April think tank session to spark health research collaboration Do you like to discuss new ideas? Solve problems? Make new connections? Then WE-SPARK Think Tanks may be for you. The April 22nd event will begin with an update on local health research activities and new funding opportunities, followed by an overview of three projects that are looking for creative input, and breakout sessions: How do Entrepreneurial Teams Manage Adversity? Kyle Brykman, PhD, University of Windsor This conversation will be of particular interest to entrepreneurs and people / organizations who work with them, and for people with a background in business or psychology, or in human behavior / interactions. Building a Network of Experts on Aging Paula van Wyk, PhD, University of Windsor Looking to bring together a diverse group of experts so that we can be ready to collaborate and address issues that are important in our community. Expanding Regional Flow Cytometry for Clinical Use Caroline Hamm, MD, Windsor Regional Hospital This topic is looking at how specialized equipment…
Professor recognized for hands-on approach to engineering education Professor Arezoo Emadi is the recipient of an award for excellence in the development and teaching of laboratory-based courses in undergraduate engineering. In a world where multidisciplinary education is of growing importance, Arezoo Emadi creates an opportunity for her students to apply academic and practical skills to real‐world problems. This approach has earned national recognition for the professor of electrical and computer engineering, recipient of the 2021 Wighton Fellowship for excellence in the development and teaching of laboratory-based courses in undergraduate engineering programs. In nominating her for the award, former dean of engineering Mehrdad Saif praised Dr. Emadi for promoting an educational environment that offers a dynamic and effective interaction between students and professor. “She integrates physical laboratory activities to engage students and stimulate creative thinking that inspire the quest of knowledge and support effective learning in the largest…
Survey to probe effect of pandemic on adolescents and young adults A new research project out of the University of Windsor and Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare is looking into the toll the pandemic has taken on adolescents transitioning to adulthood. “Adolescence and young adulthood are already known to be high-risk periods for the emergence of mental health issues,” said Lindsey Jaber, a professor in the Faculty of Education who is leading the study. “The overarching goal of this project is to gain a deeper understanding of how transitional-aged youth are coping and navigating through an already turbulent developmental period during and following a time of global crisis.” Dr. Jaber, who specializes in educational psychology, has received a $25,000 grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada to conduct the study. She is working with UWindsor alumna Jennifer Voth (MA 2007, PhD 2013), a research associate at Hôtel-Dieu Grace and adjunct professor in kinesiology. Jesse Scott, an undergraduate student in psychology, is managing…
WE-SPARK Health Institute Issues Call for Proposals WE-Spark Health Institute is now accepting applications for grants to advance health research in Windsor-Essex. WE-Spark Health Institute is now accepting applications to advance health research in Windsor-Essex. The deadline to submit letters of intent is April 1 at 5 p.m. Two grant streams are being awarded: Igniting Discovery Grants provide seed funding to stimulate the development of early-stage, novel, and innovative health research and education projects in Windsor-Essex. Incentive Grants support projects that have been unsuccessful in securing other funding because of steep competition or insufficient funds. These grants help researchers improve their prospects for future external funding. “WE-Spark is focused on increasing competitiveness in major granting competitions and on building an academic healthcare culture in our region,” said executive director Lisa Porter. “Our grants programs ensure there are dedicated grant opportunities to support local researchers at all…
Students win recognition for leadership on equity, diversity, and inclusion in research Staecey Ngabire, Larissa Dushime, Arief Kartolo, Janet MacIsaac, and Natalie Hazineh are among the recipients of Student Leadership Awards for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. Not pictured: Renee Taylor. The Office of Research and Innovation Services has recognized six students from various disciplines who are making the campus community more welcoming by working to develop more equitable and inclusive research. The Student Leadership Awards for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion carry with them a $500 prize. Renee Taylor, a graduate student in psychology, was nominated by professor Ben H.C. Kuo for her work on Black experiences in education and mental health services in Canada, as well as for her on- and off-campus contributions to supporting a more equitable community, such as participating as a panellist in a roundtable co-hosted by the federal Anti-Racism Secretariat and serving as a student representation on the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee of the Faculty of Arts,…
Warning system to prevent beach drownings An innovative dynamic warning system will protect Great Lakes beachgoers from drowning. UWindsor researchers along with community partners in Bruce County are creating a real-time dynamic warning system to protect Great Lakes beach users from drowning. This system will be the first of its kind in North America. The Mitacs Accelerate proposal, called “Socially and physically based surf warning system to improve beach safety,” is led by researcher Chris Houser in collaboration with Bruce County, the Municipality of Kincardine, and the Municipal Innovation Council. The three-year project will start in summer 2022 at Station Beach in Kincardine, Ontario. Using automated beach activity cameras, sensors, meteorological stations, and artificial intelligence, the team will create the unique system. Members will deploy an integrated sensor network that includes water level and wave sensors as well as traffic and pedestrian sensors. The cameras will follow protocols to anonymize faces.…
Social work professor lauded for research into HIV/AIDS Social work professor Adrian Guta has been named the recipient of the Excellence in Research Award in the social sciences track by the Canadian Foundation for AIDS Research and the Canadian Association for HIV Research. Social work professor Adrian Guta has won national acclaim for his HIV and AIDS research. The Canadian Foundation for AIDS Research and the Canadian Association for HIV Research have named the UWindsor professor this year’s recipient of the Excellence in Research Award for social sciences. The award celebrated the contributions of Canadian researchers in HIV/AIDS research in Canada and internationally. “I’m honoured to be recognized by my research community and the two organizations that have been central in supporting HIV research in Canada,” Dr. Guta said of the award. Guta has been involved in HIV research for 18 years and has received funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Ontario HIV Treatment Network. For more than a decade, he…
WE-SPARK Health Institute Releases 3rd Quarter Progress Report WE-SPARK Health Institute Releases 3rd Quarter Progress Report WE-SPARK Health Institute has released its Year 3, Q3 report highlighting key metrics from November 2021 - January 2022. The report communicates outcomes and provides accountability to its members and the Windsor-Essex community. Highlights include: Increased membership by 48 from Q2 to 806 members; Grew Student Volunteer Network to 24 students, logging over 900 hours this quarter; Developed and launched a customized mobile & web app to support collaborative research projects; Facilitated 6 Clinical Professor Appointments and 1 Professor of Practice in the Department of Biomedical Sciences University of Windsor to support local physicians and healthcare providers build their research programs; Launched a WE-SPARK “Engage” Program to provide an easy way for community members to participate in health research; Hosted a “mixer” event that paired medical students with researchers; and Developed a plan that connects…
Application to support research collaboration A customized mobile and web app is intended to support collaborative research projects across Windsor-Essex. WE-Spark Health Institute has developed a customized mobile and web app to support collaborative research projects across Windsor-Essex. The app seamlessly connects clinicians and researchers from across its four partner institutions — the University of Windsor, Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare, St. Clair College, and Windsor Regional Hospital — to share ideas, spark collaboration, and provide quick access to tools, resources, and events. “At WE-Spark, collaboration is at the heart of everything we do,” says executive director Lisa Porter. “Windsor-Essex has all the expertise we need to drive discovery and solutions, and this new tool in our toolbox will make it faster and easier for our research community to find each other to make it happen.” Future iterations will include expanding the tool so students and the Windsor-Essex community can learn about and participate…
