UNews - Kirsty Duncan

Faculty and student researchers buoyed by NSERC funding

trevor.kenney — Wed, 17 Oct 2018 18:07:49 +0000

A diverse and comprehensive group of ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge researchers was awarded $1.98 million in funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) this week, part of $558 million in total funding to post-secondary researchers and students, the largest investment in research from NSERC this year.

Projects in chemistry & biochemistry, neuroscience, kinesiology & physical education, mathematics & computer science, environmental science, biology and psychology all received funding support.

In addition, eight graduate students received $336,000 in funding, further broadening the impact of the federal government’s investment in research activities at the U of L.

“Canada supports science and our talented researchers. We are delivering on our historic investment in research and in the next generation of scientists. These remarkable researchers and students we are celebrating are working to make the world a better place and to secure a brighter future for all Canadians,” says The Honourable Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science and Sport.

Dr. Erasmus Okine, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s vice-president (research) says he is impressed with the breadth of research being funded.

“It speaks to the level of activity we have going on throughout the institution, and the variety of issues our researchers and students are tackling,” says Okine. “This level of funding is a recognition by NSERC that our people are making a real difference through their research work and will continue to do so.”

Projects in chemistry & biochemistry, neuroscience, kinesiology & physical education, mathematics & computer science, environmental science, biology and psychology all received funding support. Dr. Robert Sutherland’s study in the Department of Neuroscience, Hippocampus and memory: A systems level approach, earned $285,000 over five years, the largest award of the funded projects.

Sutherland describes the hippocampus as being situated at the hub of a set of distributed cortical networks that represent movement and perceptual information. Amnesia is the most prominent effect of damage to or dysfunction of the hippocampus and most forms of human memory disorder involve the hippocampus.

“The current proposal examines, in detail, how the interactions between the hippocampus and other cortical networks establish long-term memories,” says Sutherland, director of the Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience. “We will discover exactly which types of information depend on the hippocampus and how the hippocampus modifies the functioning of the cortex through long-term interactions.”

Dr. Louise Barrett, Canada Research Chair in Cognition, Evolution and Behaviour and member of the U of L’s Department of Psychology, will receive $200,000 over five years (plus an accelerator supplement of $120,000 over three years) for her project, Behavioural Flexibility, Fertility and Social Network Influences in Human and Non-Human Primates.

In her work, Barrett aims to understand how evolutionary processes influence the behaviour of human and non-human primates.

“More specifically, I am interested in exploring those aspects that we share with other primate species, and those that make us different,” she says.

Other funded researchers include:

Dr. Matthew Tata, neuroscience; Dr. Steven Mosimann, chemistry & biochemistry; Dr. Marc Roussel, chemistry & biochemistry; Dr. Athanasios Zovoilis, chemistry & biochemistry; Dr. Marc Bomhof, kinesiology & physical education; Dr. John Anvik, mathematics & computer science; Dr. Alexey Popov, mathematics & computer science; Dr. David Euston, neuroscience; Dr. Sergio Pellis, neuroscience; Dr. Stephanus Henzi, psychology; Dr. Cameron Goater, biological sciences; Dr. Majid Mohajerani, neuroscience.

Graduate students who received funding include:

Elijah Dueck, chemistry & biochemistry; Lukas Grasse, neuroscience; Samantha Krause, psychology; Kailyn Nelson, environmental science; Candace Burke, neuroscience; Serena Jenkins, neuroscience; Justin Lee, neuroscience; Conner MacNeil, chemistry & biochemistry.

PromoScience funding supports greater reach for Destination Exploration Travelling Lab Coats program

trevor.kenney — Mon, 17 Sep 2018 16:32:37 +0000

Even more young minds will soon be ignited by the wonders of science thanks to a three-year investment from the federal government in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge’s Destination Exploration Travelling Lab Coats (TLC) program.

The government’s Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada’s (NSERC) PromoScience funding for 2017-2020 was announced today with Destination Exploration awarded $54,000 over the next three years to augment its already robust TLC program. In total, $11.9 million in funding was awarded for 163 grants across the country.

“Our government understands the importance of fostering a culture of curiosity and a passion for science among our kids and youth,” says The Honourable Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science and Sport. “PromoScience funding will help inspire young Canadians to make science part of not only their education, but their careers and their lives. When we support young Canadians, as these grants will do, we teach them that they can achieve their greatest dreams.”

