Innovative Projects Realized

Comparative analysis of cardiac development and regeneration gene regulatory networks in the zebrafish

Heart disease bears a heavy burden on the health care system. Curative approaches are extremely limited and surgery is often the best course of treatment. Heart disease encompasses a variety of disorders, but among these, myocardial infarction (MI), or a heart attack, presents an especially difficult case for treatment. MI is caused by destruction of cardiac muscle due to oxygen deprivation in the heart and results in scarring. This new tissue does not contract and results in weakened heart function which, over time, contributes to heart failure. The extremely limited ability of the mammalian heart to regenerate contributes to the high mortality and morbidity associated with MI. Unlike mammals, other animals, such as the zebrafish, can regenerate their heart following damage. As such, dissecting the mechanisms involved in cardiac regeneration in the zebrafish can contribute to cell-based therapies for heart failure in human. I would like to combine our current understanding of the regulatory networks involved in development, which is the focus of my thesis project, to investigate the networks involved in regeneration. The expected outcome of this project would be the identification of genes that are required in both cardiac development and cardiomyocyte regeneration.

AI Sales Assistant

The onboarding process for B2B sales professionals is traditionally lengthy and inefficient, often taking upwards of six months to reach full productivity. This results in significant revenue losses and reduced competitiveness. Current AI models in sales onboarding lack contextual understanding and fail to deliver systematic, measurable outcomes that align with the nuanced demands of B2B sales processes.
Significance:
By addressing these challenges, MARVL aims to revolutionize the B2B sales onboarding experience, potentially saving millions in lost revenue and setting a new standard for AI application in sales training. This has significant implications for the future of workforce development and the integration of AI in the business process.
Objectives:
To develop AI models that understand and adapt to the complexities of B2B sales scenarios, providing relevant and actionable insights.
To create a systematic framework for generating measurable and repeatable outcomes from AI, using data from CRMs and sales playbooks.
To validate the effectiveness of these models in reducing onboarding time and improving sales performance.

Design of a robust flight control for an unmanned aerial vehicle

This project proposal describes a new approach for the design, implementation, and testing of a robust flight control for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) such as a hexcopter. The motivation for this work is driven by the limitations of the current commercial controllers (e.g., the difficulty to deal with variable payloads and challenging environments). This project provides theoretical and practical solutions, as well as alternatives to current control approaches for a UAV. The new UAV design is intended for different types of operations such as transporting medicine and food to isolated remote areas in Canada, and providing an aerial base station for remote communications in Africa.

Increase e Access to Primary Care for vulnerable population by 10% from current basline

Guelph Community Health Centre is non for profit organization providing Primary Care Services , Community health services, Allied services, Mental health and Substance use services , Harm reduction, HIV and gender Affirm Care services along with multiple community services for vulnerable population including indigenous, Law income, new immigrants , people with complex issues with a focus on Social determinant of health

This Project will focus on the following :
Aim : increase the number of clients served by 10% , from the 4500 we currently roster to 4900
Increase number of visits/encounters by 10% from 26000 a year to 28600 a year

This will be done by :
Identifying opportunity on the current model of care , process mapping the current status , identifying waste and coming with future status that will come with a new process that will improve patient intake , having an updated process that help us increase access
The project will include also measuring patient satisfaction during their visit to see a primary care provider

Key performance indicators will include :

Quantitative measures :
– % of increase of rostered patients
-% of increase of visits /encounters
-% of patients booked appointment with in 3 weeks
Qualitative measures :
-Patient satisfaction
-Staff and Primary care satisfaction

Benefit will be huge to the Guelph CHC including having more clients to serve and also it will be huge to the cliental , reducing their wait time to be resorted and help them to have a faster access to care that they need

Identification of cell surface proteins involved in vertebrate cone photoreceptor patterning

Cone photoreceptors are specialized cells in the retinas of vertebrates that absorb light to permit daylight vision. Two major morphological types exist: single cones, which are circular in cross section, and double cones, which consist of two apposed cones with elliptical cross section. In many vertebrates, cones are organized into repeating, lattice-like mosaics. The two main types are the hexagonal lattice (as in the human fovea), in which every single cone is surrounded by six others, and the square lattice (as occurs in many fishes and lizards) where each single cone is surrounded by four double cones. Cone mosaics mediate all aspects of daylight vision including colour discrimination and spatial acuity, yet the cellular mechanisms underlying their formation remain unknown. This research will use the zebrafish to investigate genes coding for cell adhesion proteins that may underlie the formation of multi-cone structures and cone mosaic patterning. The identification of such cell adhesion proteins is essential to understand (and devise therapies against) major retinal diseases like retinitis pigmentosa and macular degeneration. This research will benefit the collaborating laboratories at both institutions as they share research interests in cone photoreceptor structure and function and in understanding mechanisms of retinal development and homeostasis.

Exploring the feasibility for a sector-specific Wastewater Management System Standard (WWMSS) for the municipal and non-municipal wastewater systems sector.

The objective of this research is to develop an Ontario-based Wastewater Management Standard (WWMS), which is aligned with the currently statutorily required Ontario Drinking Water Management Standard (DWQMS) and with ISO 14001 for environmental management systems. This proposed research will bring much needed standardization for the quality and environmental management for municipal and non-municipal wastewater systems, by having a level playing field with the drinking water sector. The partner organization, Ontario Good Roads Association (Good Roads), is an industry organization dedicated to improving municipal roads and associated infrastructure in Ontario. Good Roads have 417 municipal members, and 18 First Nations members. One of their strategic objectives is to develop management tools to assist its municipal and First Nation members to increase their capacity to align infrastructure funding and capital programs to bring the necessary resources for the timely overall management of roads surface and underground infrastructure renewal.

