UNews - Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada

Physics student awarded prestigious scholarship

caroline.zentner — Wed, 08 Jun 2016 15:21:54 +0000

Ian Veenendaal, a doctoral student in Dr. David Naylor’s astrophysics lab at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, has always been curious about how things work. His quest to build a spectrometer that can operate at cryogenic temperatures has earned him an Alexander Graham Bell Canada Graduate Scholarship through the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).

Worth $105,000 over three years, the scholarships are given to high-calibre doctoral students in the natural sciences or engineering to allow them to fully concentrate on their studies and seek out the best research mentors in their chosen field.

“I’m honoured that someone saw my work and thought it was worth funding,” he says. “It’s always nice to have confirmation that what you do is seen as important. It really speaks to the legacy of the Astronomical Instrumentation Group; they know what to expect from David Naylor’s students.”

Veenendaal was awarded the scholarship based on his proposed doctoral research to perform cryogenic testing on instruments being developed for SPICA (Space Infrared Telescope for Cosmology and Astrophysics), which is expected to launch in the late 2020s. The scholarship will provide him with the flexibility to travel more, whether to present research results at conferences or to spend time working closely with technology companies like ABB that are also involved in the SPICA space project.

“Thank you to the committee for picking my research and I also have to thank the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ for putting my research forward,” he says.

Veenendaal grew up on a farm near Picture Butte and attended school in Lethbridge, graduating from Immanuel Christian High School. As a youngster, his curiosity about how things work meant he liked to take things apart and solve the mystery of their inner workings. At school he was interested in the sciences, especially chemistry and physics. He considered pursuing further studies in chemistry but physics eventually tipped the scales.

“As a physicist, I’m biased, but I say physics is the most fundamental of all the sciences. It really delves into things smaller than the atomic level, and looks at everything from the smallest things in the universe to the largest things. If you want to know how things work, physics is the way to go,” says Veenendaal.

He was also interested in engineering but the chance to be involved in research as an undergraduate, to get to know his professors and do hands-on work, pulled him toward attending the U of L.

“In my second year, I started working with David. That’s when Herschel had just been launched and they were collecting data from it and it needed to be analyzed. I spent a lot of time working for David over the summer and part-time during the semester, doing mostly software development for looking at Herschel/SPIRE data,” he says. “I had the experience in David’s group when I graduated and I knew I wanted to get more into the hands-on end of things. David asked me to do a master’s degree with him and I said ‘Yes, but I need to be working in the lab, not sitting in front of a computer.’”

After completing a BSc in 2013, Veenendaal started working on a master of science, focusing his research on designing and building low temperature systems like the cryogenic test facility now in use in Naylor’s lab. The day after he completed his MSc in January 2016, he started working on his PhD.

“David always says a space mission is the making of a career. If you start at the point when everything is starting to come together and can be part of the whole process, that opens up paths. As soon as I’m done my PhD, the European Space Agency and others are going to be looking for people who know what they’re doing with this project, and I’ll be in a good position,” he says.

Maclean’s ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Rankings mark ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge as one of Canada’s best

trevor.kenney — Thu, 29 Oct 2015 16:33:00 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge has solidified its reputation as a university of choice for students and one of the strongest research universities in its class, with a third place national ranking in the Primarily Undergraduate category of the annual Maclean’s ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Rankings.

President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Mike Mahon is pleased with the U of L's third place national ranking in the Primarily Undergraduate category of the annual Maclean’s ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Rankings.

It is the fourth consecutive year that the U of L has been ranked third overall in the Primarily Undergraduate classification, a category that includes 19 universities from across the country. In 2015, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ maintained or bettered its category ranking in nine of 12 indicators from the previous year, reflecting the U of L’s concerted focus on increasing its research portfolio while maintaining a strong undergraduate educational experience.

“The Maclean’s ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ rankings help confirm that we continue to make significant progress as a university in the areas of research, teaching and student services,” says ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Mike Mahon. “Our impact as a university is being noticed, not only by leaders and stakeholders across the country, as reflected by the reputational portion of these rankings, but by the increasing number of leading faculty and bright minds that make the U of L their university of choice.”

