Connaught Fund

Fourteen researchers at the UUֱ�� are receiving 2023-24 Connaught Innovation Awards to help accelerate the development and commercialization of technologies with high potential to have a positive impact on society.

“I would like to congratulate this year’s recipients of Connaught Innovation Awards, whose research is fostering solutions to some of the most pressing challenges of our time,” said Leah Cowen, UUֱ��’s vice-president, research and innovation, and strategic initiatives. “From harnessing machine learning to improve interpretation of lung function tests to developing low-cost and scalable methods to monitor methane at landfills, these scholars are advancing novel ways to utilize technology to have a transformative impact in areas of critical importance in Canada and around the world.”

This year’s recipients are:

Edgar Acosta, department of chemical engineering and applied chemistry, Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering: Lecithin-based, self- micro/emulsifying delivery systems (SM/EDS) for drug and nutraceutical delivery
Ana Andreazza, department of pharmacology and toxicology, Temerty Faculty of Medicine: Mitochondrial Isolation Device (MitoDx)
Gisele Azimi, department of chemical engineering and applied chemistry, Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering: Supercritical fluid extraction for recycling of critical materials from E-waste
Opher Baron, Rotman School of Management: SiMLQ: Transforming process data into actionable insights
Chung-Wai Chow, University Health Network and Institute of Medical Science, Temerty Faculty of Medicine: Machine Learning to facilitate accurate interpretation of pulmonary function tests
Maryam Faiz, department of surgery, Temerty Faculty of Medicine: Astrocyte to oligodendrocyte reprogramming (A2O) for repair in chronic multiple sclerosis (MS)
Andrew Fraser, department of molecular genetics, Temerty Faculty of Medicine: Establishing methods for single-cell metabolomics using hydrogel-embedded barcode aptamers
Roman Genov, Edward S. Rogers Sr. department of electrical and computer engineering, Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering: Fast Pixel-Programmable Image Sensors for Cost-Effective Imaging without Motion Artifacts
Cynthia Goh, department of chemistry, Faculty of Arts & Science: Harnessing bacterial-surface interactions for rapid pathogen identification
Frank Gu, department of chemical engineering and applied chemistry, Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering: Magnesium ion crosslinked hyaluronic acid hydrogels for biomedical applications
Jörg Liebeherr, Edward S. Rogers Sr. department of electrical and computer engineering, Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering: Low-cost large-scale methane monitoring at landfills
Xilin Liu, Edward S. Rogers Sr. department of electrical and computer engineering, Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering: Energy-Efficient Edge Machine Learning Accelerator for Neuromodulation
Andreas Mandelis, department of mechanical and industrial engineering, Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering: Intravascular Differential Photoacoustic Catheter Imager for Quasi-Invasive Detection of Vulnerable Plaques and Calcification in Coronary Artery Atherosclerosis
Hani Naguib, department of mechanical and industrial engineering, Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering: Aerogel Film Materials for Thermal Management Systems

The Connaught Innovation Award, which provides one-time seed funding to support the development and commercialization of the researchers’ innovative technologies, is backed by the Connaught Fund – the largest internal university research funding program in Canada. Established 52 years ago through the sale of Connaught Medical Research Laboratories, which is known for the discovery and production of insulin, the fund supports UUֱ�� scholars through programs such as the New Researcher Award, Community Partnership Research Program, Major Research Challenge for Black Researchers, McLean Award and international doctoral scholarships.

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Amaya Perez-Brumer receives Connaught Community Partnership Research Program award

rahul.kalvapalle — Thu, 14 Mar 2024 20:22:18 +0000

Amaya Perez-Brumer receives Connaught Community Partnership Research Program award

Research & Innovation

rahul.kalvapalle Thu, 03/14/2024 - 16:22

Faculty

St. George

Connaught Community Partnership Research Award

Connaught Fund

Dalla Lana School of Public Health

Faculty of Arts & Science

landscape

Clockwise from top left: Professor Michael Widener, PhD student Marianne Lahaie Luna, alum Mariangela Castro Arteaga, Assistant Professor Amaya Perez-Brumer and PhD student Dorothy Apedaile (supplied images)

Amaya Perez-Brumer, an assistant professor in the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, has received an award from the Connaught Community Partnership Research Program for her project exploring how housing challenges faced by newcomers from Latin America impact their health.

