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91��ɫ to receive $1.4M in Canada Impact+ Research Training Awards

91��ɫ is poised to welcome 11 doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers through the first wave of the federal (CIRTA) initiative, reflecting the University’s strong research excellence and ability to attract top international research talent.

In total the CIRTA are worth $1.4 million in funding – $40,000 per year for three years for seven doctoral students and $70,000 for two years for four postdoctoral researchers at 91��ɫ – to address critical national and global challenges in some of Canada’s priority areas. Altogether, the CIRTA will go towards funding 600 doctoral students and 400 postdoctoral researchers at universities across Canada.

"We are thrilled to welcome these 11 exceptional doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers to 91��ɫ. They will bring an array of international experiences and perspectives to their work alongside some of our most accomplished faculty, researchers whose expertise spans multiple disciplines, methodologies, and questions. It is the strength of these mentors and the vibrancy of our research community that draws top talent from around the world to 91��ɫ,” says Lisa Philipps, 91��ɫ interim president and vice-chancellor.

The recently CIRTA results are part of the a $1.7 billion strategy to strengthen the country’s position as a go-to-place for the world’s top scientists and innovators. They are jointly administered by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).

91��ɫ received a large number of highly qualified candidates for the positions, which will receive funding from all three funding agencies. In addition, two of the four postdoctoral researchers are coming from the social sciences and humanities.

“We are equally grateful to the Government of Canada and to CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC, whose Canada Impact+ Research Training Awards make these opportunities possible. This kind of bold public investment in emerging academic talent is exactly what strengthens our research culture and allows ambitious ideas to take root. Together, the vision of our funders and the dedication of our scholars and supervisors will help tackle some of the most pressing challenges of our time, from removing forever chemicals from our water to strengthening our preparedness against emerging diseases. I could not be prouder of what this community will achieve,” says Philipps.

The CIRTA research awards target specific high priority research needs identified by the federal government across disciplines.

At 91��ɫ the doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers and their supervisors will embark on a vast array of research, including a climate-sensitive disease early-warning system, advanced functional materials for low-energy carbon capture, AI forecasting tools to improve outbreak prediction and public-health decision-making, methods to remove forever chemical contamination from wastewater sludge, and a better understanding of new drivers of aging and development of new personalized therapies to improve health span.

“Research thrives when talented people are given the opportunity, support and freedom to pursue ambitious ideas. These scholars are asking important questions and bringing fresh perspectives to issues that matter deeply to society. Their arrival enriches our academic community, and we look forward to the contributions they will make during their time at 91��ɫ and throughout their careers,” says Alice MacLachlan, vice-provost and dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies at 91��ɫ.

The following 91��ɫ faculty members welcome doctoral students funded by the program:

Associate Professor and Canada Research Chair in Global Health and Humanitarianism Godfred Boateng, School of Global Health, Faculty of Health (supported by SSHRC)

Boateng’s research interests lie in resource insecurity, health and sustainable livelihoods; environmental pollution, climate change and health effects; the socio-ecological determinants of cardiometabolic conditions in aging adults; health equity and health systems research; and implementation and scale-up science in low- and middle-income countries. The research of his doctoral student will focus on the development a climate-sensitive disease early-warning system for informal settlements in Accra, using satellite data, health records, and machine learning to predict emerging disease hotspots. By co-designing tools with local health workers and communities, the project aims to enable earlier public-health interventions and create a scalable model for climate-health resilience in rapidly urbanizing cities.

Associate Professor , Department of Mechanical Engineering, Lassonde School of Engineering (supported by NSERC)

Freire-Gormaly’s research focuses on the development of stand-alone solar powered reverse osmosis water treatment systems and energy recovery systems for remote communities that lack access to grid electricity. She also is interested in machine learning applications for smart design of innovative energy and water systems. The research of her doctoral student will foster the development advanced functional materials for low-energy carbon capture and drinking water treatment, with a focus on modular, affordable systems that can operate in remote and resource-constrained settings. By combining materials innovation, computational modelling, and life-cycle assessment, the project aims to deliver scalable clean technologies that support climate mitigation, water security, and community resilience.

Associate Professor , Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, Lassonde School of Engineering (supported by NSERC)

Ghafar-Zadeh’s research focuses on microelectronic and biosensing technologies for clinical diagnostics and environmental monitoring to address critical challenges in health care, environmental monitoring and scientific research through his Biologically Inspired Sensor and Actuator Laboratory. The research with the doctoral student will develop a new version of DePerio, an AI-powered saliva screening tool that uses deep learning to detect oral neutrophils as biomarkers of periodontal disease and potential neurological disorders, enabling earlier, non-invasive diagnosis. Building on proof-of-concept results achieving 88 per cent precision and 94.7 per cent mAP, the project aims to validate a clinically deployable system that links oral inflammation to disease progression and improves preventive care for both oral and brain health.

Associate Professor , Department of Social Science, Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies (supported by SSHRC)

Hamraie’s doctoral student will be part of 91��ɫ’s Science and Technology Studies graduate program. His research will address the tensions between approaches to accessibility based in mass standardization and those that are rooted in disability activism. In particular, he is interested in how disability activists and technologists have shared information, theories and concepts, and how accessible computing, in particular, has influenced architectural practice. As a graduate student, he will also continue to work in Hamraie’s , a collective of disabled artists, designers and researchers who approach accessibility through disability cultural frameworks. 

