UNews - vice-president , research

Water Hub launches website, video

trevor.kenney — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 20:14:42 +0000

To coincide with tomorrow's International Open Data Day, a cloud-based, open web platform that collects and shares water and environmental data, from across geographical and watershed boundaries, has launched its beta web version and project profile video.

The Water and Environmental Hub (WEHUB) features a water data catalogue and an application programming interface (API), which enables water-based, customized applications for computer tablets or smartphones to be easily developed.

The project is led by the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, with financial and technical support from Cybera, Tesera Systems, the Alberta WaterPortal, and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary Biogeoscience Institute.

Robin Winsor, President and CEO of Cybera, sees the WEHUB project as an example of the benefits that open source projects can provide to communities. "It also demonstrates the ground-breaking cyberinfrastructure technologies developed in Alberta by companies such as Cybera, which can aid large-scale cloud projects to share a vast amount of data with researchers and society at large," says Winsor.

The open web platform was developed to be an online source of data, and will help academia, government, industry, non-governmental organizations, and the general public, to find, use, share and enhance water and environmental data. In addition to providing information uploaded by organizations and individual users, the WEHUB actively seeks out and aggregates open data from across the Web. Water and environmental data that previously would have required extensive searching across many different websites can now be found in one place, saving users significant time and resources.

"The WEHUB is one of the largest sources on the web for North American water and environmental data, and this video and beta version of the web portal will help users understand how extensive and accessible it is," says Alex Joseph, Executive Director of the WEHUB project. "We expect the WEHUB to become the go-to site for anyone searching for geospatial data related to water or the environment."

The WEHUB also offers a real-time data collection service and output tool (API) that allows companies, software developers, and other users to develop customized water applications for computer tablets or smartphones. Users can also embed water and environmental data into their organizational processes using the WEHUB web platform.

"We want businesses to become aware of the potential for WEHUB to provide commercial opportunities in analyzing and manipulating this data," says Dr. Dan Weeks, Vice-President, Research at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge. "Applications, such as home water-saving tools, or systems that display river or lake water levels and temperatures, can be built on the data that this web platform provides."

View the WEHUB beta website : http://waterenvironmentalhub.ca/

New Canada Research Chair at Prentice Institute

trevor.kenney — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 15:08:04 +0000

Dr. Susan McDaniel, a ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Sociology professor and director of the Prentice Institute for Global Population and Economy, has been named a Tier I Canada Research Chair in Global Population and Economy, the first Tier 1 CRC in social sciences at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ.

The seven-year, renewable appointment comes with more than $1.4 million, which will support the Prentice Institute's ever-increasing research capacity.

The funding helps McDaniel and her research colleagues look beyond numbers, and dig deeper into the complex issues that face people over the course of their lives, such as aging, income inequalities, access to health care, how global issues affect people and policies that take aging and population shifts into consideration.

"This is an outstanding announcement for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and for Dr. McDaniel and her research teams," says Dr. Dan Weeks, the U of L's Vice-President, Research.

In total, 253 newly awarded or renewed Canada Research Chairs at 56 Canadian degree-granting post-secondary institutions are being awarded $203.9 million to undertake new research.

This federal investment allows Canadian institutions to strengthen their position as global leaders in research and development, bringing greater economic opportunities for Canadians.

"Susan has done an excellent job of putting the Prentice Institute on a trajectory that will make it a world-recognized centre. She has attracted a significant number of researchers to the Institute as research associates, which in turn has built up our graduate student component. With this new funding, Dr. McDaniel and her colleagues will be able to significantly expand on the Prentice Institute's mandate to look into population issues world-wide."

There are three areas McDaniel – and her expanding world-wide group of researchers – is examining through what she describes as 'life-course research': comparisons between Canadian and other population groups, initially in the United States; the government-supported policy steps countries such as Japan and Korea have taken to manage the challenges of an aging population; and the concept of age itself, and how factors such as economic conditions, lack of healthcare or being a refugee from a war-torn country can have on your life expectancy.

"The life course research concept has several principles, among them that you need to follow a person through their life to get a solid picture of how they are affected by a variety of influences," says McDaniel.

"We are following individuals across time because at each point in your life course, you are existing in a context in a society. For example, if a person graduates from high school or university at a time when the economy is not healthy, they might have trouble finding a job. A whole group of people may be disadvantaged over a long period because of that one moment in time."

By comparison, McDaniel says that a person who benefits from a strong economy may land a better job, have better educational opportunities and also have a longer life expectancy.

McDaniel adds that some people may be disadvantaged at the beginning of their lives, and may be continually disadvantaged as they age, compounding the disadvantages they face as they grow older.

"We are expanding on research where we looked at Americans aged 45-64 over a 14-year period, and a similar group of Canadians over a 16-year period, and found that income inequalities make a huge difference for their prospects in their later years, " says McDaniel.

The key difference between Canadians and Americans is that Canadians have lesser inequality, primarily because of social policies such as public health insurance, but also better risk insurance such as employment insurance.