The project, titled “Donde Vivimos” – which translates to “Where We Live” – is a two-year mixed methods study led by Perez-Brumer and Michael Widener, a professor in the department of geography and planning in the Faculty of Arts & Science who is cross-appointed to Dalla Lana. The researchers will partner with the Hispanic Development Council as well as Latinx students at UUֱ�� to assess housing instability and its relationship with self-rated health and access to medical care.

“The Connaught Community Partnership grant provided our team with a unique opportunity to support a new partnership between UUֱ�� and the Hispanic Development Council by extending the impact of a recently awarded, one-year School of City Urban Challenge grant,” said Perez-Brumer.

The Connaught Community Partnership Research Program aims to help create and nurture partnerships between UUֱ�� scholars and community partners that support community-driven research.

Perez-Brumer is one of four UUֱ�� scholars to receive awards from the program this year. The others are Alicia Hawkins at UUֱ�� Mississauga, Jaris Swidrovich at the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy and Ishtiaque Ahmed in the Faculty of Arts & Science.

Read the Dalla Lana School of Public Health story

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Janelle Joseph recognized with Connaught Major Research Challenge for Black Researchers award

rahul.kalvapalle — Fri, 16 Feb 2024 21:21:34 +0000

Janelle Joseph recognized with Connaught Major Research Challenge for Black Researchers award

Research & Innovation

rahul.kalvapalle Fri, 02/16/2024 - 16:21

Faculty

St. George

Connaught Fund

Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education

landscape

Assistant Professor Janelle Joseph (photo by Dewey Chang)

Janelle Joseph, an assistant professor in the Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education (KPE), has received the Connaught Major Research Challenge for Black Researchers award.

The award, given by UUֱ��’s Connaught Fund in partnership with the Black Research Network, aims to strengthen Black scholars’ research programs and help foster partnerships, create training opportunities and enhance their competitiveness for external funding.

Joseph will receive a two-year grant worth $250,000 in support of her project, which aims to enhance the leadership skills of Black Canadian and Global South community leaders through anti-racist and embodied learning.

The project envisions three conferences – in Toronto, Montreal and Cape Town – that will explore topics related to creative problem-solving, situating the individual within the collective per the Indigenous African philosophy of “ubuntu,” and burn-out and healing for social justice leaders, respectively.

“This project will provide the evidence to tailor better leadership education and supports for marginalized leaders and the communities they serve, including healing from burn-out and trauma, improved organizational capacity and communication, as well as advanced personal and interpersonal development,” said Joseph.

“It will help us understand what is needed for interconnectedness and interdependence of diverse groups that are collectively addressing Black community well-being.”

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KPE

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Connaught New Researcher Awards recognize 49 faculty members

rahul.kalvapalle — Mon, 27 Nov 2023 15:48:08 +0000

Connaught New Researcher Awards recognize 49 faculty members

Research & Innovation

rahul.kalvapalle Mon, 11/27/2023 - 10:48

Connaught New Researcher Awards

landscape

The UUֱ�� has recognized 49 faculty members across its three campuses with Connaught New Researcher Awards.

The annual award supports early-stage researchers in the humanities, social sciences, life sciences, physical sciences, engineering and other fields – and aims to enhance their competitiveness for external awards.

"This funding supports our talented early-career researchers as they establish themselves in their respective academic fields,” said Professor Leah Cowen, UUֱ��’s vice-president, research and innovation, and strategic initiatives.

"I am excited to see their work on an array of important and complex issues such as gender discrimination in the technology industry, capacity-building in community-based health care and social services, and engineering of anaerobic bacteria for sustainable fuel production."

Other topics being investigated by this year's recipients range from road safety in Toronto and improving access to HIV/AIDS services for racialized populations, to the role of volunteers in aiding Afghan evacuees and understanding how planets form.

The Connaught New Researcher Award is part of the Connaught Fund, which celebrated its 50th anniversary last year. As Canada’s largest internal university research funding program, the Connaught Fund has given out more than $183 million to researchers across myriad disciplines to tackle pressing global issues.

Shubhangi Saraf receives 2022–23 McLean Award

rahul.kalvapalle — Thu, 09 Nov 2023 21:10:21 +0000

Shubhangi Saraf receives 2022–23 McLean Award

Research & Innovation

rahul.kalvapalle Thu, 11/09/2023 - 16:10

Faculty

St. George

Connaught Fund

Department of Computer Science

Department of Mathematics

McLean Award

landscape

Shubhangi Saraf (photo by Matt Hintsa)

Shubhangi Saraf, an associate professor in the Faculty of Arts & Science’s departments of computer science and mathematics, is the 2022-23 recipient of the McLean Award. 

