Innovative Projects Realized

LLMs for Research

Large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT have proven to be extremely effective at generating useful responses to a wide variety of user’s questions. However, they often struggle to generate meaningful and accurate responses to questions that are highly specialized, context-dependent, and requiring long-term attention. The goal of this project is to apply LLMs to accelerate technical research and development, particularly in the field of quantum computing, to enhance research productivity and address the limitations of current state-of-the-art models. It will leverage techniques shown to be useful in the academic literature, but applied in the novel setting of highly technical and detailed texts where models frequently struggle, namely quantum computing research. Successful delivery will yield a useful service for researchers at Zapata, as well as a comprehensive application Zapata can demo with prospective clients who are looking to use LLMs for accelerating their R&D cycle.

Modifying a lead compound to optimize prevention of adhesion formation

If you have an operation in your abdominal cavity (eg., C-section, hernia repair, appendectomy, gall bladder removal and many more procedures) your chances of having to go back to hospital and be re-operated due to intestinal occlusion, pain etc is 4%. Because these operations make up 5 of the 10 most common surgeries, this 4% adds up to hundreds of thousands of patients that need to be re-operated. The reason why is because they have had adhesions form (large rope like structures of cartilage) that cause many complications. There is no good way of preventing these adhesions from forming. Moreover, in some women if this happens it cause unnoticed and yet there is a good chance they will develop infertility. This is devastating and there is no way to predict who will develop adhesions and there is no treatment available. The Kubes lab can use a special microscope and look into the abdominal cavity and see adhesions form and uncovered how this happens. They formed a company and found a drug that can prevent this from happening and are now testing numerous related drugs to find the best one.

Social Enterprise Internships

The Business Startup Intern will immerse themselves in a meaningful experiential learning opportunity, while contributing positively to the work of Ignite’s Business Growth department. The student will be conducting research on competing organizations and learn about their programs and offerings to entrepreneurs to compile a report and make suggestions for Ignite’s programming and services. Student will also utilize this research to share with students in the Social Entrepreneurship Program at STU as well as with students who compete in Enactus Canada regional and national competitions.

Situations of Difference in Political Argument

In this project, we use the analytical tools of philosophy and argumentation theory to address an increasing and troubling phenomenon: political differences. Thus, we start from a rhetorical model of argumentation proposed by the Canadian philosopher C. Tindale at the University of Windsor, to illuminate recent case studies. The project is divided into two components. The theoretical component aims to clarify the meaning of some notions that have been used to describe a difference between parties in a discussion: disagreement, conflict, critical discussion, dispute, dissensus, controversy, polemic, and misunderstanding. In turn, the analytical component aims to perform argumentative analyses of Latin American political discourses motivated by situations of difference. The expected outcome relates to conceptual clarification but also to concrete analyses of cases whose lessons would be valuable in improving how we teach citizens to deal with the differences that separate them from each other.

The Community Mobile Media Lab

This application to MITACS supports the creation of an innovative mobile research lab. The Community Mobile Media Lab (CMML) is a purpose-designed mobile media production hub, which will house film production equipment that can be situated temporarily in communities we are collaborating with to explore innovative models of co-creation, training and mentorship. This infrastructure will allow us to engage with Nova Scotians to document the oral histories of community elders, and with whom we have initiated programs that empower youth by teaching them filmmaking skills. Through these unique education and production models, the CMML will facilitate acts of reconciliation by facilitating creative opportunities for communication among community members.

DSSK Conditional Generation

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

Development and calibration of an acoustic telemetry transmitter for identifying predation events

Acoustic telemetry is a rapidly expanding technology to quantify the movement and behavior of aquatic animals; key for developing effective management for aquatic ecosystems. Acoustic telemetry uses transmitters affixed to aquatic animals that are detected by receivers placed in aquatic ecosystems. An important problem that limits telemetry is the assumption that the detected transmitter represents the originally tagged animal and not a predator that has eaten the tagged animal (i.e. tag is in the predator’s stomach). Vemco, a company focused on telemetry technologies, has developed a predation tag that identifies when another animal consumes the originally tagged animal. The intern will study the performance of these tags for a range of fish sizes and temperatures through controlled laboratory studies. Further, the intern will examine avenues to refine and optimize these tags. The results of this research will be presented, published and will allow Vemco to demonstrate the utility of predation tags for the wide range of acoustic telemetry applications, ultimately increasing market share in this expanding technology field.

