Innovative Projects Realized

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.

Using genotyping by sequencing to detect introgressed regions of genomic DNA in two Fundulus species

Species are delimited by barriers to reproduction, which can be caused by genetic incompatibilities that arise when isolated populations become two distinct species. Nevertheless, hybridization can occur when species are genetically similar enough to have few barriers to reproduction. If the hybrid offspring is viable and fertile, it can mate with either of the parental species, resulting in introgression (i.e., the incorporation of genetic material from one parental species into the other). Previous work has reported that two species of killifish, the mummichog and the banded killifish, are able to hybridize in brackish waters and produce viable, fertile offspring. We have recently documented, for the first time, mummichog mtDNA introgression in banded killifish populations in New Brunswick estuaries. This project aims to determine whether introgression is occurring by identifying which parts of the banded killifish genomes contain alleles usually found in the mummichog genome and vice versa using the genotyping by sequencing method. Once genotyping is done, we hope to determine, if present, whether the introgression is adaptative, neutral or harmful using population genetic methods. This will allow us to detect if the hybridization process allows one or both species to better adapt to a rapidly changing coastal environment.

System and algorithm development of ballistocardiograph-based remote monitoring system for heart failure patients

Remotely monitoring the heart is crucial for reducing the hospital readmission rate of heart failure (HF) patients. However, for aging populations with physical and cognitive limitations, existing monitoring techniques such as self-management or CardioMEMS remain demanding or invasive. There is a growing need for easy-to-use and non-invasive remote monitoring. Ballistocardiograph (BCG) measures the mechanical vibration arising from heart contractions during the cardiac cycle. Our sensors enable BCG collection through clothes and without skin contact. Our objective is to develop an automated algorithm to extract physiological parameters and indicate key symptoms of heart failure, such as congestion, from BCG. We also want to communicate the relevant monitoring findings to the stakeholders such as clinicians and caregivers. To do so requires the development of a communication protocol to deliver the information reliably and economically. The results of the proposed project will form core components of the final product of the partner organization and are important stepping stones to regulatory approval, market-entry, and business model development.

The Future of Work and Policy under Artificial General Intelligence

THIS IS A GENERIC TEXT PUT IN PLACE AS THERE WAS NO PROJECT OVERVIEW.

Conflict over noise in the city: the issue of motor vehicle noise in the city

The proposed research project focuses on investigating the growing problem of motor vehicle noise in urban environments, particularly how it affects residents’ physical and mental health, overall well-being, and willingness to live in densely populated areas. Through a combination of analysis methods involving interviews and fieldwork observations, the project will explore how residents experience and respond to noise from cars, motorcycles, and modified vehicles. It will also include the study of car and motorcycle enthusiasts’ behavior and their perception of the noise they generate, as well as the examination of existing motor vehicle noise regulations and policies in the Toronto Metropolitan Area. The project will provide a comprehensive understanding of the multifaceted issue of motor vehicle noise in the city and its multidimensional impacts. It also aims to improve the quality of life in urban centers by offering evidence-based recommendations to address noise problems. The research will contribute to academic discourse, as the findings may serve as a foundation for future research by providing a framework for studying noise pollution across various contexts. The generated knowledge is relevant to Ukraine, considering the persistent problems of noise-related issues associated with warfare, making this project highly valuable for both Canada and Ukraine.

Amélioration des services publics de la Ville de Trois-Rivières

Cinq projets permettant d’optimiser les services de la ville. Par exemple, le projet d’assistant virtuel permettra de décupler la réponse aux incidents TI par l’intégration de réponses automatisée lors des requêtes de premier niveau, favorisant aussi la satisfaction des utilisateurs interne de la Ville et en diminuant le temps de réponse. La direction des technologies de l’information de la ville de Trois-Rivières répond aux besoins des autres directions de la Ville, que ce soit des projets en lien avec la gestion du transport intelligent pour les travaux publics (déneigement, fluidité de la circulation, réseau cyclable, etc), de la sécurité publique (police et incendie), des activités administratives de taxation et d’évaluation foncière, d’aménagement du territoire et du développement durable pour ne nommer que quelques exemples. Les systèmes d’information et géospatiaux sont au coeur des activités d’une ville afin d’offrir des services de qualité aux citoyens, en ce contexte de
pénurie de main-d’oeuvre TI, plusieurs activités d’avant-projet ou de preuve de concept sont en attente dans l’organisation.