The McLean Award is part of the UUֱ��’s Connaught Fund and is given in support of basic research in physics, chemistry, computer science, mathematics, engineering sciences or statistical sciences. It is awarded to an outstanding researcher early in their career to assist in attracting and supporting graduate students and post-doctoral fellows as part of their research team. 

“I feel deeply honoured and also incredibly grateful for the award and for the support from my colleagues,” Saraf says.  “The McLean Award will greatly help in enabling and advancing the growth of junior researchers in my field.” 

A global research leader in computational complexity theory and coding theory, Saraf’s work brings together diverse areas of mathematics, allowing her to produce cutting-edge research that addresses some of the most challenging and fundamental questions in theoretical computer science. 

“Through her rigorous research and outstanding record of achievement, Shubhangi Saraf is advancing our understanding of open questions in computer science and mathematics, such as the power and limitations of efficient computation,” says Leah Cowen, UUֱ��’s vice-president, research and innovation, and strategic initiatives. “The insights she harnesses from both computing and mathematics demonstrate the power and impact of interdisciplinary research.”

“The UUֱ�� congratulates her on this important recognition of her work.”

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David Curtin and Sophie Rousseaux recognized with McLean Awards for 2022

lanthierj — Mon, 14 Nov 2022 18:25:59 +0000

David Curtin and Sophie Rousseaux recognized with McLean Awards for 2022

Research & Innovation

lanthierj Mon, 11/14/2022 - 13:25

Faculty of Arts & Science

Department of Chemistry

Department of Physics

landscape

Sophie Rousseaux (L) and David Curtin

The Faculty of Arts & Science’s David Curtin, a theoretical particle physicist, and Sophie Rousseaux, an organic chemist, are recipients of the UUֱ��’s McLean Award for 2022.

Supporting basic research in physics, chemistry, computer science, mathematics, engineering sciences or statistical sciences, the award assists an outstanding researcher early in their career to attract and support graduate students and post-doctoral fellows for their research team.

“It’s a great honour to win the award,” says Curtin, an assistant professor in the department of physics who holds a Canada Research Chair in Theoretical Particle Physics. “It’s wonderful validation of the research I’m doing and I’m very grateful for it. But I also see it as recognition of the amazing people already in my group and the incredible wellspring of motivated, talented undergraduates and graduate students that UUֱ�� attracts.”

Aimy Bazylak wins McLean Award

lanthierj — Fri, 21 Aug 2020 13:34:37 +0000

Aimy Bazylak wins McLean Award

Research & Innovation

lanthierj Fri, 08/21/2020 - 09:34

Faculty

St. George

Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering

McLean Award

Connaught Fund

Women in STEM

landscape

(photo by Roberta Baker)

Professor Aimy Bazylak of the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering is this year’s winner of the McLean Award which recognizes an emerging research leader at the UUֱ��.

“I feel deep gratitude for receiving the McLean Award,” Bazylak said. “I’m tremendously excited about the privilege this provides to both advance clean energy with my team as well as support the growth and development of junior researchers.”

The $125,000 award, jointly funded by the Connaught Fund and the McLean endowment, supports outstanding basic research in computer science, mathematics, physics, chemistry, engineering sciences and statistics.

Bazylak holds the Canada Research Chair in Thermofluidics for Clean Energy. Her research focuses on two complementary technologies that can provide low-emission electricity infrastructure: electrolyzers and fuel cells. In 2017, she was appointed by President Meric Gertler to the President’s Committee on the Environment, Climate Change and Sustainability.

“Professor Bazylak is a leader in sustainable energy research who has already had a tremendous impact on industry, through her collaborations with companies such as Nissan, Hyundai, Hydrogenics and Volkswagen,” said University Professor Ted Sargent, vice-president, research and innovation, and strategic initiatives. “This important recognition will help further her leadership.”

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Connaught Fund

14 UUֱ�� researchers recognized with Connaught Innovation Awards

Amaya Perez-Brumer receives Connaught Community Partnership Research Program award

Read the Dalla Lana School of Public Health story

Janelle Joseph recognized with Connaught Major Research Challenge for Black Researchers award

Read the KPE story

Connaught New Researcher Awards recognize 49 faculty members

Read more about the Connaught New Researchers

Shubhangi Saraf receives 2022–23 McLean Award

Read the Faculty of Arts & Science story

David Curtin and Sophie Rousseaux recognized with McLean Awards for 2022

Read more about David Curtin and his work

Read more about Sophie Rousseaux and her work

Aimy Bazylak wins McLean Award

Read the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering story