August 13, 2007

ONTARIO RESEARCH FUND – RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE PROGRAM

The McGuinty government is helping researchers obtain the tools they need to stay on the forefront of innovation, including lab space, equipment and computer software through the Research Infrastructure program of the Ontario Research Fund. This round of funding under the program will provide $1,835,528 to support 15 world-class projects in Waterloo.

University of Waterloo

Clinical and Psychophysiological Research Laboratories for Investigating Anxiety Disorders
Scientists study new treatments for anxiety disorders

Lead researcher: David Moscovitch
Total project cost: $229,008
Provincial funding: $91,603

Mental illness, according to the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, is a staggering problem in the workplace. Estimates are that some two million days of work are lost per year due to mental illness. Dr. David Moscovitch at the University of Waterloo is leading researchers in the development and evaluation of improved psychological treatments for anxiety disorders, depression and other mood disorders. By monitoring heart rate, muscle activity, brain functioning, and other factors, researchers can better understand the underlying nature of emotional disorders. The new Centre for Mental Health Research, built to support the research, will enable many more Ontarians with mental health disorders to receive effective treatment.

Integrating Reaction and Catalyst Characterization
Reducing diesel emissions to improve air quality

Lead researcher: William Epling
Total project cost: $323,878
Provincial funding: $129,551

New emissions regulations will soon institute a fuel penalty on diesel-powered trucks, creating a major incentive to fund environmentally friendly engine technologies. Now researchers at the University of Waterloo working under Dr. Willliam Epling are using a new CATLAB Microreactor – the first of its kind in Canada – to find ways to reduce these costly and destructive diesel emissions. The research will lead to the development and application of new technologies that will decrease emissions, reduce transportation costs and improve Ontario’s air quality.

Computational and Research Infrastructure for Theoretical Neuroscience
Perceptually impaired Ontarians to benefit from study of neural disorders

Lead researcher: Chris Eliasmith
Total project cost: $378,396
Provincial funding: $151,358

Parkinson’s disease and hemineglect each affect about 36,000 Ontarians. Researchers, led by Dr. Chris Eliasmith at the University of Waterloo, are studying new treatments for these neural disorders at the new Centre for Theoretical Neuroscience. The Centre is the first facility in Canada to support the development of sophisticated, biologically realistic models of different parts of the brain. This perceptual systems research will lead to the development of the next-generation of aids for vision- and hearing-impaired Ontarians.

Knee Injury: Impact and Tissue Assessment Facility
Preventing knee injuries to keep Ontarians healthy and active

Lead researcher: Naveen Chandrashekar
Total project cost: $248,191
Provincial funding: $99,145

Thousands of knee injuries occur every year in Ontario, most of which include ligament tear, cartilage damage or damage to knee implants. Drs. Naveen Chandrashekar, Duane S. Cronin and John B. Medley of the University of Waterloo are heading a study to determine the causes of knee injuries, knee instability, early knee arthritis and knee implant damage. Using leading-edge research equipment, including a custom-built knee injury simulator, the research will lead to new prevention and rehabilitation programs. The study will also provide data that could lead to the development of new products needed by sport shoe and knee implant manufacturers.

Ultrafast Characterization of Quantum Optoelectronic and Microwave Photonic Devices and Circuits
Research team to transfer new technologies to Ontario’s photonic sector

Lead researcher: Hamed Majedi
Total project cost: $247,931
Provincial funding: $99,173

Leading-edge high-technology industries such as photonics rely on universities to conduct the basic research for innovative products and technologies that enter the market. At the University of Waterloo, a team of scientists led by Dr. Hamed Majedi is investigating innovative, reliable, and cost-effective experimental techniques to characterize quantum optoelectronic and microwave-to-terahertz photonic devices. This new knowledge will become the building blocks for new photonics-based technologies in health care, advanced manufacturing and other core sectors of the economy.

Innovative Treatments of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Focusing on new treatments for a debilitating condition

Lead researcher: Christine Purdon
Total project cost: $136,800
Provincial funding: $54,720

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a debilitating mental illness that affects 125,000–300,000 people in Ontario. At the University of Waterloo, Dr. Christine Purdon has launched a new program to develop innovative psychological treatments for OCD, an illness that is currently resistant to medical and psychological treatments. New equipment will allow the researchers to identify individuals with OCD, study factors that predict treatment refusal, drop-out and non-response, and study the effectiveness of new treatments.

Carbon Nanotube Biomaterials
Strengthening Ontario’s role in biotech industries

Lead researcher: Xiaowu (Shirley) Tang
Total project cost: $467,618
Provincial funding: $150,000

The development of new nanomaterials has the potential to revolutionize medical diagnostics, cancer therapy, and ultimately improve quality of life. Scientists led by Dr. Xiaowu (Shirley) Tang of the University of Waterloo are conducting research to understand the interaction of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNT) with biological systems. This new facility will enable researchers to make scientific and technological breakthroughs in bridging SWNT, a highly promising engineered nanomaterial, with biological systems. Their findings will strengthen Ontario’s position in the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, medical instrument, and semiconductor industries.

Laboratory for Nanoparticle Synthesis and Application Development
Scientists study the health effects of nanomaterials

Lead researcher: Dale Edwin Henneke
Total project cost: $324,994
Provincial funding: $125,000

The emerging field of nanotechnology promises to revolutionize engineering and result in major advances in fields ranging from high-density data storage to medical research. One of the questions surrounding nanotechnology concerns the potential health impacts of these new materials. At the University of Waterloo’s new Laboratory for Nanoparticle Synthesis and Application Development, research by Dr. Dale Edwin Henneke and his team of scientists is focusing on improving our ability to differentiate between toxic and benign nanomaterials. This research will help ensure that nanomaterials are safe for end-users, as well as help secure the continued growth of the nanotechnology industry in Ontario and its resulting economic benefits.

State-of-the-art Facility for the Study of RNA Structure-function Relationships
RNA researchers seek treatments for emerging super bugs

Lead researcher: Thorsten Dieckmann
Total project cost: $387,010
Provincial funding: $150,000

New drug treatments must be discovered to combat emerging viral infections for which no effective immunization is yet available. Leading-edge laboratory equipment at the University of Waterloo is enabling scientists under the direction of Dr. Thorsten Dieckmann to develop a detailed molecular-level picture of how viral infections function by studying RNA structure-function relationships. This research will provide knowledge that is essential to developing new antiviral and antibacterial drugs. Ultimately, the research will foster the discovery of new biopharmaceuticals and diagnostic tools that will reduce the impact of emerging, drug-resistant viruses.

MEMS Test and Characterization Laboratory
Next generation biomedical devices detect early signs of contamination

Lead researcher: Eihab Abdel-Rahman
Total project cost: $409,226
Provincial funding: $156,048

MEMS, or micro-electro-mechanical systems, are critical components in cutting-edge communications equipment and biomedical devices. A newly equipped MEMS Test and Characterization Laboratory at the University of Waterloo will allow scientists to develop MEMS-based technologies that can be used for early and on-site detection of harmful microbial contamination in drinking water and the clinical diagnosis of bacterial and viral infections. The team, under the direction of Dr. Eihab Abdel-Rahman and Dr. Tze-Wei Yeow, will develop a new generation of MEMS devices that are lightweight, low-power, and offer cost-efficient ways to increase functionality. Advancing these new technologies offers significant economic opportunities for Ontario-based companies in the communications, renewable energy and health-care sectors.

Integrated Synthesis, Analysis and Computation Laboratory for Inorganic and Bioinorganic Chemistry
Solving the riddle of atmospheric nitrogen

Lead researcher: Sonny C. Lee
Total project cost: $382,515
Provincial funding: $150,000

Even after decades of study, the chemical details of how bacteria alter atmospheric nitrogen into forms that are vital to life on Earth remain a mystery. This transformation of nitrogen is called biological nitrogen fixation and is the focus of a groundbreaking study by scientists at the University of Waterloo working under the direction of Dr. Sonny C. Lee. The team’s innovative approach requires the integration of all aspects of modern synthetic chemistry into a single, accessible, dedicated facility. The new facility, in addition to training exceptionally qualified scientists for industrial and technological fields, will open the door for discoveries in pharmaceuticals, materials science and nanotechnology.

Bioimaging System for Studying the Live Transport and Targeting of Nanomedicines (Drugs and Delivery Systems)
Making a little medicine go a long way

Lead researcher: Marianna Foldvari
Total project cost: $704,221
Provincial funding: $125,000

The familiar shot in the arm could be a thing of the past if nanotechnology can make it possible to direct very specific amounts of a drug or vaccine to exactly the right place in the body, optimizing a patient’s treatment while minimizing the prospect of side effects. Known as intelligent drug and vaccine delivery systems, these highly targeted approaches operate on a scale of billionths of a metre. Researchers at University of Waterloo will be using a highly sensitive microscope to observe the performance of these systems and assess their effectiveness. Led by Marianna Foldvari, who holds the Canada Research Chair in Bionanotechnology, the research team’s findings could make it possible to achieve ultra-specific targeted control over the delivery of medicine to an individual while eliminating the need for invasive methods such as needles.

Multimedia Production and Analysis Studio for the Study of Communication in Digital New Media
Making music automatically

Lead researcher: Karen Collins
Total project cost: $274,408
Provincial funding: $109,548

Whether surfing the Internet, playing video games, touring a theme park, or exploring a museum, there is a growing demand for music to accompany our activities in a dynamic and interactive way.  Karen Collins, a researcher at University of Waterloo’s Department of Drama and Speech Communication, is outfitting a facility to study interactive digital media. This research will focus on the production and analysis of audio-visual material for the development of a software engine capable of automatically composing real-time music for interactive media. In addition to assisting current users of digital media, such as the operators of theme parks or museums, the research will contribute to Ontario’s leadership in the field of digital media production.

Wilfrid Laurier University

Insider Trading Database
Insider trading database secures investor confidence

Lead researchers: Brian Smith and William McNally
Total project cost: $112,931
Provincial funding: $45,172

Drs. Brian F. Smith and William J. McNally of Wilfrid Laurier University are building a database researching insider trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX). The database will facilitate studies into topics such as the market impact of insider trading, determinants of insider trading, and profitability of insider trading. The results of the research will assist in the development of regulations regarding insider trading on the TSX. Improvements in regulation will increase investor confidence in the TSX, an exchange vital to the raising of capital for Ontario companies.

Multimodal Imaging Equipment for Cognitive Neuroscience Research
Researchers explore the brain with multiple imaging systems

Lead researcher: Philip Servos
Total project cost: $498,026
Provincial funding: $199,210

Stroke is the leading cause of brain damage in adults, often causing paralysis and perceptual losses such as blindness. Non-invasive imaging techniques to examine the brain’s perceptual, motor and cognitive processes help doctors find effective treatments for damage to these areas of the brain. Dr. Philip Servos and a team of scientists at Wilfrid Laurier University are using an innovative approach to combine data on the same research subject from numerous imaging systems (EEG, fMRI, and TMS) to answer fundamental questions about how the perceptual and motor systems are organized in the human brain. The study will provide unprecedented information about brain function, which will help health practitioners develop new treatments for patients suffering from brain damage.

Ontario Research Fund

The McGuinty government is investing $527 million over five years through the Ontario Research Fund. The fund is a key part of the government’s plan to promote scientific excellence by supporting research that can be developed into innovative goods and services that will boost Ontario’s economy. The fund also helps researchers move new ideas from Ontario’s labs to the global marketplace.

The fund provides one window for research funding. Proposals for funding are evaluated through a competitive, peer-review process.

The province matches funding commitments made by the Canada Foundation for Innovation through the Research Infrastructure program. Project funding is shared among the Canada Foundation for Innovation (up to 40 per cent), the province (up to 40 per cent), and the research institutions and industry partners (at least 20 per cent).

For more information about the Ontario Research Fund, please visit www.ontario.ca/innovation.