Innovative Projects Realized

Blood pressure and vascular biomechanics: insights from numerical simulation models

High blood pressure leads to stroke, heart attacks and heart failure. Despite a century of research, the target
blood pressure is still a matter of debate. This limitation is likely related to the oversimplification of the functioning
of the cardiovascular system. Using novel biomarkers of blood pressure and mechanical properties of the arterial
system, we believe that it will be possible to move towards a more personalized goals in the treatment of high
blood pressure. To do so, we need to develop a better understanding of the cardiovascular physiology through
numerical simulations, which are now possible. The candidate will develop novel tools to develop a better
understanding of the blood vessels properties and will use this knowledge in conjunction with the simulation
models to examine the impact of changes in arterial properties along the arterial tree and their impact on the
arterial flow pattern. This innovative approach is in line the institutions mission to improve health through
innovation.

Building Capacity and Potential for Meaningful Ecological Reclamation Through Indigenous and Community Led Native Seed Supply System in the Yukon

This research project focuses on helping Indigenous communities and local groups in the Yukon region develop their own systems for growing and supplying native plant seeds. These systems are important because they can help restore lands that have been damaged by activities like mining. Right now, one of the main problems is that there aren’t enough native plant seeds available, both in the Yukon and around the world, which makes it hard to do effective land restoration. The project has two main goals. First, they will gather information about past and current projects where Indigenous communities and local groups have been involved in growing and supplying native plant seeds in Canada. This information will be used to help people who are new to this kind of work. The second goal is to figure out which plants are most important for land restoration in the Yukon and learn more about their characteristics. This will help with planning, seed production, and making sure seed producers and buyers can communicate well. By filling in gaps in knowledge and addressing challenges, this research project will help Indigenous communities and local groups in the Yukon create successful systems for growing and supplying native plant seeds.

Creating a interactive user interface for Science Atlantic

Science Atlantic members consistently prioritize conferences as a core activity of the organization. Annual academic student conferences in ten disciplines are organized by new volunteer teams each year, hosted at different institutions. The Deans of Science at the member institutions expect that Science Atlantic staff will ensure that conferences are organized following established academic, financial, and other principles and policies, while the organizers often expect that staff will provide operational support. The purpose of this project is to
• Update our website accessibility and navigation
• Develop a better understanding of the organization’s members and online audience
• Develop a database of award winners with an award certificate generator
• Provide basic tech assistance as needed to staff and volunteers

Development of a new fundraising model for the Fluvarium, using the Power Tower Project as a reference

The Fluvarium is a public environmental education center which works with communities in Newfoundland and Labrador to create awareness, educate, and facilitate innovation with regards to the natural environment. The organisation was established in 1985 with a focus on the protection and conservation of water resources, and since then, it has been engaged with local communities to undertake environmental programs and social events, that have been dependent on its fundraising activities. However, due to the financial constraints of its its various partners and the Covid-19 pandemic, it has become imperative that the Fluvarium revises its fundraising model for its programs in order to reflect the current reality to ensure the organization’s sustainability. One of its promising programs with great potential is the ‘Power Tower’ project.

This internship project aims to develop a fundraising model for the Fluvarium based on the Power Tower project. The fundraising model can also be used as a funding template for other projects and programs within the Fluvarium portfolio which can enhance the funding capabilities of not only the individual programs, but the organization as a whole.

AI for Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy decision support

My project’s goal is to improve the model, which predicts in real-time zones, where it is safe to dissect during laparoscopic surgery. I am going to work on the ways to mitigate tool bias of the current model, as it presence could result into misleading of the surgeon, who performs an operation and, as a result, cause significant injuries. Eventually, this project will greatly benefit all future research around tool bias problem during surgeries, deepen human knowledge about different biases in AI models and prolong the lives of patients.

Facebook Ad Development For Sexy Shroom Targeting American Men over 50

Sexy Shroom is a mushroom extract supplement created by Mycos to increase the sex drive and sexual function of men. Specifically, Sexy Shroom helps older men with erectile dysfunction by alleviating the three factors that induce erectile dysfunction (ED): endocrinological factors (i.e. Low testosterone), neurogenic factors (i.e. psychosomatic factors), and vasculogenic/metabolic factors (e.g. atherosclerosis, diabetes, obesity). This product has been previously developed in-house, while optimization and validation is ongoing. This internship will be utilized to advertise our product to men in America over the age of 50 to drive sales within America.

Automated Analysis of Call Transcripts Using Large Language Models

Analysis of customer service call transcripts can be challenging due to high volumes of unstructured textual data. To overcome this challenge, Co-operators Insurance Group seeks to explores the application of large language models (LLMs) such as GPT3 in analyzing call transcripts to extract structured data to be used in further modelling. Specifically, the project aims to design an end-to-end pipeline to filter call transcripts based on user keywords and call outcomes, extract transcript data using LLMs and format extracted information in a structured dataset. Extracted data from call transcripts could include classifications of the sentiment of the client and/or call representative, classification of client-expressed reason(s) for cancellation, and identification of call representative tactics attempting to retain the client. Co-operators insurance aims to apply this pipeline to the analysis of calls relating to mid-policy cancellations to understand the causes of these cancellations and potential methods for mitigating cancellations using insights related to customer service approach.

CFD modelling of the thermal behavior of aero engine components subjected to fire

In the proposed project, a series of computer-aided simulations will be conducted to determine the thermal behaviour of engine components in the presence of a fire inside the engine. The goal is to predict the heat transfer rate into the components, and the behaviour of the oil found inside those components. Results of this work would benefit the industry partner, Pratt and Whitney Canada, immensely by reducing the amount of time-consuming and expensive real-world fire testing to be performed during the design and testing of engines, and increase the overall safety and reliability of these components.

Role of flood events in driving geomorphic evolution of the Nicola River

The Nicola River as many parts of British Columbia were hit by major floods in November 2021. These floods caused massive bank erosion and channel widening in the Nicola River. Floods are generally thought be important driver in changing the shape of a river as the high energy of floods can move large particles in the stream or erode banks, which can have implications on nearby infrastructure and property. The observed changes in the shape of the Nicola River in response to the 2021 floods are massive. However, to better quantify the changes it is important to compare these changes with changes associated to previous flood events. Particularly, effects of flood events of different origin are of interest, as snowmelt and rainfall driven floods differ in the timing, duration, and magnitude of peak flows and they have different return periods.

Investigating the Effects of High-Intensity Interval Training Based Multimodal Prehabilitation on Inflammatory and Immune Markers in Patients with Non-Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Carcinoma – A feasibility study

Lung cancer is a significant health concern worldwide, and a common type called non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) is responsible for many cases. Surgery is the preferred treatment for early-stage NSCLC, but it can lead to complications after the operation, affecting patient recovery. In addition, inflammation before surgery has been linked to worse outcomes in NSCLC patients. Multimodal prehabilitation programs have emerged as a promising strategy to optimize patient health prior to surgery, potentially improving surgical recovery and reducing complications. Additionally, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) has been effective in reducing post operative complications and inflammatory markers in other conditions but its effects on NSCLC remain unknown. This feasibility study aims to investigate the effects of a supervised 4-week multimodal prehabilitation program, combining HIIT exercise, nutritional support, and psychological support on functional capacity, postoperative complication and inflammatory markers in patients with NSCLC.

Breaking Boundaries: AI-Driven Documentation at KidsAbility

Currently, KidsAbility therapists spend a substantial portion of their time on indirect client activities, primarily focused on creating extensive reports and notes that detail each child’s progress. For every minute spent with a client, clinicians spend up to two minutes writing these important documents. This process, while crucial, is time-consuming and diverts valuable resources from direct care.

Through this project, we will implement a Large Language Model (LLM) that has been trained to analyze therapists’ notes and observations and autonomously turn them into detailed assessment reports and progress notes for the clinician’s review. This AI aid is designed to efficiently streamline documentation tasks while maintaining the high-quality reports expected by families, clinicians, and other stakeholders.

By introducing this AI into their workflows, KidsAbility aims to significantly reduce the time therapists spend on indirect care, allowing them to reallocate their time to treating more clients. This project stands as a testament to KidsAbility’s commitment to using technology to serve more clients and reduce wait times.

A middleware solution for remote Monitoring, data collection and communication

The proposed research project is intended to develop a software solution (middleware) that will work in conjunction with a remote communication device (i.e. ability to communicate via satellite and/or cellular networks) to greatly reduce the cost and complexity of monitoring in-field sensors including wireless sensors and critical industrial equipment from a centrally located office environment. The initial target market for this technology is the oil and gas sector within North America with target applications of environmental and critical infrastructure monitoring