Valerie Archibald, the U of L’s director of Youth Outreach, says the funding will allow the TLC program to expand its reach as it strives to bring science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) programing to a broader group of kindergarten to Grade 8 level students.

“Annually, we have been able to reach between 700 to 800 students, and with this funding we are trying to double that reach and specifically, bring more rural students into the program,” she says.

STEM programming consists of in-class workshops from a team of ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ undergraduate students, designed to spur interest in the sciences through interactive activities. The workshops are tied to the teaching curriculum for Alberta students and often involve equipment and activities otherwise unavailable to schools.

“Our whole goal is to show STEM in a new and fun way that gets students engaged and inspires them to want to continue to learn more,” says Archibald.

NSERC's PromoScience Program offers financial support for organizations working with young Canadians to promote an understanding of science and engineering, including mathematics and technology. PromoScience supports hands-on learning experiences for young students and their teachers.

The TLC program runs in May and June each year, while Destination Exploration also offers a variety of science clubs, summer camps, PD camps and birthday parties. For more information, visit their web page at uleth.ca/destination-exploration/programs.

CREATE grant funding to support development of RNA Bioengineering and Innovation Network

trevor.kenney — Mon, 16 Jul 2018 17:25:35 +0000

The Government of Canada announced Monday that the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, in partnership with the Université de Sherbrooke, has been awarded $1.65 million over the span of six years to develop the RNA Bioengineering and Innovation Network Collaborative Research and Training Experience (CREATE).

The U of L’s principal investigator on the project is Dr. Hans-Joachim Wieden.

The Honourable Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science and Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities, announced $29.7 million in CREATE grants to 18 Canadian research teams across the country that are working to further discovery and innovation in areas such as environmental protection, green energy and advanced manufacturing. The teams include a wide range of collaborators from several countries, including Germany, France, Australia, the United States, Switzerland and Brazil.

“When young Canadians choose science, programs like CREATE empower them to pursue their ambitions and gain the hands-on experiences they need to launch their careers,” says Duncan. “Thanks to the worldwide interdisciplinary connections they will build through this program, these talented young researchers will further Canada’s reputation as a leader in research and innovation.”

The CREATE Program improves the mentoring of, and training environment for, the Canadian researchers of tomorrow by improving areas such as communication, collaboration and professional skills, and providing experience relevant to both academic and non-academic research environments.

The U of L’s principal investigator on the project is Dr. Hans-Joachim Wieden, a Alberta Innovates Strategic Chair in RNA Bioengineering, Tier I Board of Governors Research Chair in Biomolecular Design and Function and the founding director of the Alberta RNA Research and Training Institute (ARRTI). He maintains, due to the fundamental role that RNA-mediated processes play for all living systems, that the next revolution in biotechnology will be the age of rationally designed Ribonucleic acid (RNA)-based systems, molecular machines and devices. Wieden points to the emergence of commercially-successful RNA-based therapeutics and pesticides as examples.

“As manufacturing and production floors become higher tech through advances in biology, materials science and computer applications, it is critical that trainees receive the most advanced and broad education possible in order to be leaders in their careers,” says Wieden. “Compounded by the labour shortage projected by the Government of Canada in this key economic sector, we propose to establish an industry-driven Bioengineering and Innovation Training Network with emphasis on innovative RNA-based technologies.”

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge and the Université de Sherbrooke are recognized as the country’s leading RNA-research institutions and through this grant, look to jointly train job-ready leaders and innovators in the emerging biotechnology field.

“The innovation potential of RNA Bioengineering has implications in an incredibly diverse range of applications including bioconversion for renewable energy sources, detoxification, recovery from mining tailings, green chemistry and environmental monitoring,” says Wieden.

The institutions propose to establish entrepreneurial research and development challenges, coupled with an extensive internship program that strongly integrates private sector participation.

“The focus here will be on knowledge transfer and migrating students/trainees into the workforce who are job ready,” he says. “This is a critical aspect for accessing the many applications of RNA-based technologies that are developed in our research institutions.”

The timing for the grant support is ideal. With the completion of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s new Science and Academic Building on the horizon, the new RNA Bioengineering and Innovation Network CREATE will greatly benefit the new facility, the Synbridge Maker Space and the transdisciplinary integration of research activities.

Dr. Claudia Malacrida appointed to SSHRC governing council

caroline.zentner — Thu, 15 Feb 2018 23:51:28 +0000

Dr. Claudia Malacrida, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge associate vice-president (research), joins 14 other diverse Canadians in being appointed to the governing council of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC).

Kirsty Duncan, Canada’s science minister, announced the appointments to SSHRC, the federal research funding agency that promotes and supports post-secondary research and research training in the humanities and social sciences, in Ottawa this week.

“I welcome the returning and newly appointed council members to the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council,” says Duncan. “This impressive list of diverse candidates will help the council further its support for the social scientists and scholars who are pushing the boundaries of knowledge and helping us better understand the world around us.”

“I’m honoured and excited to take on this new responsibility,” says Malacrida, who has been appointed to a three-year term. “As a social scientist with a long career in the West, I’m pleased to be included and to bring the perspectives of my colleagues to the national level.”

SSHRC plays an important role in Canada’s research and scientific landscape and is committed to fostering greater equity, diversity and inclusion in research. SSHRC invests more than $350 million every year, supporting more than 8,000 graduate students and nearly 14,000 researchers. The governing council meets regularly to set policy and program priorities and allocate budgets.

Malacrida, a professor of sociology, joined the U of L in 2002. Her work investigates questions of power and how difference is constructed, both historically and in the present. Her research interests include eugenics, relational challenges faced by disabled women, and issues of power and medicalization in childbirth practices.

“SSHRC funding is critical to sustaining research that responds directly to community needs and the improved quality of life of Canadians,” says Malacrida. “As someone who has been supported by SSHRC grants throughout my career, I appreciate how these funds support developing talent from undergraduate and graduate students right through to senior investigators working on global issues.”

U of L researchers receive $2.6 million in NSERC funding

caroline.zentner — Fri, 08 Sep 2017 16:13:41 +0000

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge researchers in biology, chemistry and biochemistry, geography, mathematics and computer science, physics and psychology will be able to pursue diverse areas of inquiry thanks to $2.64 million in funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC).

Canada’s Minister of Science, Kirsty Duncan, announced today $515 million in support for fundamental research through the NSERC 2017 competition for the Discovery Grants program, scholarships and fellowships.

“The Government of Canada is committed to investing in fundamental research and engineering that will improve and enrich our country’s knowledge economy,” says Duncan. “We believe in encouraging scientists’ cutting-edge ideas that will lead Canada to greater social and economic growth. I am particularly proud of the support offered to postgraduate students and postdoctoral fellows who, thanks to today’s investment, will be exposed to advanced training experiences that will prepare them for the jobs and opportunities of tomorrow.”

“At the core of every research project, every laboratory and every discovery, there are people,” says Dr. B. Mario Pinto, NSERC president. “NSERC empowers these people to build an innovative, prosperous and inclusive society. NSERC Discovery Grants, scholarships and fellowships provide thousands of top researchers, students and fellows with the foundation they need to concretize their research ambitions and explore the unknown.”

“We are very proud of our researchers and this level of funding from NSERC clearly demonstrates the valuable work being done at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge,” says Dr. Erasmus Okine, vice-president (research). “The funding is also spread throughout a number of disciplines, reflecting the strength of research activities across campus.”

Thirteen faculty members will receive Discovery Grants worth $2.16 million over five years. Their research projects include topics like human cell division. Dr. Roy Golsteyn (Biology) is investigating prairie plant extracts that inhibit cell division to better understand how cell division occurs. Dr. Philip Bonnaventure (Geography) studies mountainous terrains with the goal of advancing knowledge of the relationship between climate, topography and geology in these regions. Dr. Jacqueline Rice (Mathematics and Computer Science) will conduct research into how people use artificial languages, like those used for writing software, with the goals of improving software quality and readability.

Dr. Chris Hopkinson (Geography) is the recipient of a Discovery Accelerator Supplement worth $120,000 over three years. He is using satellite data and a Dynamic Ecosystem Landcover Transitions Assessment (DELTA) program to examine how forests and wetlands respond to disturbances in the climate system.

Drs. Fangfang Li (Psychology) and Saurya Das (Physics and Astronomy) will each receive Discovery Development Grants for research projects dealing with speech production in children and Quantum Gravity theory, respectively.

In addition, four students, namely Ryan Kung, Taylor Sheahan, Douglas Turnbull (Chemistry and Biochemistry) and Matthew Robbins (Physics and Astronomy) will receive $63,000 each over a period of three years in scholarships and fellowships.

“We pride ourselves in creating opportunities for our students to excel in their research endeavours. Their ability to seize these opportunities while working under the tutelage of world-class supervisors is rewarded in these scholarships,” says Okine.

U of L announces Dr. Athanasios Zovoilis as its newest Canada Research Chair

caroline.zentner — Tue, 16 May 2017 16:17:16 +0000

The federal government has named Dr. Athanasios Zovoilis, a professor in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, a Tier II Canada Research Chair in RNA Bioinformatics and Genomics.

The Honourable Kirsty Duncan, Canada’s minister of science, recently announced $125.9 million in funding for 142 chairholders. Along with the Canada Research Chairs, Duncan introduced a new Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan to address the lack of diversity among Canada Research Chairs.

“Our government is committed to promoting equity and diversity within the sciences. We need to work harder to ensure that talented researchers have the opportunity to advance. The announcement of the action plan is an important step towards a more inclusive, open and diverse research environment in Canada,” says Duncan.

In addition to $500,000 in funding through the Canada Research Chair program, Zovoilis will receive more than $53,000 from the Canada Foundation for Innovation’s John R. Evans Leaders Fund for laboratory tools and equipment.

Dr. Athan Zovoilis is the U of L's latest Canada Research Chair.

Zovoilis, a bioinformatician and genomicist, came to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge from Boston’s Harvard ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ to establish and pursue a research program aimed at developing personalized treatments for diseases like cancer and dementia. Zovoilis joined the U of L's Alberta RNA Research and Training Institute (ARRTI), a research centre devoted to RNA research. During the last 10 years, the U of L has made a significant investment in the fast-developing field of RNA research by establishing ARRTI and attracting world-class scientists that develop cutting-edge research in understanding how RNA applications can support human health and biotechnology innovation.

“It was not a very difficult decision, I have to say,” says Zovoilis. “Having lived in Canada before, I know there’s support for science, for families and for integrating people to the society. It makes the perfect combination.”

Originally from Greece, Zovoilis began medical studies in his homeland and completed them in Germany. After witnessing the impact of diseases like Alzheimer’s and cancer on members of his community, he knew he wanted a career where he could help people.

“I didn’t like this feeling of helplessness. That was one of the things that motivated me to go to medical school,” he says.

While in medical school, molecular biology captured his interest. The Human Genome Project was underway at the time and the research possibilities it presented were captivating.

“A new era was starting and I decided to specialize in it,” says Zovoilis. “I was convinced that if we want to fight Alzheimer’s and cancer we have to understand what’s happening at the molecular level in our cells. If we understand the basic mechanisms that underlie these diseases then we will be able to fight them more efficiently.”

He pursued a doctorate in molecular genetics and began working with breast cancer patients, looking for mutations in genes known to cause cancer. Studying only two out of tens of thousands of genes, coupled with the limitations of DNA sequencers, meant progress was slow. However, technological advances soon led to much faster DNA sequencing and produced larger amounts of data. Zovoilis determined to get training in bioinformatics, a new discipline that provides the computer programs that can read and analyze the data produced by modern sequencers. He went to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Manchester in England to take further training and then joined the bioinformatics group at the Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre in Vancouver, an organization at the forefront of personalized medicine in Canada. There he joined other scientists who were interested in analyzing noncoding sections of the genome, or what was once known as junk DNA.

Because it was at the forefront of analyzing noncoding sections of a genome, Zovoilis then went to Harvard as a research fellow. His research there, recently published in the journal Cell, the top journal in molecular biosciences, revealed a connection between these noncoding sections of the genome and cancer. Now at the U of L, Zovoilis will continue this work with the eventual goal of bringing testing to everyday clinical practice.

“In this lab, we specialize in reading the book of life and we use this information to provide personalized medicine opportunities for patients in the near future,” says Zovoilis.

Such an approach is not as widely available in Canada as it is in the United States or through the Genome Science Centre in British Columbia but he hopes to launch a similar project in Alberta.

“We intend to find partners in this initiative,” says Zovoilis. “It has to be a pan-provincial initiative but southern Alberta can be part of this.”

Zovoilis adds that a personalized approach doesn’t perform miracles but many studies have shown that targeted therapies can help and genomics is the main tool to find them.

“I wanted to come back to Canada,” he says. “Canadians are very open minded and there has been, in recent years, significant investment in research. It is not advertised a lot but, especially here in Alberta, universities have improved substantially their capabilities. They have expanded their programs. I see a huge potential, especially at the U of L. That’s one of the main reasons why I decided to come here.”