The U of L realized its greatest category gain in investments it makes to student services, surging three spots to rank second overall in the category. The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ also moved up two spots in funding available for student scholarships and bursaries, and jumped one spot in the reputational rankings, moving to third overall.

“The student experience is always at the forefront of our philosophy,” adds Mahon. “We are committed to providing a personal and supportive campus atmosphere that enables our students to achieve their academic goals.”

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ continues to set the standard for primarily undergraduate institutions in terms of medical and science grants received, a compilation of the average size and number of peer-adjudicated research grants from both the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). The U of L has led this category for the past two years.

“These rankings reflect the great talent, ability and dedication of our faculty and staff,” says Mahon. “The contributions we make to communities across Alberta, Canada and beyond through research and teaching are significant. The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ community, and those who support us, can be very proud of what the U of L has been able to accomplish in less than 50 years.”

The complete Maclean’s ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Rankings report was sent to digital subscribers on Wednesday, Oct. 28, with the print version released today.

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge awarded record $3.9 million in NSERC funding

trevor.kenney — Mon, 22 Jun 2015 22:04:26 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge was awarded a record $3.9 million of funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) this year, with U of L researchers earning support for projects in neuroscience, biological sciences, psychology, chemistry & biochemistry, physics & astronomy, geography and mathematics & computer science.

This unprecedented level of support was announced earlier today by Canada’s Minister of State (Science and Technology), the Honourable Ed Holder, at a national funding announcement in Oshawa, Ont.

Dr. Robert McDonald’s base grant of $355,000 (over five years) is the largest NSERC grant awarded to the U of L this year.

“This latest round of NSERC funding clearly demonstrates the outstanding research our faculty and students are undertaking,” says Interim Vice-President (Research) Dr. Lesley Brown. “That our research portfolio continues to grow as it does is testament to the quality of the work being done and also speaks to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ striking the right balance as a comprehensive teaching and research institution.”

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge researchers receiving NSERC Discovery Grant funding include: Dr. Gerlinde Metz (neuroscience); Dr. Aaron Gruber (neuroscience); Dr. Alice Hontela (biological sciences); Dr. Jean-Baptiste Leca (psychology); Dr. David Logue (psychology); Dr. Artur Luczak (neuroscience); Dr. Robert McDonald (neuroscience); Dr. Majid Mohajerani (neuroscience); Dr. Gregory Pyle (biological sciences); Dr. Masami Tatsuno (neuroscience); Dr. Paul Vasey (psychology); Dr. Robert Laird (biological sciences); Dr. René Boeré (chemistry & biochemistry); Dr. Paul Hayes (chemistry & biochemistry); Dr. Locke Spencer (physics & astronomy); Dr. Mark Walton (physics & astronomy); Dr. Christopher Hopkinson (geography); Dr. Robert Benkoczi (mathematics & computer science); Dr. Shahadat Hossain (mathematics & computer science); Dr. Habiba Kadiri (mathematics & computer science); Dr. Nathan Ng (mathematics & computer science).

In addition, Drs. John Zhang and Olga Kovalchuk were each awarded NSERC Discovery Development Grants.

Luczak and McDonald will also both receive an additional $120,000 in funds through the Discovery Accelerator Supplements program (over a three-year period), while McDonald’s base grant of $355,000 (over five years) is the largest NSERC grant awarded to the U of L this year. He is studying neural circuits and mechanisms of context-specific conditioned inhibition.

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s doctoral students were extremely successful in the NSERC Doctoral Scholarship competitions, led by Katie Wilson (chemistry & biochemistry), who was named a Canada Vanier Scholar, demonstrating leadership skills and a high standard of scholarly achievement in graduate studies. Jason Flindall (neuroscience) was awarded a Canadian Doctoral Scholarship, while Kayla Stone (neuroscience), Allonna Harker (neuroscience) and Stefan Lenz (chemistry & biochemistry) were awarded NSERC Postgraduate Doctoral Scholarships. Additionally, five masters students were awarded the NSERC Canadian Graduate Scholarship, including: Justin Lee (neuroscience), Serena Shandik (neuroscience), Matthew Robbins (physics & astronomy), Rhys Hakstol (chemistry & biochemistry) and Douglas Turnbull (chemistry & biochemistry).

