however, this only represents one strategy to sensitize cancer to radiation therapy. This project will evaluate hemoglobin-coated HfO2 NPs (HfO2@Heme) for their ability to act as superior agents for image-guided radiation therapy. This is based on the oxygen-delivery and radical generation capabilities of hemoglobin, which can independently enhance the damage caused by radiation. A novel synthesis route using a domestic microwave and oven will also be evaluated to reduce overall production costs. The efficacy of radiosensitization will be compared to an established radiotherapy drug (cisplatin) and conventional HfO2 NPs using a radiation-resistant prostate-cancer cell line. Nanomaterial toxicity and biocompatibility will be evaluated using a non-cancerous cell line. Imaging efficacy will be evaluated by comparing X-ray absorbance (contrast) to equivalent concentrations of commercial contrast materials. Overall, we predict the development of the HfO2@Heme nanocomposites to represent a low-cost and effective approach to enhance cancer treatments. This project will establish foundational data for the development of further clinical trials that may significantly enhance patient outcomes. Consequently, the technology developed in this research will also be beneficial to Canada’s medical industry and regulators.

Biobehavioural markers of skill development and their applications to occupational training

A key aspect of human behaviour is the ability to flexibly interact with our dynamic environment. From a baby learning to walk, to a pilot flying a plane, humans rely on their ability to acquire relevant information from the environment, integrate that information into their planning and decision making, and generate the necessary actions successfully. Previous work has studied these processes separately under controlled laboratory paradigms. However, the development of high-quality, wearable sensor technology allows for the collective tracking of such processes out in the real world. The aim of the current research is to use portable sensors that assess eye movements and limb motion in a fully immersive flight simulator environment to establish objective biological and behavioural indicators of cognitive load (i.e., high mental workload) and level of expertise that are valid in real-world contexts. Based on previous work that has characterized cognitive load and expertise via eye movements, we propose to develop and integrate a method of tracking specific eye movement events in real time during a typical aviation search task. A follow-up study in which we gather and analyze eye movement and motion tracking data alongside subjective measures of mental workload will be conducted to validate the developed methods in a real-world environment. The overall benefits include the development of objective, real-time indicators of cognitive load and expertise, which will lead to greater adoption of training platforms that offer objective insights into trainee skill assessment and monitoring of training outcomes using eye movement and motion capture sensors.