Mental health, substance use and treatment seeking in Canada and Australia: a cross-national comparison

Mental health and substance use disorders are the leading cause of disease burden in Australia and Canada, both alone and in co-occurrence. In recent years, the Australian federal government has actively promoted expanding both the quality and quantity of mental health services, including innovation in areas like early intervention in psychosis and digital technologies. In turn, Canada has made more limited progress, with the country facing an ongoing opioid crisis since 2016 and there yet to be a paradigm shift towards an integrated treatment approach for mental and substance use disorders. Cross-national comparisons of disorder prevalence and care are important to understand their similarities and differences, future trends, and develop meaningful ways to improve mental health systems and services with the specific contexts of each country. The aim of this project is to compare recent epidemiological data from the Australian National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing and the Canadian Mental Health and Access to Care Survey (MHACS). This project will fill in gaps in mental health care using international perspectives from the participating institutions and identify lessons to be learned that can be applied in Canada and elsewhere, with a focus on the potential for e-mental health.

Mobilizing the health benefits of being in nature through community-based participatory research and youth engagement

Spending time in natural environments and nature-based programming is associated with significant health benefits. These outcomes are particularly important for young people, whose mental health and wellbeing continues to be a priority for healthcare. Recent studies show gaps exist in access to, and provision of, these nature-based opportunities. There is a need for further research that includes NS youth perspectives and identifies their experiences, needs, barriers, and enablers for sustained participation, including for youth from diverse backgrounds and equity-deserving groups. This study will examine youth perspectives to gain a deeper understanding of their experiences of nature and nature-based programming, and gaps that exist in access and provision. Each intern will collaborate with a project partner to conduct a photovoice project to visually document, share their experiences, and advocate for change. The findings will inform planning and policy considerations for recreation, parks, and green space use to support youth wellbeing and the goal of helping people to connect to nature.

Developing a Framework for Sustainable and Decarbonized Mid-Rise Building

Mid-rise buildings offer a sustainable and cost-effective solution for increasing urban density without putting too much strain on city infrastructure. In Canadian cities with booming populations like Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver, mid-rise buildings are particularly beneficial.

However, creating mid-rise buildings that are both decarbonized and sustainable is a complex challenge. It involves overcoming hurdles in technology, regulatory standards, and design principles. To tackle these issues, focused research is essential, especially in areas like solar energy advancements, integration of mechanical systems, and the creation of holistic frameworks that consider a building’s entire lifecycle.

This project is dedicated to uncovering new strategies for sustainable, low-carbon mid-rise buildings through a comprehensive research approach. This includes evaluating current and emerging sustainability practices for their practicality in the market and analyzing green methods for building structures, systems, and mechanical setups. The ultimate goal of this research is to create a decision-making tool that helps prioritize sustainable strategies, ensuring they meet both environmental goals and market demands.

Analysis of Injuries Resulting from Use of Non-traditional Vehicles

Non-traditional vehicles (NTVs) have become popular in recent years, but the expanding use of these vehicles has led to increasing trends of injuries and admissions to hospitals. Despite growing concern regarding the safety of use of NTVs, the impact of their use is not clear due to the limited number of studies that have been conducted. By examining relevant emergency department visits and hospitalizations to St. Michael’s Hospital, one of two Level 1 adult trauma centers in Greater Toronto, this research project will provide valuable data for injury
prevention efforts associated with NTVs in urban settings. This project will also analyze additional databases to ensure greater inclusivity, by including patients who sustained injuries due to NTVs but may not present at St. Michael’s Hospital. These findings will inform recommendations made to patients regarding NTV use and help reduce emergency department visits involving NTVs.

Alternator-based Energy Regeneration Utilizing a Wheel-Roller Mechanism

Friction control plays a major role in reducing wear, noise and vibration, and managing wheel/rail interaction on rail transit systems. Recognized as a global leader in rail industry, L.B. Foster has developed innovative lubrication technology for friction management at specific sections of a railroad track. The mobile dispensing system used for friction management requires an external power source to provide power to the unit. It would be ideal if the system can include a separate power generation unit that can obtain its power from a reliable source on the railcar. One such source is the kinetic energy of the train wheel, which can be captured through an appropriate energy conversion mechanism. The objective of the proposed collaborative effort is to develop an alternator-based generation unit for the mobile dispensing system to be mounted on a railcar. In the proposed R&D activity, the SFU-LB Foster collaboration will concentrate on development of power control circuitry and its testing on a proof-of-concept testbed at LB Foster facility in Burnaby, BC