China and Canada’s Curriculum Differences in Kindergarten to Grade 6: How curriculum is translated into classroom learnings

Our project will be reviewing and comparing the differences in curriculum for kindergarten to grade 6 between Canada and China. We will conduct a comparative analysis of curricula, noting the variation in the topics, depth and span of the content. We will be observing how the different curriculum will be implemented in a classroom by observing how educators adapt elements of their respective curriculum to their own classroom needs. By identifying the key differences between the two countries and understanding how these differences are translated into a classroom setting, educators and curriculum policymakers can promote a more inclusive, diverse, and enriched educational experiences for students. We expect this research to enrich us professionally to improve our own educational practices through this reciprocal experience. Kayla L. will be researching the subjects of Mathematics, Science, and Geography. Jordan S. will be researching the subject of Language (English), History, and Physical Education.

Comparing Climate Change Education in Canada and China: Using Climate Change Education to inspire hope through action

Based on various research papers, present methods of Climate Change Education have been noted to instill feelings of eco-anxiety ultimately leading to avoidance of the topic. For students to be inspired to take meaningful action for a sustainable future, hopeful education is needed. Current methods of Climate Change Education will be observed in Canada and China, and lesson plans will be developed to make it more meaningful, relevant, and hopeful. The ultimate goal is to connect students with nature and inspire attitudinal changes through collaboration with local/global communities.

Exploring Motivation Factors in Young EFL Learners in China

For my proposed research, I will primarily make participant observations in Chinese schools and classrooms to study the motivation factors that influence young English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners in China, focusing on both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, and their impact on language learning outcomes. Two specific motivation strategies I am planning to focus on, but not limited to, are gamification and physical education. I will identify and understand the motivation factors that drive young EFL learners in China and assess the influence of these motivation factors on language learning progress and achievement. By exploring potential variations in motivation factors based on variables such as demographics, regions and cultures, mixed with my background in Canadian schools, I can provide cross-cultural recommendations to educators, parents, and policymakers to enhance motivation, equity and learning outcomes for EFL learners in the ever-growing culturally and linguistically diverse landscape of Canadian schools.

Food For Thought: A Comparison of Food Education in Chinese and Canadian Public Schools; the Argument for a Canadian National School Food Program

This project will explore the differences in food education between China and Canada. The intern will research how food-related education is implemented in Chinese public middle schools. This may appear in formal learning (eg home economics or nutrition class), or informal learning (eg, through government subsidized school lunch programming, or opportunities outside of school for young children to interact with food).The intern will also gather qualitative data on Chinese public school food programs, and compare and contrast them to similar programs in Canada. Expected outcomes of this research is data that reinforces the argument to support the need for subsidized public school lunches in Canada. The research may also help identify possible roadblocks in implementing such policy. The research also expects to be able to gain new insights into food education curriculum.

Comprendre les mécanismes d’adaptation des plantes au stress osmotique pendant le développement des feuilles

Il existe peu de méthodes pour mesurer la pression de turgescence dans les cellules végétales vivantes et évaluer les forces qu’elles imposent aux parois cellulaires environnantes. Cette pression de turgescence est essentielle au fonctionnement des organes végétaux, car elle est le principal facteur responsable de la croissance des plantes et contribue également à maintenir leur structure et leur forme. Le projet consistera à tester et à développer une nouvelle méthode de mesure de la pression de turgescence cellulaire dans une espèce modèle, Arabidopsis thaliana. L’étudiant mesurera la pression de turgescence dans les cellules végétales à l’aide d’une méthode non invasive basée sur des traitements osmotiques, la microscopie 3D en direct et l’analyse d’images. Différents types d’osmolytes seront utilisés afin d’évaluer leur capacité à déclencher des réponses osmotiques chez les plantes. En utilisant des techniques de micro-dissection, l’étudiant évaluera le rôle potentiel d’organes spécifiques en tant que réservoirs de sucre lors de l’osmo-régulation par transfert d’osmolytes. Le projet proposé nous aidera à disséquer la croissance cellulaire à un niveau spatio-temporel, sous stress osmotique, et son effet sur le développement des organes chez les plantes.

Development of genetic engineering in microalgae

Biopharmaceuticals are pharmaceuticals that are produced in biological systems, as opposed to being made synthetically using purely chemical approaches. Biopharmaceuticals are becoming increasingly important today, as biological systems are very good at making pharmaceuticals with very precise activity within people and with fewer side effects. However, most of the conventional approaches used to make biopharmaceuticals suffer from shortcomings such as high cost and the need to remove human pathogens. On the other hand, microalgae overcome many of the limitations of the current systems. They are low-cost, safe to humans, and even edible. Microalgae are like very small plants, and plants were the original source of biopharmaceuticals, including the cancer drug, taxol. However, in spite of their many advantages, microalgae have not yet been used commercially for biopharmaceutical production. The purpose of this Mitacs Accelerate proposal is to develop tools which are crucial to harnessing the potential of microalgae for making biopharmaceuticals.