Report highlights accomplishments of health institute WE-SPARK Health Institute details its accomplishments in its third annual Impact Report. With a theme of “Succeeding Together,” the third annual Impact Report from WE-SPARK Health Institute details its accomplishments from May 2021 to April 2022. “For the past three years we’ve been focusing on establishing a strong common vision, uniting our strengths, and accelerating our research activities and the progress is exciting,” says executive director Lisa Porter. “I’m very proud of our team, and thank our four supporting partner agencies, and the clinicians, researchers, students, community supporters and donors for making this all possible.” The institute is supported by the University of Windsor, Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare, St. Clair College, and Windsor Regional Hospital. Among the report’s highlights are: membership grown to 860 members; facilitated 13 clinical professorships; created a plan to connect and grow industry engagement in preparation for new health research…
Health institute surpasses $1 million in research grants Lisa Porter, executive director of the WE-Spark Health Institute, is excited that it has awarded more than $1 million in research grants. WE-SPARK Health Institute and its funding partners have awarded 15 research grants totaling $310,000 to tackle local health challenges in its latest round of funding. The grants provide funding to promote the development of early-stage, innovative health research and health education projects in Windsor-Essex and support other health research programs to increase their prospects for future funding. Projects include addressing gaps in healthcare needs, igniting new ideas, generating and disseminating knowledge, studies in emerging health topics, and sparking collaborations. The grants involve collaborators across WE-SPARK’s four supporting institutions — Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare, St. Clair College, the University of Windsor and Windsor Regional Hospital — along with numerous community members, students and volunteers across Windsor-Essex. “With…
Project aims at design of soft electronics materials Chemistry professor Simon Rondeau-Gagné heads a research team exploring new approaches to prepare and synthesize organic semiconductors. Simon Rondeau-Gagné is using the fundamental building blocks of chemistry to design soft and flexible electronics that could be used for chemical sensing and medical treatment. An associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry, Dr. Rondeau-Gagné received a five-year $310,000 Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Discovery grant for his project “Molecular Engineering of Semiconducting Polymers for Emerging Organic Electronics.” His team looks to add to today’s technologies by making semiconducting materials that can emulate the properties of human body. “Integration of current electronics, mostly based on silicon, is very challenging. For example, it will always be difficult to implant a rigid device in the brain that would completely conform to its surface to create new functionalities,” says Rondeau-Gagné.…
Student project optimizes custom seating for children’s wheelchairs A team of Windsor engineering students worked with industry partners to develop a more efficient method of producing custom wheelchair seats for children with special needs. A manufacturing process developed with help from UWindsor engineering students can help children with special needs get a customized wheelchair faster. The team, fourth-year engineering majors Luka Mlinarevic, Pavneet Sarao, Alea Mclellan, Jasmine Bull, and Saifaldin Abdelhamid under the direction of professor Colin Novak, has been working with the John McGivney Children’s Centre (JMCC) to speed up its production of specialized seats uniquely designed to meet the specific needs of each child. The high-quality individualized seats are better suited to young clients than those procured off the shelf, explained team member Bull. “These custom-moulded seats make a huge difference for these children by providing optimal alignment and support while improving their well-being,” she said. The new process, presented during…
Windsor researchers develop new nursing program to help prevent burnout Dr. Dana Menard. Courtesy CTV New A team of University of Windsor researchers are designing a new program to help graduating nurses cope with the extreme stress in hospital settings. The new program stems from data collected from a years-long research study that saw UWindsor researcher’s interview Canadian nurses working in Windsor and Detroit throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. “They told us they felt disrespected and overwhelmed. A lot of them were leaving or planning to leave the profession. There was just a sense of misery and burnout,” says Dana Menard, University of Windsor psychology professor and project leader. Menard says they found young nurses were more likely to leave the profession. “We decided to create a program to help nursing students transition to hospital-based jobs during times of extreme stress,” she says. The course covers topics that are not taught in traditional courses, but reflect the realities of the current work environment. “We’ll cover subjects…
Conference to showcase and strengthen health research excellence WE-SPARK Health Institute will host its first in-person health research conference over two days in November — an opportunity for the health research community to learn from experts and to present, share, and discuss health research projects. All health researchers, clinicians, students, and trainees are welcome to attend. Organizers invited people at all stages of their careers and training to submit abstracts for poster or oral presentations. Students $75; Early Bird $50 General admission $200; Early Bird $150 Early Bird rates are available until Aug. 31. The event will be held Nov. 11 and 12 at the St. Clair Centre for the Arts, 201 Riverside Drive West. Click here for more information and to register. WE-SPARK Health Institute is a partnership among the University of Windsor, Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare, St. Clair College, and Windsor Regional Hospital designed to take healthcare to the next level through research.
Networking event to bring together health research community WE-SPARK Health Institute hosts monthly networking events for members of the Windsor-Essex health research community to get to know one another through fun and casual conversations. There is no formal agenda, and all are welcome. This is an opportunity for anyone interested in health research to learn what is happening locally, make connections, and help your research idea move forward, all in an informal and enjoyable atmosphere. The next event will be held Thursday, Aug. 4, from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Bourbon Tap & Grill, 1199 Ottawa St. No RSVP is required. WE-SPARK Health Institute is a partnership of Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare, St. Clair College, the University of Windsor, and Windsor Regional Hospital designed to take healthcare to the next level through research.
Chemistry research sparks international collaborations Simon Rondeau-Gagné is one of two UWindsor chemistry professors each receiving a $25,000 NSERC grant to initiate international research collaborations. International collaborations are sparking symbiotic partnerships for two UWindsor chemistry professors. Marcus Drover and Simon Rondeau-Gagné have each received an NSERC Alliance International Catalyst grant, carrying $25,000 in funding for one year to support Canadian researchers in initiating international research collaborations. “This award gives us the opportunity to reach out to researchers with complimentary expertise and novel instrumentation, in order to boost our research,” says Dr. Rondeau-Gagné, associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry. Rondeau-Gagné will collaborate with Prof. Xiaodan Gu of the University of Southern Mississippi to develop new semiconductors. “We’re getting support from experts who complement our research using their expertise for the advanced characterization of novel materials,”…
U of Windsor researcher honoured to receive Breast Cancer Society grant Dr. Lisa Porter of the University of Windsor (right) supervises research associate Bre-Anne Fifield in a lab on June 21, 2022. PHOTO BY DAN JANISSE /Windsor Star University of Windsor’s researcher Lisa Porter is no stranger to receiving grants for research into different forms of cancer. But the recent announcement of her Porter Lab being awarded $25,000 from the Breast Cancer Society of Canada has plenty of meaning for her. “This is the first formal grant process (the society) has offered,” Porter explained. “Breast cancer is so prevalent. Approximately 28,000 Canadians will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year. On average, 78 Canadian women are diagnosed with breast cancer every day — That’s one in eight Canadian women.” Since 2004, Porter’s cell biology lab at the local university has embarked on research programs in fields such as tumour suppression, brain cancer, liver cancer, prostate cancer, and breast cancer. Past grants received by the lab include $1 million…
