Backgrounder
July 25, 2008
STRENGTHENING ONTARIO’S INNOVATION ECONOMY
Funding world-class research is part of Ontario’s plan to build an innovation economy.
Ontario’s universities, colleges, hospitals and research institutes play a vital role in the government’s five-point plan to ensure Ontario remains at the forefront of the global knowledge-based economy by supporting cutting-edge research and developing world-class researchers.
The Early Researcher Awards program (ERA) helps promising, recently-appointed Ontario researchers build their research teams of graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, research assistants and associates. The goal of the program is to improve Ontario’s ability to attract and retain the best and brightest research talent from around the world.
Across the province, this investment will mean cutting-edge research opportunities for as many as 225 graduate students and post-doctorate researchers, and engage as many as 6700 high school students each year, giving them an inside look at real research and inspiring them to consider a career in science and technology.
The ERA program is a key part of Ontario’s Innovation Agenda. Supported by close to $3 billion in spending over eight years, the Ontario Innovation Agenda is building Ontario’s innovation economy on the strength of our province’s creative environment, diverse culture, highly skilled workforce, world-class educational system and internationally recognized research community.
UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN ONTARIO EARLY RESEARCHER AWARDS RECIPIENTS
Dr. Daniel Ansari
Uncovering the Reasons for Mathematical Learning
Difficulties
Basic mathematical skills are important for everyday success
in life. Studies repeatedly reveal low levels of mathematical
skills among children in many industrialized countries. Yet,
scientific research into the causes of children’s difficulties
with mathematics lags far behind investigations into the
psychological and neural basis of reading difficulties. Dr.
Daniel Ansari and his research team will start to fill this
gap by investigating how children develop mathematical difficulties
and how these relate to reading impairments. Results from
this research will have implications for the design and implementation
of intervention tools for children with developmental disorders
of mathematics learning.
Dr. Pauline Barmby
The Histories of Stars and Galaxies
Stars produce most of the energy emitted by galaxies and
also produce the materials needed for the formation of planets
and life. But how are stars formed? Why are some galaxies
still forming new stars while others have stopped? This research
aims to reconstruct the history of star formation in three
nearby galaxies. Dr. Pauline Barmby and her research team
will make measurements of the physical conditions under which
star formation occurs, and will compare these with inferences
from star clusters about how and where stars formed in the
past. Combining this information will help provide a complete “star
formation history” for typical galaxies.
Dr. Colin Denniston
Using Computer Models to Build Designer Materials
The development of designer materials, materials manufactured
to display certain properties, is an area of active research
in both industry and academia. Conventional simulation techniques
have only a limited ability to deal with the complexity of
designer materials. The research will develop computer algorithms
that capture both the molecular dynamics for particle motion
and the dynamics of fluid flow to reveal the physical processes
necessary for the self-assembly of various hybrid materials.
This work will lay the groundwork for the development in
Ontario of various designer materials and processes.
Dr. Savita Dhanvantari
Imaging for Diabetes Therapy
Diabetes is a chronic disease that is caused by damage to
the pancreas and results in complications such as heart problems
and amputations. Dr. Dhanvantari's research team will develop
innovative ways of detecting pre-diabetes damage to the pancreas
using imaging technologies, such as positron emission tomography,
and magnetic resonance imaging. This research will lead to
the detection of changes in the pancreatic cells that occur
before the onset of diabetes. Such discoveries will lead
to therapies that may delay or prevent this disease,
thus improving the quality of life for Ontarians at risk
for diabetes.
Dr. Elizabeth R. Gillies
New Materials and Better Drug Delivery through
Applied Chemistry
With an eye to enhancing the efficacy of current drugs and
creating new drugs, Dr. Gillies and her research team are
applying organic and polymer chemistry for the development
of new materials with designed biological functions. Polymer
vesicles, effectively little chemical “bags”,
will be synthesized and their surfaces will be modified to
selectively target disease sites, including tumors with encapsulated
drugs. In addition, polymers that degrade by stages will
be developed to enable the controlled release of the drugs
from the vesicles. The issue of antibiotic drug resistance
is also being addressed through the synthesis of new macromolecules.
Dr. Martin Houde
Improving the Tools to Study the Stars
How do galaxies form? How do planets form? Dr. Martin
Houde’s research team proposes to examine star formation
by studying molecular clouds, aggregates of dust and gas
that not only are the birthplace of stars, but also constitute
one of the main components of our Galaxy. This research will
concentrate on one of the agents known to inhabit these structures
and participate in the star formation process: the interstellar
magnetic field. It may lead to new instrumentation that will
provide a wealth of new data and significantly improve our
understanding of the star formation process.
Dr. Mikko Karttunen
Using Computers to Understand Molecular Biology
Dr. Mikko Karttunen uses state-of-the-art computer simulations
to study sugars, receptor-ligand systems, nature’s
key-lock mechanisms, and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) transport.
The above are fundamental for cell functions, drug development,
accurate DNA sequencing, and nanoscale sensors. The results
of the research will benefit Ontario as they may have important
implications for understanding diseases such as Alzheimer's
and Parkinson’s, drug development, and nanoengineering.
Dr. François Lagugné-Labarthet
Imaging for Nanomaterial Knowledge
Dr. Francois Lagugne-Labarthet and his team will research
the characterization of nano-materials using advanced optical
microscopy techniques. These techniques will offer information
far beyond that provided by conventional imaging techniques,
and it will allow the molecular properties of these materials
to be associated with their molecular structures, sizes,
compositions and functions. This research will keep Ontario
at the leading edge of nanotechnology research and enable
the use of nanotechnologies in the development of Ontario
economy.
Dr. Hong Ling
Genetic Replication and Understanding Cancer
Our genes contain deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), which encodes
the information for the growth, development, and biological
functions of humans. DNA also encodes molecules that are
responsible for everyday processes, such as vision, muscle
contraction, and food digestion. Damage to DNA can occur
by exposure to ultraviolet light or pollutants, leading to
improper development and diseases, such as cancer. Dr. Hong
Ling and her research team aim to examine the structures
and functions of proteins that can correct the DNA damage
and keep DNA functioning normally. This research will help
to understand pollutant-induced cancer and lead to the development
of new drugs to cure cancer.
Dr. Silvia Mittler
Lab on a Chip: Quick Detection of Hazardous Material
The quick and reliable detection of hazardous materials in
very small concentrations has become increasingly important
in modern society. The delays caused by sending biological
or environmental samples to laboratories and waiting for
analytical results often means that precious time is lost
which could have been used to lessen the impact or set up
counter measures. Dr. Silvia Mittler and her research team
are looking to develop an "All-Optical Analytical Lab
on a Chip," a small, reliable and inexpensive solution
to this problem. The easily transportable system uses a “film” of
light to analyse small samples within a minute time frame
to inform public safety decision makers.
See also:
- News Release: Driving The Innovation Economy In London