Professor , Department of Earth & Space Science & Engineering, Lassonde School of Engineering (supported by NSERC)

Hu’s research focuses on developing scalable and interpretable AI approaches for forest characterization, carbon estimation, biodiversity assessment and environmental monitoring using multi-source remote sensing data. Her doctoral student’s research will develop multimodal AI techniques that combine LiDAR, multispectral imagery and forest inventory data to identify individual tree species in Ontario’s mixed and transitional forests. By enabling scalable species-level forest monitoring, the project will improve biodiversity assessment, forest carbon quantification, and evidence-based forest management to support nature-based climate solutions in Canada.

Professor and 91��ɫ Research Chair in Mechanisms of Cardiometabolic Disease Gary Sweeney, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science (supported by CHIR)

Sweeney’s doctoral student’s research will build on evidence that high adiponectin levels are linked to exceptional longevity and protection against age-related diseases, while low levels are associated with poorer health outcomes. It proposes combining adiponectin biology with extracellular vesicle science to identify new drivers of aging and develop personalized therapies to improve health span in individuals with low adiponectin.

Associate Professor , Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, Lassonde School of Engineering (supported by NSERC)

Tabassum’s research focuses on developing trustworthy AI for wireless sensing, localization, spectrum intelligence, and next-generation communications. Her work combines optimization, machine learning, large language models, and multimodal AI to advance intelligent resource management, integrated sensing and communications, wireless forecasting, and energy-efficient 5G/6G networks, with applications in digital health, smart infrastructure, and connected and autonomous systems. The research of her doctoral student will develop multimodal AI techniques for wireless localization and spectrum intelligence by combining radio-frequency measurements with complementary sensing modalities to enable accurate positioning and automated understanding of complex wireless environments. By integrating trustworthy AI, deep learning, and large language models, the project aims to improve spectrum awareness, network intelligence, and wireless resilience, supporting the deployment of next generation 5G/6G systems for smart infrastructure, public safety, and autonomous applications.

The following faculty members will welcome postdoctoral researchers funded by the program:

Professor and James and Joanne Love Chair in Environmental Engineering and Director of the One WATER Institute , Department of Civil Engineering, Lassonde School of Engineering (supported by NSERC)

Brar is a globally recognized researcher with expertise in value-added waste processing through the development of bioproducts from wastewaters and sludge using fermentation technologies and the removal of emerging contaminants, such as microplastics and pharmaceuticals. She also works on innovative treatment technologies for environmental remediation. The postdoctoral researcher’s work will address the wastewater sludge contamination of per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a group of 4,700 man-made “forever chemicals” found in non-stick cookware, cosmetics and waterproof textiles, and everywhere from groundwater to human blood. Current wastewater treatment plants were not designed to primarily remove PFAS, however, if they are not properly treated prior to discharge, it can lead to contamination of soil and groundwater. Conventional PFAS removal methods like sludge pyrolysis, incineration, electrochemical oxidation are energy and cost intensive and cannot be easily integrated into existing plants. Through their research, Brar and her postdoctoral researcher will develop a circular-economy pretreatment approach using ultrasonication and biochar to reduce “forever chemicals” while enhancing biogas production. Through lab and pilot-scale testing on anaerobic digester sludge, the research aims to optimize conditions for PFAS removal in a way that is compatible with existing treatment infrastructure.

Associate Professor , Department of Sociology, Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies (supported by SSHRC)

Jean-Pierre’s research in the sociology of education, sociology of race and ethnicity, youth studies, and research methodology. She focuses on school and postsecondary trajectories, policies and interventions, and qualitative research. The research of her postdoctoral researcher will redefine democracy as every day, community-based practice by examining how Black women in Brazil, Argentina, and Canada build collective infrastructures of care, mutual aid, and political organizing amid systemic exclusion and democratic crisis. Through comparative ethnography, it shows how these grassroots practices sustain and reimagine democratic life beyond formal state institutions, challenging dominant models shaped by anti-Blackness and inequality.

Professor and Scientific Director of the Artificial Intelligence for Public Health Advancement Seyed Moghadas, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Faculty of Science (supported by NSERC)

Moghadas’s research involves advanced theoretical and computational methods for modelling and analysis of infectious disease dynamics, evaluating public health interventions and policies, and health economics of healthcare programs. The postdoctoral researcher will develop transparent, uncertainty-aware AI forecasting tools that combine machine learning with mechanistic disease-transmission models to improve outbreak prediction and public-health decision-making. By integrating diverse data sources and explicitly quantifying uncertainty, the project aims to strengthen preparedness, resource allocation, and health system resilience against emerging infectious disease threats.

Associate Professor and Canada Research Chair in Social Reasoning , Department of Philosophy, Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies (supported by SSHRC)

Rini is an internationally recognized expert in the philosophical disciplines of ethics and epistemology. In ethics, she specifically examines structural injustice and the complexities of moral disagreement, while in epistemology, she has studied the effects of online misinformation on public debate and the erosion of digital recording as a regulator of testimony. Rini will supervise a postdoctoral researcher examining how testimonial narratives in the Colombian and Canadian truth commissions contribute to reparative justice by helping survivors reclaim agency, foster collective understanding and rebuild social trust after systemic violence. Through a comparative philosophical analysis, the project develops a framework for understanding narrative as a tool for epistemic repair and reconciliation while exploring its limitations in addressing ongoing structural inequalities. The research will look at the following three questions: The guiding questions are: What is the relationship between testimonial narrative and reparative justice; How does narrative support individual healing, collective recognition and the rebuilding of social trust; and What tensions arise between individualized testimonies and structural accounts of systemic injustice?