As well, McDaniel is examining how government policy has changed the way people live in countries where aging and significant population change is normal, such as in Japan and Korea, two countries with very different challenges.

"Japan is the 'oldest' country in the world, while Korea has a relatively young population now but it will age very quickly," says McDaniel said. "What we are finding is that innovations are unexpected. Both Korea and Japan have instituted publicly-funded long term care insurance. When speaking to the Koreans about why they implemented it at this time, the response was that they could afford it now while the population is young, as opposed to being unable to afford it later."

The other issue McDaniel hopes to tackle as part of her research is to change the fundamental notion of 'age' from a number to a concept that takes a whole host of lifestyle experiences into consideration, among them health, education, economic circumstances, and other factors.

"You need to look at age differently based on what happens to a person during their life. A person in a risky or blue-collar occupation might age differently than someone in a less dangerous or physically demanding job," she says. "We need to have a flexible definition of what is 'old', because this research, while not yet fully completed, is important in policy development."

Keeping a finger on the pulse of these world-wide indicators is keeping McDaniel and her teams constantly busy. The new and ongoing research projects will ultimately wind up as journal articles or become parts of four books currently in process.

To date, the effort involves researchers from Canada, the United States, Japan, Korea, Italy and Africa, in addition to the regular complement of faculty members currently at the U of L or who are being recruited to join the Prentice Institute as research associates, guest lecturers, or visiting professors.

Brown comfortable in role of Associate VP

trevor.kenney — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 19:59:14 +0000

Dr. Lesley Brown (Kinesiology and Physical Education) was the successful candidate for the position of associate vice-president, research, and assumed the role on May 1. Brown had been serving in the role of assistant vice-president, research since January 2010.

She joined the U of L in 1997 following her post-doctoral studies at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Oregon, and focuses her research on the aging process, balance, falling, fear of falling and Parkinson's Disease.

Most recently, she and her team have been studying the effect of music on walking abilities in patients with Parkinson's Disease, and exploring fear of falling as a risk factor for falls in the elderly. She continues to supervise masters and doctoral candidates.

"I am very pleased that Dr. Brown has accepted this position," says
Dr. Dan Weeks, the U of L's vice-president, research. "Her experience with provincial and federal funding will be a key asset to the U of L. The extent of accountability and compliance required by governments and funders has increased significantly and Dr. Brown will lead the internal responses to these challenges."

Weeks says that Brown's familiarity with the campus community, and with cross-departmental collaborations, will be of significant value to the U of L as the institution moves forward. "Many funding opportunities involve working on projects that might bring very different research disciplines together," says Weeks. "Lesley has a great ability to connect with people and help move ideas forward."

Brown says that her main priorities are to finalize the Strategic Research Plan, in addition to being a point of contact for faculty members.

"I am very pleased to have been selected for this position, and I am looking forward to continuing planning and implementing the new research initiatives that I have been working on. I will also be looking forward to sharing our Strategic Research Plan with faculty in the near future."

This story first appeared in the Legend. For a look at the Legend in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Brown named associate VP

trevor.kenney — Wed, 18 May 2011 18:03:43 +0000

Dr. Lesley Brown (Kinesiology and Physical Education) is the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's new associate vice-president, research, a role she assumed officially on May 1 after having served in the role of assistant vice-president, research since January 2010.

An accomplished researcher, she joined the U of L in 1997 following her post-doctoral studies at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Oregon, and focuses her research on the aging process, balance, falling, fear of falling and Parkinson's Disease.

Dr. Lesley Brown brings a wealth of experience to her new role as associate vice-president, research.

Most recently, she and her team have been studying the effect of music on walking abilities in patients with Parkinson's Disease, and exploring fear of falling as a risk factor for falls in the elderly. She continues to supervise masters and doctoral candidates.

"I am very pleased that Dr. Brown has accepted this position," says
Dr. Dan Weeks, the U of L's vice-president, research. "Her experience with provincial and federal funding will be a key asset to the U of L. The extent of accountability and compliance required by governments and funders has increased significantly and Dr. Brown will lead the internal responses to these challenges."

Weeks says that Brown's familiarity with the campus community, and with cross-departmental collaborations, will be of significant value to the U of L as the institution moves forward. "Many funding opportunities involve working on projects that might bring very different research disciplines together," says Weeks. "Lesley has a great ability to connect with people and help move ideas forward."

Brown says that her main priorities are to finalize the Strategic Research Plan, in addition to being a point of contact for faculty members.

"I am very pleased to have been selected for this position, and I am looking forward to continuing planning and implementing the new research initiatives that I have been working on. I will also be looking forward to sharing our Strategic Research Plan with faculty in the near future."

This story first appeared in the Legend. For a look at the Legend in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Fitzpatrick accepts Regina post

trevor.kenney — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 17:57:23 +0000

Dr. Dennis Fitzpatrick, a professor of chemistry and biochemistry and the Vice-President Research Emeritus at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, has accepted a position as the Vice-President, Research at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Regina, beginning in July, 2011.

