Innovative Projects Realized

Développement de méthodes de diagnostic et de pronostic de maladies neurodégénératives à l’aide de réseaux de neurones par graphe normatifs et explicatifs

Ce projet vise à utiliser l’intelligence artificielle (IA) pour mieux diagnostiquer et suivre l’évolution de la sclérose en plaques (SEP), une maladie du cerveau et de la moelle épinière qui touche plus de 90?000 Canadiens. En analysant des images du cerveau obtenues par IRM, les chercheurs veulent repérer plus précisément les signes de la maladie et prédire son évolution chez chaque patient.

Pour y arriver, le projet combine des données provenant de milliers de personnes, recueillies dans différents hôpitaux et pays. Un outil d’IA spécialisé, appelé réseau de neurones par graphe, sera développé pour analyser ces données complexes de manière claire et compréhensible pour les médecins. Le système pourra aussi expliquer pourquoi une décision a été prise, ce qui est essentiel pour qu’il soit utilisé en milieu clinique.

Developing a cumulative impact assessment for nutrients in the St. Lawrence River

In this proposed research project, we aim to address the question: How have nutrient levels in the St. Lawrence River (SLR) changed in response to historic anthropogenic activity? The project would aim to: 1) describe the changes in phosphorus and nitrogen concentrations over the past >70 years in the section of the SLR between Lake St. Francis and Lake St. Pierre, and 2) develop statistical models to quantify the impact of potential explanatory variables such as land use change, climate and water flow. The intern will conduct a systematic data search and review to identify and acquire all available data for the region. The intern will conduct advanced multivariate statistical analysis to address the key research questions described above. For example, the statistical output will be interpreted to understand spatial and temporal trends in the SLR, including what the key environmental factors are that drive nutrient levels. This research would facilitate new collaborations between Indigenous, academic and non-profit partner organizations to increase effectiveness of monitoring and restoration activities in the region. It would also provide key information for the Kahnawà:ke Environment Protection Office (KEPO) to protect their waters for recreational, subsistence, and cultural use.

Adaptive Adversarial Behavior for Enhanced Player Experience

Explore how adversarial bots can help players to progress in the mastery of the game through RL and player modeling.

Platform Governance and Gendered Misinformation

The Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI) is a leading think tank focused on developing policy solutions to address the governance challenges of emerging digital technologies. My proposed research directly supports CIGI’s core areas of digital governance, platform regulation, and misinformation policy by analyzing how extremist and gendered misinformation adapts within the affordances of digital platforms like Reddit and Gab. This project addresses key gaps in understanding how platform structure, moderation, and algorithmic ranking systems influence the persistence of harmful narratives, particularly around feminism and gender equity.
The project offers social and economic value by informing evidence-based policy recommendations to improve platform accountability and digital trust. Findings will support CIGI’s objective to enhance understanding of transformative technologies and their governance implications, both in Canada and internationally. By applying computational methods and feminist digital theory, this research will also help establish analytical standards for studying digital extremism, contributing to the Hub’s mission of preparing the next generation of digital policy leaders. Additionally, I will contribute to the Hub’s public engagement strategy through knowledge mobilization efforts, including briefings, op-eds, and events that translate research into actionable insights for policymakers and the public.

Glycopolymer based Silicon Quantum Dots – Functionalization and Biological evaluation

Silicon quantum dots (SiQDs) are semiconductor nanoparticles with sizes ranging from 1 to 10 nm that show great promise for photonics, microelectronics, and fluorescent bio-imaging considering their ability to fluoresce from blue to near infrared light. In comparison to conventional quantum dots (which can release toxic metals), Si quantum dots are expected to be safer and more stable for use in biomedical engineering applications.
This project aims at functionalization of SiQDs with glycopolymers and evaluate their toxicity in vitro. The study will assess several parameters such as concentration, compositions, sizes and surface charges of the glycofunctionalized nanoparticles and their impact on cellular update and viability. Different cell lines, a range of assays and techniques will be used to assess the internalization of the nanoparticles, their distribution within the cells and their cellular toxicity. The mechanism of uptake of the nanoparticles within cells will also be studied.

Scalability Development of Fc3TSR Preparation Using Shake Flasks and Bioreactors

This project will help improve the way a promising new cancer treatment protein, called Fc3TSR, is made in the lab. Fc3TSR has shown the ability to shrink tumors by changing how blood vessels grow in cancer, making treatments like chemotherapy more effective. However, making enough of this protein for further testing and future use is a big challenge. In this project, university researchers and industry partners will work together to find better ways to produce and purify Fc3TSR using specialized cells and bioreactors. The intern(s) will test different production conditions and help develop a method that can be scaled up safely and efficiently. This work will benefit the partner organization by speeding up the path to clinical trials and future commercialization, helping bring a new cancer therapy closer to patients.