“We are pleased with the amount of money invested in our researchers and what this could yield in terms of the results they will achieve and the benefits their work will bring to society,” adds Brown. “Our continuing success with the federal research funding agencies is testament to our researchers’ ability to compete on the national stage.”

NSERC grants aim to develop, attract and retain the world’s most talented researchers at Canadian universities who are working in a multitude of scientific and engineering disciplines.

Kovalchuk planting the seed for epigenetic advances in agriculture

trevor.kenney — Tue, 24 Mar 2015 22:26:08 +0000

If there is one thing that plants do well, it’s take changes in stride.

“Plants have an amazing capacity to respond immediately to stress and to propagate this response so future generations can be better prepared too,” says ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge researcher Dr. Igor Kovalchuk.

Dr. Igor Kovalchuk received the 2013 Innovation in Agricultural Science Award from ASTech, the Alberta Science and Technology Leadership Foundation.

A professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, Kovalchuk is a leading researcher in epigenetics, which studies how individual genes are expressed or “switched on” by environmental factors. Specifically, Kovalchuk is investigating how plants evolve rapidly to handle various stressors, everything from temperature extremes, viruses and bacteria to toxic or nutritionally deficient soil.

With funding from Alberta Innovates Health Solutions, the Canada Foundation for Innovation and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, Kovalchuk is exploring ways to tinker with plants’ genes. His goal: to produce hardier crops that are increasingly resistant to stress and even able to detect pollution. This capability, in turn, will help to improve the efficiency, profitability and overall success of farms.

Thanks to Kovalchuk, in fact, the Canadian Prairies could one day be dotted with fields of medicinal poppies. He is currently working with a Canadian biotech company that plans to develop a market for the high thebaine poppy industry in Canada. A significant cash crop opportunity, high thebaine poppies are used to create valuable medicines, but unlike their traditional counterparts, cannot easily be converted into heroin.

A significant cash crop opportunity, high thebaine poppies are used to create valuable medicines.

Meanwhile, Kovalchuk’s own company, Plantbiosis, is developing new varieties of plants that can sense and signal the presence of pollution. Such information could, for example, warn farmers if their well water is contaminated.

Clearly, the potential impact of Kovalchuk’s work is far-reaching. He is quick to point out, however, that his research has benefitted considerably from the time and talents of many U of L students.

“Without students, there simply wouldn’t be a plant biotechnology lab,” he says.

Over the years, Kovalchuk has trained more than 100 undergraduate and graduate students, and post-doctoral fellows to assist with various aspects of his epigenetic studies. One of those emerging researchers is Aki Matsuoka (BSc ’10).

Now a PhD student in biological sciences, Matsuoka discovered her passion for research while completing an independent project as an undergraduate student in Kovalchuk’s lab.

“I learned to love biology research,” says Matsuoka. “It was great to have that opportunity available to students who were willing to learn and to work hard.”

Matsuoka went on to complete a summer placement in Kovalchuk’s lab, and remained there during her master’s studies before she eventually transferred to the PhD program. Today, Matsuoka’s research is supervised jointly by Kovalchuk and Dr. Alicja Ziemienowicz, a research biologist at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

“Both my supervisors have been training me to think critically, which has led me to expand my horizons and become a better researcher,” says Matsuoka. “I appreciate their support so much.”

Kovalchuk received the 2013 Innovation in Agricultural Science Award from ASTech, the Alberta Science and Technology Leadership Foundation. The honour recognizes an individual, team or company that has demonstrated exceptional innovation or has developed a technology of significance to Alberta's agriculture industries. Nominations for the 2015 ASTech awards open Apr. 1. For more information, or to nominate, visit the ASTech website.