Fitzpatrick joined the U of L in 1999, and significantly expanded the research footprint of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in many directions.

"This is an excellent opportunity for Dennis. His contributions here were significant, and we wish him well in this new role at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Regina," says U of L President Mike Mahon.

During his time at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, Fitzpatrick made a significant contribution to expanding the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's research beyond grant management to include strategic planning, team building, project development and the funding of numerous large institutional research initiatives in all three of the Tri-Council research domains.

Notable successes included the development of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge's first industry partnership with the Alberta Terrestrial Imaging Corporation, the funding of the Albert Ingenuity Centre for Water Research, a SSHRC Community ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Research Alliance Grant, an NSERC Capacity Development Grant and the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research Polaris Award.

Prior to becoming Vice-President (Research) at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, Fitzpatrick held a series of academic and administrative appointments at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Manitoba. He began his academic career at that university after graduating in 1981 with his PhD from Rutgers ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in New Jersey.

U of L partners in research ethics agreement

trevor.kenney — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 17:20:11 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is pleased to partner in a Research Ethics Reciprocity Agreement for the review of multi-site health research.

This agreement, signed by Dr. Dan Weeks (Vice-President, Research) and Dr. Monique Sedgwick (Chair, Human Subject Research Committee), will streamline the process of ethics review application for studies that are conducted across multiple research jurisdictions.

Once implemented, ethics review applications for multi-site studies need only be submitted at one institution or agency, rather than at each research site as has been the practice to date. The agreement is good news for researchers who will see these process efficiencies translated into savings in time, resources and competitiveness. It is also good news for research and development companies that want to invest in Alberta. A harmonized process for health research ethics review translates into cost savings and value added investment.

Alberta is the first jurisdiction in Canada to have a harmonized ethics review process for multi-jurisdictional health research through the signing of the Research Ethics Reciprocity Agreement. This is a legal agreement among six major institutions and agencies that have Research Ethics Boards which perform and oversee reviews of ethics for health research.

These partners are: ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, the College of Physicians & Surgeons of Alberta, Alberta Health Services, and Alberta Innovates – Health Solutions. Alberta Health and Wellness, and Advanced Education and Technology provided valuable advice.

The agreement is the result of a collaborative process among the partners, initiated by the Chairs of the Health Research Ethics Boards (the Council of Chairs), and is the first step in a strategic plan developed last year by the Chairs in consultation with key stakeholders.

Once implemented, the agreement will streamline the process of ethics review for multi-site health research studies and response time to health research ethics review requests.

Currently, researchers who are part of networks, collaborations, partnerships or teams involving other institutions need to apply for ethics approval at each institution for the same research, a process that can cost researchers valuable time and resources.

Weeks named U of L's new VP, Research

trevor.kenney — Fri, 22 May 2009 15:09:37 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge has appointed a new Vice-President, Research. Dr. Daniel J. Weeks has been named the institution's second VP Research and will take over the position July 1, 2009.

Weeks joins the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ from Simon Fraser ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ where he is currently a Professor and Chair of the Department of Psychology, as well as operator of the PsychoMotor Behaviour Laboratory.

Born in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., Weeks received a BA with honours in psychology from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Windsor (1983), an MSc specializing in human biodynamics from McMaster (1985) and a PhD in psychology specializing in cognition and motor performance from Auburn ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ (1989). He completed his postdoctoral work as a visiting Assistant Professor in the Department Psychological Science at Purdue ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ.

Weeks is a cognitive psychologist and an internationally recognized expert on human motor control. He also has a research program focused on skill acquisition in persons with Down syndrome. He has pioneered new brain imaging techniques to determine the impact of cerebral specialization and information processing on health and behaviour, among other projects.

"Dr. Weeks is well known as someone who has worked on both sides of the border, at all levels of the academic and research funding community, and on projects that have not only helped to build research capacity and attract significant funding - and people - to his present employer, but have also affected people's lives in a very positive way," said Dr. Bill Cade, the U of L's President and Vice-Chancellor. "We are very pleased Dan has chosen to join our team, and look forward to having him in the community."

Weeks said he is looking forward to fitting in to the personal, but far-reaching, nature of the
U of L research office and the people behind it.

"If I were to use a boxing analogy, the U of L 'punches bigger than its weight' in terms of influence," Weeks said.

"U of L researchers are key players on several national and international stages, and yet the faculty and administrative team retain a personable attitude that reflects well on the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, its programs, accessibility to students and other factors such as community outreach."

In addition to his active research program, over the last five years, Weeks has focused on facilitating research and service opportunities for the Down Syndrome Research Foundation. This work has resulted in more than $10 million in capital fundraising. Recently appointed to the Board of Down Syndrome International, Weeks is actively promoting health and physical activity in developing countries around the world as a fundamental human right for persons with intellectual disability.

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