AI Literacy via Social Agents

Our overarching goal of this project is to empower children with the knowledge, skills, and critical thinking abilities needed to navigate and thrive in an AI-driven world, while fostering an understanding of ethical, safe, and trustworthy AI practices.

Advancing Sustainable Rammed Earth Construction: A Novel Robotics-Assisted Approach

This project tackles the lack of automation in sustainable construction practices, focusing specifically on rammed earth — an ancient technique now hindered by labor intensity and poor ergonomic conditions. Earth House Holdings, a BC-based ecological building firm, aims to introduce automation without compromising the low-carbon ethos of traditional earth construction.
To address this, we propose developing a field-ready Automated Compaction System (ACS) that integrates programmable logic controllers (PLCs), embedded sensors, and real-time ergonomic feedback into a mobile ramming unit. The ACS aims to eliminate injury risk, improve stroke consistency, and quantify compaction quality with every cycle. This initiative aligns with Earth House’s need for scalable systems to meet increased demand across remote Indigenous sites.
Socially, this project will reduce labor strain and open the construction field to a more diverse workforce. Economically, it will enable Earth House to standardize compaction protocols, improve productivity, and scale operations sustainably. For Canada, this project contributes to housing innovation, job creation in the green tech sector, and leadership in Indigenous-informed, climate-resilient construction practices.

Effects of liming on lake shoreline plant communities

Acid rain has severely impacted lakes and plant life in southwestern Nova Scotia. To help endangered Atlantic Salmon, powdered limestone (lime) is now being added to lakes to reduce acidity. While this helps aquatic ecosystems, we don’t yet know how it affects rare lakeshore plants that thrive in low-competition environments. This project studies how liming impacts plant diversity and biology over two growing seasons. By comparing lime-treated and untreated areas, we aim to understand how different plant species respond to higher calcium and pH levels. The results will guide conservation efforts that protect both aquatic life and rare lakeshore plants.

Affordable Advanced Metering Technology Solutions (DERs for energy generation, distribution and consumption awareness with Real-time energy data)

iFormit Solutions Inc. develops accessible and cost-effective smart metering technologies aimed at improving transparency, accountability, and operational efficiency in utility consumption. Their solutions serve landlords, property managers, utility companies, and electric vehicle (EV) users who face challenges with the high cost and complexity of traditional smart metering systems. The core innovation, the iMID Connector, allows for the retrofitting of conventional analog or digital meters to enable remote meter reading and real-time data collection through a cloud-based platform. This eliminates the need for full infrastructure replacement, significantly lowering deployment costs. Through this project, iFormit aims to address the technical challenge of inconsistent communication protocols across legacy meters. The intern will investigate ANSI standards and analyze optical communication methods to support multi-protocol integration. This work directly supports a pilot with Mahone Bay Electricity Utility to retrieve protocols from residential, commercial, and bi-directional meters and convert them to remote-readable formats. Another pilot with Vida Living will retrofit a 24-unit apartment building to monitor energy and water usage in real time. The anticipated social and economic benefits include reduced utility costs, enhanced user engagement, and emissions reduction. The project aligns with Net Zero Atlantic’s goal of enabling low-carbon innovation and modernizing energy infrastructure in Nova Scotia.

Behaviour of post-installed adhesive anchors in concrete for crane-supporting structures

In steel structures, anchor bolts with steel base plates connect steel columns to concrete foundations. These anchors may experience different types of loading, including tension, shear, or combined shear and tension. There are two installation methods for anchors in reinforced concrete: cast-in-place anchors for new construction and post-installed anchors for existing structures. While research on cast-in-place anchors is extensive, studies on post-installed bonded anchors under different loads are limited, especially for crane-supporting columns attached to existing slabs. This research aims to critically investigate the performance of post-installed anchors in concrete foundations, including reinforced concrete slabs, under different types of loading. The effect of different parameters, such as the embedment length of the anchor, anchor spacing, anchor diameter, minimum edge distance of anchor, and thickness of column base plate, on the performance of anchors will be investigated. The findings from this proposed research will be crucial for the partner organization as they are currently seeking guidelines for installing their crane structures in existing building slabs. The results of this research will benefit structural engineers and the steel construction industry in Canada. Furthermore, this project will provide training for an intern in structural engineering and nonlinear finite element analysis.

Automatic Speech Recognition Adaptation for Pharma IoT Devices

The project is titled Automatic Speech Recognition Adaptation for Pharma IoT Devices.