Backgrounder

August 4, 2010

Projects Funded In Toronto

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.

Ryerson University

Ryerson University combined X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry facility for the evaluation of phase changes in foods and other materials
Studying biomaterials to develop new products and technologies
Lead researcher: Dr. Dérick Rousseau
Provincial funding: $264,401
Researchers affected: 21

Dr. Dérick Rousseau’s research initially focused on understanding the factors that affect the quality and shelf life of processed foods. Now the Ryerson University food scientist is using that knowledge to develop nutraceuticals – foods with health or medical benefits. This work could lead to reduced health care costs, as nutraceutical ingredients are expected to be less expensive than pharmaceuticals..

Scanning confocal laser microscope
Understanding how biofilms grow and develop
Lead researcher: Dr. Gideon Wolfaardt
Provincial funding: $30,000
Researchers affected: 10

Biofilms are communities of microorganisms that stick to the surface of an object. They can be beneficial (e.g., cleaning up hazardous waste) or detrimental (e.g., causing medical infections). Dr. Gideon Wolfaardt is an environmental microbiologist at Ryerson who collaborates extensively with industry partners and other universities to control unwanted biofilms in clinical and food processing environments, and to utilize their activity in industrial processes.

University of Toronto

High performance computing infrastructure for large-scale healthcare optimization
Using mathematical modeling to solve health care problems
Lead researcher: Dr. Dionne Aleman
Provincial funding: $91,324
Researchers affected: 6

University of Toronto researcher Dr. Dionne Aleman believes health care challenges can be addressed through mathematical modeling. Her goal is to ensure that Ontario’s health care system delivers medical care as accurately as possible through quantitative analysis.

Infrastructure for molecular genetics and therapeutics in sarcoma
Developing new diagnostic tests and therapies for sarcoma
Lead researchers: Dr. Irene Andrulis, Dr. Carol Swallow and Dr. Jay Wunder
Provincial funding: $390,188
Researchers affected: 5

A multi-disciplinary team, led by Drs. Irene Andrulis, Carol Swallow and Jay Wunder of the Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute of Mount Sinai Hospital and the University of Toronto, is studying molecular genetic changes in sarcoma (a type of cancer) and applying what they learn to clinical practice. Their work may lead to new diagnostic tests and therapies that can be commercialized by Ontario biotech companies.

Humanities Research Technology Centre (HRTC)
Using digital technology to study the human condition
Lead researcher: Dr. Daniel Bender
Provincial funding: $15,000
Researchers affected: 50

Humanities research and research training increasingly require access to technology to support the presentation of historical research to a wider audience. At the University of Toronto Scarborough, historian Dr. Daniel Bender is building an advanced digital workroom that will be accessible to more than 50 members of the Department of Humanities. The HRTC will support several research projects, including a study of North American perspectives on biodiversity, conservation and environmental activism, the study of Chinese legal texts, and a study of digital performance art. The ongoing development and modernization of the HRTC will help Ontario lead the way in the rapidly expanding field of digital humanities research.

Post-marketing surveillance infrastructure for arthritis: Supporting the optimal use of therapies and best practices for rheumatologic care in Canada
Creating an online information system to monitor and improve arthritis care
Lead researcher: Dr. Claire Bombardier
Provincial funding: $156,362
Researchers affected:16

University of Toronto researcher Dr. Claire Bombardier is developing a user-friendly system that encourages patients to report on their arthritis status and medication use. The information gathered will help physicians better diagnose and treat the disease, and will help patients better manage it.

Pediatric Rehabilitation Intelligent Systems Multidisciplinary (PRISM) Lab
Developing tools to help severely disabled children communicate
Lead researcher: Dr. Tom Chau
Provincial funding: $79,413
Researchers affected: 20

Dr. Tom Chau is a specialist in engineering and pediatric rehabilitation at the University of Toronto, where he works to help severely disabled children interact with other people and their environment. He is studying body signals with the goal of equipping the children with the tools they need to direct their own care.

PPARalpha as a mediator of sex differences in autoimmunity
Determining why Multiple Sclerosis affects women more often than men
Lead researcher : Dr. Shannon Dunn
Provincial funding: $102,827
Researchers affected: 1

Women are three times more likely than men to develop multiple sclerosis. University of Toronto researcher Dr.Shannon Dunn studies gender differences in autoimmune diseases and she is investigating the role of the PPARalpha gene in the development of MS, and the mechanism that dampens the immune response in males.

Studying the role of macro-autophagy in mediating response to antiangiogenic tumour therapy
New therapies to prevent deaths from cancer
Lead researcher: Dr. Urban Emmenegger
Provincial funding: $ 45,037
Researchers affected: 1

Autophagy is a cellular process that may play a substantial role in regulating cancer development and progression, as well as determining how tumour cells respond to various therapies. At the University of Toronto, medical oncologist Dr. Urban Emmenegger is studying autophagy, and his findings are expected to push Ontario to the forefront of the emerging field of antiangiogenic tumour therapies.

Establishment of a laboratory for research on the evolutionary genetics of animal behaviour
Shedding light on differences in animal behaviour (including humans)
Lead researcher: Dr. Mark Fitzpatrick
Provincial funding: $200,339
Researchers affected: 16

At a new laboratory at the University of Toronto Dr. Mark Fitzpatrick is using fruit flies to investigate the genetic basis of complex traits via studies of variation in their behaviour. His research can shed light on the evolution of complex traits in general including lifespan, body size (including obesity), disease resistance and human abilities.

Massively parallel computation and massive storage for the application of deep learning to large databases
Advancing computers’ abilities to “learn”
Lead researchers: Dr. Geoffrey Hinton, Dr. Richard Zemel
Provincial funding: $37,214
Researchers affected: 3

Computers have a hard time making predictions. At the University of Toronto, Drs. Geoffrey Hinton and Richard Zemel are using a new generation of graphics processor units to advance computers’ abilities to learn – which could mean significant improvements in fields such as image retrieval, face recognition, speech recognition and medical image analysis.

Establishment of a live-cell imaging and biochemistry laboratory for research in organelle biogenesis and degradation
Investigating how cells change and adapt
Lead researcher: Dr. Peter K. Kim
Provincial funding: $448,654
Researchers affected: 1

University of Toronto / Hospital for Sick Children researcher, Dr. Peter K. Kim is using advanced imaging techniques to investigate how cellular organelles change and adapt in response to signals from both outside and inside. His research is expected to provide insights into various neurodegenerative diseases – and advance Ontario’s biotech industry by providing a basis for developing and commercializing new imaging techniques and tools.

Human annotated interaction networks – A resource to analyze genetic variants and disease mutations
Developing computer tools to unlock the secrets of the genome
Lead researcher: Dr. Philip Kim
Provincial funding: $93,778
Researchers affected: 1

The University of Toronto’s Dr. Philip Kim is developing innovative computer tools to analyze the massive new amounts of genomic and proteomic data being uncovered. His work is expected to lead to improved health care for Ontarians.

Infrastructure for DNA damage and neurotoxicology
Developing safer pharmaceutical drugs
Lead researcher: Dr. Rebecca Laposa
Provincial funding: $170,884
Researchers affected: 7

The high cost of research and development is a major challenge for pharmaceutical companies today. At the University of Toronto, molecular toxicologist Dr. Rebecca Laposa is doing work that will help drug developers screen for toxicity early in the development process, potentially reducing research and development costs for unsuccessful drugs.

Genetic basis of social behaviour in drosophila
Structuring groups for optimum performance
Lead researcher: Dr. Joel Levine
Provincial funding: $240,000
Researchers affected: 8

University of Toronto biologist Dr. Joel Levine is using fruit flies to study behaviour. His research could yield important insights into the nature of group dynamics and how groups can be structured to optimize performance in the classroom, workplace and military. It could also lead to better remedies for autism and other disorders that impact social life.

Laboratory for computational structural biology
Combating drug resistance
Lead researcher: Dr. Ryan Lilien
Provincial funding: $200,000
Researchers affected: 1

Dr. Ryan Lilien’s work at the University of Toronto is fundamental to identifying molecular targets for drug design and understanding the emergence of drug resistance. Both are essential for developing effective new drugs for infectious diseases like malaria and tuberculosis.

Muscle function and performance in children with muscular dystrophy
Developing new rehabilitation strategies for children with muscular dystrophy
Lead researcher: Dr. Sunita Mathur
Provincial funding: $82,196
Researchers affected: 1

At the University of Toronto, Dr. Sunita Mathur is examining muscle function and mobility in children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Her goal is to develop new rehabilitation strategies – improving the quality of life for these children and getting the most out of emerging pharmaceutical and genetic therapies.

Integrated watershed hydrology and biogeochemistry research facility for the study of contaminant transport and transformation
Developing a better understanding of mercury accumulation in the environment
Lead researcher: Dr. Carl Mitchell
Provincial funding: $220,000
Researchers affected: 1

Dr. Carl Mitchell, of the University of Toronto Scarborough, is conducting research on the fate of mercury in the environment. His goal is to help policy makers develop best management practices to lessen the harmful effects of mercury release and exposure.

Pharmacogenetics in psychiatry: A new era of personalized medicine
Developing personalized drugs for treating mental illness
Lead researchers: Dr. Daniel Mueller and Dr. Art Petronis
Provincial funding: $399,056
Researchers affected: 15

At the University of Toronto Drs. Daniel J. Mueller and Art Petronis are measuring DNA variations and epigenetic modifications among individuals, to find out why people respond differently to the same drug. Their work could lead to individualized treatment for mental illness, and substantially reduce the costs of mental illness to the economy.

Infrastructure for imaging and optical manipulation of intracellular processes using chromophore-assisted light inactivation
Developing new drugs for brain disorders
Lead researcher: Dr. Kenichi Okamoto
Provincial funding: $373,436
Researchers affected: 5

Dr. Kenichi Okamoto of the University of Toronto studies the molecular mechanisms that control brain functions such as learning and memory. He is developing a tool that will enable him to manipulate specific protein functions using laser optics techniques. This work will help develop new drugs for brain disorders.

Dyadic psycholphysiology lab: a multi-method approach to intergroup relations
Exploring how body responses to social interactions can predict future health
Lead researcher: Dr. Elizabeth Page-Gould
Provincial funding: $54,584
Researchers affected: 5

Dr. Elizabeth Page-Gould of the University of Toronto is using physiological hardware that measures cardiovascular, respiratory and hormonal responses from two participants simultaneously to understand how the body reacts in our experiences with other people. Her work will determine if the way the body reacts in social situations can predict long-term health.

Gravity GPU cluster for studies of strong-field general relativity
Learning more about black holes and gravity
Lead researcher: Dr. Harald Pfeiffer
Provincial funding: $166,000
Researchers affected: 11

Gravity is one of the fundamental forces of nature and is governed by Einstein's equations of General Relativity. Dr. Harald Pfeiffer from the University of Toronto and the Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics is using supercomputers to investigate gravity in the most extreme circumstances – such as during collisions of black holes or neutron stars, or while matter is falling into a black hole. Combining this research with measurements of gravitational waves, he hopes to learn how galaxies have formed during the life of the universe.

Critical making: the materialization of digital information
Using computer technology to advance Ontario industry
Lead researcher: Dr. Matt Ratto
Provincial funding: $34,113
Researchers affected: 19

New fabrication technologies like 3D printing and laser cutting are changing hands-on work. Dr. Matt Ratto, a social scientist who heads the Critical Making Lab at the University of Toronto, is studying new fabrication technologies and types of creative labour to help Ontario industry stay competitive.

Ontario Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (OCANDS)
Tracking child welfare trends and policies
Lead researcher: Dr. Aron Shlonsky
Provincial funding: $277,335
Researchers affected: 60

University of Toronto researcher Dr. Aron Shlonsky is establishing the Ontario Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (OCANDS), the province’s first longitudinal database that traces children's involvement with the child protection system and the services they receive. OCANDS will help social workers better understand child maltreatment and its consequences, and develop innovative policies and services to combat it.

Manufacture and testing of advanced aerospace materials
Developing lightweight materials for the aerospace industry
Lead researcher : Dr. Craig Steeves
Provincial funding: $29,643
Researchers affected: 12

At the University of Toronto, aerospace engineer Dr. Craig Steeves is working to develop advanced lightweight materials that can reduce environmental effects and minimize damage from fatigue and impact. His work could give Ontario’s aerospace industry a significant advantage over its competitors, and has important applications for other transportation industries, including auto and rail.

Research Laboratory for Mobile Genetic Elements in Eukaryotic Genomes
Exploring the role of transposable elements in genome evolution and function
Lead researcher: Guojun Yang
Provincial funding: $143,245
Researchers affected: 10

University of Toronto biologist Dr. Guojun Yang studies transposable elements – a type of DNA that can move around within the genome. He is also developing new computational tools to study these elements. His findings could lead to better pest control, as well as new treatments for genetic diseases and cancers.

Establishment of a protein biochemistry and molecular biology laboratory for research in plant development and stress biology
Developing agricultural crops that can resist stress
Lead researcher: Dr. Rongmin Zhao
Provincial funding: $150,000
Researchers affected: 6

At the University of Toronto Scarborough Dr. Rongmin Zhao wants to identify proteins that can be used to genetically modify important agricultural crops so they can resist environmental stresses. His research could make a substantial impact on Ontario’s agri-food industry, which employs close to 750,000 people according to Ontario Federation of Agriculture and contributes $33 billion a year to the economy.