Dads' impact on kids' development deeper than we think

trevor.kenney — Tue, 23 Sep 2014 17:18:50 +0000

We all know a baby’s health is inextricably linked to the lifestyle of the mother prenatally and while pregnant. But what’s less understood is the impact of the essential but often neglected half of this reproductive equation — the father, and his own preconception behaviours.

Dr. Robbin Gibb studies what happens to a father’s offspring when he is exposed to chronic stress right before they are conceived.

It’s a topic being investigated by Dr. Robbin Gibb, a researcher and professor in the Department of Neuroscience at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge who is interested in how a male’s pre-reproduction lifestyle affects his kids’ epigenetics, or the expression of their genes. Specifically, she is studying the influence of paternal stress and the usage of alcohol and prescription drugs during this time period. Her findings so far confirm dads play a much bigger role than we ever imagined in a baby’s brain development and behaviour.

“We have this huge focus on mothers and their babies, and I think that’s appropriate, but why on earth don’t we ever consider what happens to the father preconception? It turns out the father’s lifestyle during this time has a huge influence on the outcomes and success of their children,” says Gibb, whose research is funded by a five-year, $120,000 grant from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.

Gibb has studied what happens to a father’s offspring when he is exposed to chronic stress right before they are conceived. Rat experiments she performed at her lab in U of L’s Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience showed the babies were more anxious, and also had a harder time performing certain tasks. Their brains also had significant differences in DNA methylation, a process that affects how our genes regulate development and disease. Her study, which was published last year in Neuroscience, theorized chronic stress modified the epigenetic expression of genes in maturing sperm, which in turn shaped gene expression and development in the embryo.

In another of Gibb’s studies, led by graduate student Allonna Harker, rats born to fathers who had consumed excessive alcohol for about a month preconception had lifelong issues with motor development and anxiety. Interestingly, when these same fathers were then deprived of alcohol for 45 days and mated again, their babies had worse anxiety and motor skills than those in the preceding litter.

“None of the sperm that were produced at the time when the dad was on alcohol would have been there, so we think we must have changed sperm precursors, so that they still carried instructions to the egg that affected gene expression in their offspring,” says Gibb on the initial findings of this ongoing study.

Finally, Gibb is also researching the impact on offspring of a father’s preconception consumption of the antidepressant Prozac. When male rats were given the drug for 45 days before mating, their offspring showed more anxious behaviour. Her preliminary results show this anxiety manifesting in the babies’ early stages of life; she will now explore if it persists throughout their lifespan.

A mother of two, Gibb had long been curious her and her husband’s impact on their children’s development, which is what sparked her interest in this research area. She hopes her findings compel medical professionals and policymakers to take a more inclusive approach to counselling services and public awareness campaigns geared at aspiring parents.

“Fathers need to be embraced as an important element in family. That means we need parental institutes and resources, not just maternal ones,” Gibb says. “We need to advise prospective fathers in the same way as we do the mothers about how their lifestyle can influence their babies.”

U of L researchers combine to earn $1.8 million in NSERC funding

trevor.kenney — Thu, 26 Jun 2014 16:22:57 +0000

A total of 12 ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge researchers will receive funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) this year, enabling future U of L discoveries in a variety of areas including neuroscience, biological sciences and chemistry and biochemistry.

Dr. Gerlinde Metz is receiving NSERC funding for her project, Experience-dependent Compensation and Brain Plasticity, one of 12 U of L researchers to receive an NSERC grant this year.

Canada’s Minister of State (Science and Technology), the Honourable Ed Holder, made the national funding announcement earlier today at Western ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in London, Ont.