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge supportive of federal panel report on strengthening Canadian research

trevor.kenney — Wed, 12 Apr 2017 20:10:50 +0000

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Mike Mahon supports the recommendations of a panel appointed by Minister of Science Kirsty Duncan in its recently released report, Investing in Canada’s Future: Strengthening the Foundations of
Canadian Research.

“The report makes a number of critical recommendations, including increasing funding over four years for investigator-led research across discipline, regularizing funding to the Canada Foundation for Innovation, increasing the Research Support Fund as well as taking steps to better coordinate the federal research system,” says Mahon. “The report also recommends funding researchers in different stages of their career, which is key in both attracting and retaining the country’s brightest minds.”

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge participated in the consultation process used to draft this report. In addition to its own submission, the U of L also prepared a joint submission with Lakehead ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Winnipeg and Vancouver Island ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ that highlighted the important role regional universities undertake for the benefit of the communities they serve.

“In regard to recommending increased funds for investigator-led research, we believe this will support critical research that impacts the economic and social health of southern Alberta and beyond,” adds Mahon. “In the coming weeks, we will further analyze the contents of this important report to fully understand its recommendations.”

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ is appreciative of the panel members for the time they spent on conducting this vital work, and specifically Dr. Claudia Malacrida, U of L Associate Vice-President (Research), who served on the prestigious panel.

U of L aquatic toxicologist named Canada Research Chair

caroline.zentner — Fri, 02 Dec 2016 16:27:45 +0000

The federal government has named Dr. Steve Wiseman, a biology professor at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, a Tier II Canada Research Chair in Aquatic and Mechanistic Toxicology.

Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science, announced more than $173 million in funding to support 203 new and renewed Canada Research Chairs at 48 post-secondary institutions across the country.

“I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to the new and renewed Canada Research Chairs,” says Duncan. “The Government of Canada is proud to support talented researchers whose hard work will improve our scientific understanding and strengthen Canada’s reputation for research excellence. The Chairs’ efforts will also provide us with the evidence needed to inform decisions that help us build a vibrant society and a strong middle class.”

Wiseman’s research program primarily focuses on determining whether chemical stressors in aquatic systems pose a risk to aquatic organisms, especially fish.

“The goal of my research program is to understand toxic effects that chemicals might have on freshwater fish and the mechanisms by which they cause these effects,” says Wiseman. “Most of this research is conducted under controlled laboratory conditions. However, the goal is to use the knowledge and tools that are generated from this laboratory research to assess whether fish in the wild have been exposed to a toxic chemical and whether that chemical poses a threat to the animal and the greater aquatic environment.”

His appointment as a Canada Research Chair will allow him to develop a world-class research program that not only answers these important questions, but also trains the next generation of scientists.

Wiseman, who also conducts research in freshwater systems, studies animals’ responses after they have been exposed to a chemical, synthetic or natural, and whether it affects an animal adversely.

“As populations grow and as industrial activity increases, more chemicals end up in aquatic environments. We’ve got new chemicals and we’ve got lots and lots of old chemicals and for the vast majority of them, we have no idea what they do to aquatic organisms, including fish,” he says.

Pharmaceuticals intended for human use are often flushed down the drain and wastewater treatment plants are unable to remove them from the water. The drug compounds end up in rivers where fish are then exposed to them.

“A lot of my research over the last seven years has been related to oilsands development, which is a huge concern here in Alberta and also nationally and internationally. In that development, the chemicals are naturally occurring and after you extract the oil, many of these chemicals are left behind in water that companies store in ponds that are cut off from the natural environment. Ultimately, we need to know if the water in these ponds is detoxifying and if it is safe either for establishing new habitat or for releasing to the wider environment. It’s an important issue not only in terms of environmental science but it’s also an important research area in terms of economics,” he says.

In addition to national and global issues, Wiseman wants to look at issues that are important to southern Alberta. Water is a finite resource but numerous activities put more and more pressure on water supplies for people, animals and industry.

“No industry in my mind is worth more than our natural resources and our ecosystems but there’s always a balance there. They’re important questions to ask, not just from the point of view of the effects on animals and the environment, but also from a societal perspective. Most industrial activity is sustainable if it’s done in the right way and done responsibly,” he says.

Wiseman is originally from Newfoundland. He attended Mount Allison ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ for his undergraduate degree and then completed his graduate degrees at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Waterloo. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Saskatchewan and stayed on as a research associate before coming to the U of L.

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