Backgrounder

August 4, 2010

Projects Funded In Ottawa

Through the ORF – Research Infrastructure program , the government is investing close to $18 million in research infrastructure projects at universities and research hospitals across the province. This investment will support 104 projects and more than 1,300 researchers at 14 institutions in 11 cities across the province.

Carleton University

Infrastructure for impact performance evaluation of advanced materials
Developing lighter and stronger materials for aircraft
Lead researcher: Dr. Jeremy Laliberte
Provincial funding: $39,250
Researchers affected: 4

Advanced materials could make airplanes safer and more fuel efficient. At a new laboratory at Carleton University, Dr. Jeremy Laliberte is helping develop these materials by measuring their resistance to low velocity impact damage.

Establishing a research facility to study cellular responses to neuronal injury and mechanisms to promote functional repair
Developing new therapies for spinal cord injuries
Lead researcher: Dr. Patrice Smith
Provincial funding: $179,218
Researchers affected: 3

Through early development, neurons in the human brain grow and stretch out long nerves to form connections that help us perform everyday activities. As we age, these connections are strengthened by experience and learning processes. At Carleton University, Dr. Patrice Smith is studying nerve growth in the developing brain in the hopes that this knowledge can be applied to repairing damaged adult brains. This work will be instrumental in the design of novel therapeutics for brain and spinal cord injuries.

University of Ottawa

Imaging memory formation
Learning more about how we form memory
Lead researchers: Dr. Jean-Claude Béïque, Dr. Leonard Maler and Dr. André Longtin
Provincial funding: $399,938
Researchers affected: 8

At the University of Ottawa, Drs. Jean-Claude Béïque, Leonard Maler and André Longtin are studying the patterns of neural activity of fish while they are engaged in learning tasks. The researchers’ findings are expected to help advance our knowledge of how we acquire senses and memory, an area of growing importance given our aging population.

Neurolipidomics: Targeting the metabolic underpinnings of neurodegenerative disease
Transforming the treatment of neurodegenerative disease
Lead researcher: Dr. Steffany Bennett
Provincial funding: $363,608
Researchers affected: 162

The number of incidences of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s is expected to increase in the next few decades as life expectancy rises. University of Ottawa researcher Dr. Steffany Bennett is taking a potentially transformative approach to these diseases that could lead to better treatments, offering new hope to patients and their families while helping reduce the growing burden on our health care system.

Nanophotonics research facility
Developing next generation electronic devices
Lead researcher: Dr. Pierre Berini
Provincial funding: $399,942
Researchers affected: 15

Dr. Pierre Berini of the University of Ottawa works in “plasmonics”, an emerging field in which scientists are working to create circuits that work with light, rather than electricity. Success would greatly increase the capacity of electronic devices – making this research of interest to sectors as diverse as telecommunications and biotechnology.

Molecular structures for the chemistry of tomorrow
Developing new and better catalysts
Lead researcher: Dr. Sandro Gambarotta
Provincial funding: $322,524
Researchers affected: 30

Catalysis (used for petroleum and chemical production, energy generation and manufacturing) can reduce energy use, lower production costs and reduce pollution. University of Ottawa chemist Dr. Sandro Gambarotta is working to develop new catalysts for environmental and industrial processes – work that could help give Ontario an important competitive advantage.

Laboratory for micro-and nano-scale biophysical sensing
Developing next generation biosensors
Lead researcher: Dr. Michel Godin
Provincial funding: $189,282
Researchers affected: 10

Biosensors are used to monitor glucose levels, but they have the potential to do more. At the University of Ottawa, physicist Dr. Michel Godin is developing new microdevices for sensing applications in medical diagnostics, food and water safety, environment monitoring and personalized medicine.

Molecular determinants and behavioural implications of neurogenesis throughout the lifespan in naïve and pathological conditions
Exploring the brain’s recuperative powers
Lead researcher: Dr. Diane Lagace
Provincial funding: $325,325
Researchers affected: 20

The recent discovery that the adult brain has stem cells that can create new neurons opens up the possibility of designing new treatments for diseases like Alzheimer’s. At the University of Ottawa, Dr. Diane Lagace is working to determine just how new neurons are created in the brain and if there is a way to increase the number of neurons or enhance their survival rate.

Virtual Health Populomics Lab
Developing better informed health care policies
Lead researcher: Dr. Michael Wolfson
Provincial funding: $273,926
Researchers affected: 8

At the University of Ottawa, Dr. Michael Wolfson is using advanced computing capabilities to analyze data on risk factors, disease incidence and prevalence, health care use and the epidemiological factors, tying them all together. His research will help policymakers develop informed and cost-effective health care policies.

High resolution still, moving and stereo image capture and dissemination through the creation and exhibition of innovative interactive artworks
Using technology to advance art
Lead researcher: Dr. Andrew Wright
Provincial funding: $54,963
Researchers affected: 9

Dr. Andrew Wright is using high-resolution, high-definition 2D and 3D imaging to capture images, process them and display them in innovative, interactive art installations. His research will position Ontario as a leader in cutting-edge artistic techniques and help Ontario artists compete on the world stage.