U of L researchers receiving Discovery Grant funding include: Dr. Alice Hontela (biological sciences); Dr. Olga Kovalchuk (biological sciences); Dr. Locke Spencer (physics and astronomy); Dr. Theresa Burg (biological sciences); Dr. Lawrence Flanagan (biological sciences); Dr. Ute Kothe (chemistry and biochemistry); Dr. Paul Hazendonk (chemistry and biochemistry); Dr. Gongbing Shan (kinesiology and physical education); Dr. Daya Gaur (mathematics and computer science); Dr. Andrew Iwaniuk (neuroscience); Dr. Gerlinde Metz (neuroscience); and Dr. Adriana Predoi-Cross (physics and astronomy).

Iwaniuk will also receive funding through the Discovery Accelerator Supplement program.

Additionally, Dr. Hans Joachim Wieden (chemistry and biochemistry) is receiving funding under the Research Tools and Instruments Grants Program.

In total, U of L researchers will receive approximately $1.8 million in funding over the next five years.

“NSERC funding is an important support that will help these very worthy U of L researchers move their respective programs forward, which in turn will benefit our communities in terms of economic growth and quality of life,” says Acting Vice-President (Research), Dr. Lesley Brown. “Further, these funds over time have played a critical role in the U of L’s rapid transition from a primarily undergraduate institution to one of Canada’s leading research universities of its size.”

NSERC also announced recipients of its graduate scholarships and fellowship awards. Adela Gherga (mathematics and computer science) and Mark Hornsby (biological sciences) are receiving graduate scholarships while Jenni Karl (neuroscience) is receiving a post-doctoral fellowship award.

NSERC grants aim to develop, attract and retain the world’s most talented researchers at Canadian universities who are working in a multitude of scientific and engineering disciplines.

For details on the NSERC grants and associated projects, visit the NSERC website.

Biological Information Processing program puts research in the hands of students

trevor.kenney — Tue, 22 Oct 2013 22:18:31 +0000

Rajat Thapa (BSc ’12) may have started his undergraduate studies in the United States, but he knows exactly what drew him to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge to complete his Bachelor of Science in neuroscience: “The world-renowned neuroscience faculty at the Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience (CCBN),” says the native of Nepal.

Master's student Rajat Thapa has taken advantage of his opportunity to work alongside some of the world's leading neuroscience researchers.

The CCBN – the only research facility of its kind in Canada – is home to some of the founders of the behavioural neuroscience field. One of those highly respected researchers is Dr. Robert Sutherland, Chair of the Department of Neuroscience, who has a long list of scientific achievements to his credit. Among them, his team was the first in the world to reverse a memory deficit in a dementia model by regenerating cells in the cerebral cortex.

In addition to conducting his own research, Sutherland plays a key role in supporting and inspiring the next generation of scientists. As director of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s Biological Information Processing (BIP): From Genome to Systems Level program, Sutherland oversees a premier training initiative in neuroscience. Funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) through their Collaborative Research and Training Experience program, BIP provides undergraduate, graduate students and post-doctoral fellows – as well as southern Alberta high school students – with hands-on experience that is easily translatable to industry – a feature that stands BIP apart from more traditional academic paths.

Equally important, says Sutherland, is the calibre of researchers who students work alongside.

“In this program, students learn from an unparalleled group of mentors who are world leaders in their fields,” he says.

Thapa, now a master’s student in neuroscience, is a BIP program participant. Working under the supervision of neuroscientist Dr. Aaron Gruber, an expert in the neural basis of decision-making, Thapa is studying the role that different sub-regions of the brain play when animals make decisions and exhibit particular behaviour. Gaining a better understanding of this process may one day help researchers find novel and effective solutions to addiction, schizophrenia and Parkinson’s disease.

“The U of L’s neuroscience program allowed me to jump right into research,” says Thapa, who intends to pursue a PhD down the road. “It’s helping me gather tools in terms of methods, data-analysis techniques and creative and critical thinking necessary to pursue the questions I hope to answer someday.”

NSERC funding CREATEs more opportunity

trevor.kenney — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 19:52:18 +0000

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge students will benefit from a new training program recently announced by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).

Over the next six years, the federal government, through NSERC, will invest more than $1.65 million at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge to give young researchers the opportunity to learn the technical and professional skills that will prepare them for successful careers in science and engineering.

Through the Collaborative Research and Training Experience (CREATE) Program, U of L researchers in neuroscience and biological sciences will work with up to a dozen post-doctoral fellows, more than 20 graduate students and eight undergraduate trainees.

They will be cross-trained on a wide variety of approaches to biological systems research and will have access to state-of-the-art equipment, including magnetic resonance imaging, supercomputers, and a host of lab gear unique to the collection and analysis of genetic material, including DNA. The U of L project is one of four in Alberta and among 17 funded nationally.

"The core of our program is the training of graduate students to be productive team members, not just research subordinates," says Dr. Robert Sutherland, a neuroscience researcher at the Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience (CCBN) and the CREATE program principal investigator.

"Current postgraduate training programs at the U of L generally are characterized by a very high standard of science but they have been focused on a limited range of research approaches," says Sutherland. "Our program will provide a world-class training environment for students and post-doctoral trainees in the field of information processing in biological systems, integrating cell biology, dynamic imaging, and neuro-computation."

Sutherland adds that the U of L proposal is based on the idea that the next generation of innovators in life science must have a tool kit that contains methods for seeing a bigger research picture, in particular how molecules move within cells, how to measure the activity of large distributed networks of cells, and how to use theoretical computer models and apply them to their research.

"This training will contribute significantly to a new generation of Canadian neuro/life scientists who are equally at home with a microscope or microelectrode, as with a supercomputer. This combination is essential for innovation in this part of life science and in its application in the future," says Sutherland.

"This funding will be a big win for our students and our researchers," says Dr. Dan Weeks, the U of L's vice-president (research). "Our neuroscience and biological sciences programs already have a good track record of placing graduates in quality positions in the academic and research community. By adding even more value to the student experience with the CREATE program, we are making already-excellent programs better, and in a way that really helps our students move forward with their careers."

As well, Weeks says that by adding an undergraduate component to the program, students who are looking at a career in research can get a head start on that process.

"We are building a lot of research capacity here, and in unique and collaborative ways that wouldn't be possible at a larger university," says Weeks.

This is the second CREATE program at the U of L. In 2010, imaging science researchers received funding to support a program in advanced methods, education and training in hyperspectral science and technology (AMETHYST).

Roughly midway through the program, 20 students are currently in AMETHYST, which creates training environments linked directly with internships at over 35 collaborating agencies in industry and government, as well as other selected universities worldwide.

Within this program, graduate students have the opportunity to spend up to four months in organizations, such as NASA, the European Space Agency, the German Helmholtz Research Centres, and locally with the Blackbridge Group, a Lethbridge-based imaging company that is the world's fourth largest private satellite owner/operator.

In addition to class time and specific projects, undergraduate students who qualify for the AMETHYST program work with the co-operative education office on campus to manage work placements locally, nationally and internationally.

"NSERC's CREATE Program is providing a valuable experience for students and postdoctoral fellows to learn practical skills and to engage in cutting-edge, multidisciplinary and, in some cases, international research," says NSERC President Suzanne Fortier. "Exposing our trainees to an innovative, collaborative training environment will enable them to succeed in careers that contribute to the world's top research."

In its first two years (2009-11), the CREATE Program supported 40 teams of researchers and 1,513 students and postdoctoral fellows. In this round of funding, more than $28 million will be invested in 17 projects.

Cream of the crop

trevor.kenney — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 18:55:41 +0000

When U of L chemistry researcher Dr. Paul Hayes sees a cornfield, he looks much deeper than the rows, the stalks or even the kernels.

He envisions matter at the molecular level and sees corn as a source for biodegradable material, such as a plastic drinking cup, rather than just a common vegetable.

In fact, Hayes looks at many common materials and thinks up ways to improve them at the molecular level by making them more useful, energy efficient and, like biodegradable corn-based drinking cups, more environmentally friendly.

His award-winning research focuses on synthetic chemistry, or the making of molecules. More specifically, he prepares new molecules – called catalysts – that are able to convert one chemical into another without themselves being consumed or altered.

Chemistry researcher Dr. Paul Hayes takes his lab to the cornfield.

One of his recent projects focuses on the challenge of making new materials that are both biodegradable and biocompatible.

"We prepare catalysts that convert a chemical found in corn or beets into a plastic-like material called polylactide," explains Hayes. "Polylactide can be made into a wide variety of manufactured goods, such as drinking cups or other biodegradable products. We can either shorten or extend the biodegradable lifespan of the product based on how we fine-tune the molecular structure of the polylactide."

The ability to manipulate these characteristics opens up possibilities for many new and useful materials in the future.

For example, Hayes explains packaging materials can have readily adjusted biodegradation rates to accommodate the need for various shelf lives of different items, providing an alternative "green" plastic for food packaging.

Hayes' research also has medical applications like absorbable sutures, matrices for the slow release of pharmaceuticals and polymer scaffolds for tissue engineering.

Hayes, who has been at the U of L for four years, continues to develop his thriving independent research program, which has produced numerous publications in top-tier journals and received more than $1.4 million in funding from provincial and national agencies, such as the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, Canada Foundation for Innovation, Canada School of Energy and Environment and GreenCentre Canada.

As a result of these successes the young researcher has earned province-wide accolades, including the prestigious Alberta Ingenuity New Faculty Award. Most recently, Hayes accepted a Distinguished Academic Early Career Award from the Confederation of Alberta Faculty Associations for his ongoing accomplishments and future research potential.

It's a promising future for all Albertans, really, thanks to leading ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ like Hayes, who just happens to be tackling world issues at the molecular level.

For a look at the full issue of SAM in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Student award deadlines looming

trevor.kenney — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 21:49:05 +0000

As the Fall 2010 Semester begins, a variety of significant graduate student award deadlines are already looming.

The most pressing is a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) award for up to $6,000. The Michael Smith Foreign Study Supplement is available to Canadian citizens or permanent residents who hold a Joseph-Armand Bombardier, an Alexander Graham Bell, or a Frederick Banting and Charles Best Canada Graduate Scholarship (CGS) at the master's or doctoral level, or a Vanier CGS at the doctoral level.

The internal deadline for application is Friday, Sept. 10.

Following is a list of upcoming award deadlines. For a complete description of each award, follow this link.

Upcoming Award deadlines for the Fall 2010 Semester

NSERC – Michael Smith Foreign Study Supplement
Internal Deadline: Sept. 10, 2010

Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship
Internal Deadline: Sept. 15, 2010

NSERC – Alexander Graham Bell CGS
Internal Deadline: Oct. 8, 2010

CIHR Doctoral Award
Deadline: Oct. 15, 2010

Alberta Scholarship Programs Profiling Award
Next Deadline: Oct. 15, 2010

Dissemination Award
Next Deadline: Nov. 1, 2010

Advantage Award
Next Deadline: Dec. 17, 2010

For more information on any of these awards, contact Deirdre Coburn via e-mail at deirdre.coburn@uleth.ca, by phone at 403-329-2741, by fax at 403-329-2097, or visit her office (A732).

UNews - Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada

Physics student awarded prestigious scholarship

Related Topics

Maclean’s ��Ѹ�����Դ���߿�Ƭ Rankings mark ��Ѹ�����Դ���߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge as one of Canada’s best

Related Topics

��Ѹ�����Դ���߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge awarded record $3.9 million in NSERC funding

Related Topics

Kovalchuk planting the seed for epigenetic advances in agriculture

Related Topics

Dads' impact on kids' development deeper than we think

Related Topics

U of L researchers combine to earn $1.8 million in NSERC funding

Related Topics

Biological Information Processing program puts research in the hands of students

Related Topics

NSERC funding CREATEs more opportunity

Related Topics

Cream of the crop

Related Topics

Student award deadlines looming

Related Topics

Maclean’s ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Rankings mark ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge as one of Canada’s best

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge awarded record $3.9 million in NSERC funding